About this collection
Employees are the key ingredient in any bank’s success. This selection of images pays tribute to colleagues who have contributed to our story in Japan. We opened in Yokohama as early as 1866, with branches soon following in Kobe (1870) and Osaka (1872). Our staff were busy helping to finance the country’s international trade, especially its highly-prized silk exports. A century later, the local economy began to accelerate once again and additional branches were opened. These offices were traditionally headed by an overseas manager, but a Japanese employee was appointed to run the Kobe branch for the first time in 1968. Our team in Japan today continues to build on the roots laid down in 1866.
