10月10日（土） 中小の事業承継 悪質なM&A仲介排除へ、金融庁 プルデンシャル生命に業務停止命令
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is moving to draft legislation that would crack down on predatory M&A brokers as the number of small businesses without successors continues to rise. On the same day, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) issued a three-month partial business suspension order against Prudential Life Insurance Japan following a scheme in which former employees defrauded customers of more than 6 billion yen. The FSA also asked financial institutions to replace photo-based identity checks with IC-chip scanning of My Number cards to counter a surge in large-scale cyberattacks.
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What this episode answers
Why is METI considering tightening regulations on M&A intermediaries?
Because small businesses without successors are increasing and problems such as being matched with buyers who lack sufficient funds have become serious; METI is considering legislation that would include the power to conduct compulsory investigations of malicious brokers.
What were the grounds and specifics of the FSA's three-month suspension order against Prudential Life Insurance Japan?
Former employees defrauded customers of more than 6 billion yen in total, and the FSA concluded there were serious deficiencies in corporate governance; insurance sales are suspended for three months and fundamental recurrence-prevention measures have been demanded.
What change to identity-verification procedures did the FSA ask financial institutions to make?
Citing a surge in large-scale personal-information leaks caused by cyberattacks, the FSA asked financial institutions to stop using photographs of driver's licenses and similar documents for account-opening identity checks and instead shift to reading the IC chips of My Number cards and equivalent documents.
Which companies are joining Anthropic's critical-infrastructure cyber defense program?
Eleven companies worldwide are participating, including Hitachi and a U.S. affiliate of Mitsubishi Electric; the program is designed to protect critical social infrastructure such as power grids and water systems from cyberattacks.
What did the Agency for Cultural Affairs' public opinion survey reveal about handwriting habits?
80.4% of respondents said handwriting habits should be 'valued,' and about 70% cited as their reason that handwriting 'reveals individuality and conveys emotion that printed characters cannot.'
Small-Business Succession: Legislation to Weed Out Rogue M&A Brokers
METI has announced it will study legislation to eliminate predatory M&A intermediaries, a move driven by the growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises that lack a successor. Among the problems that have surfaced is brokers connecting sellers with buyers who do not have the financial capacity to complete a deal. One measure under consideration would give authorities the power to conduct compulsory investigations of offending brokers.
Three-Month Business Suspension Order Against Prudential Life Insurance Japan
On October 9, the FSA announced a partial business suspension order against Prudential Life Insurance Japan (プルデンシャル生命保険) under the Insurance Business Act. Former employees had defrauded customers of more than 6 billion yen in total, and the FSA determined that the company had serious deficiencies in its corporate governance. As a result, the insurer is prohibited from selling new policies for three months and is required to implement sweeping measures to prevent any recurrence.
Identity Verification for Account Opening to Shift to IC Chip Scanning
In response to a rise in large-scale personal-information leaks caused by cyberattacks, the FSA has asked financial institutions to strengthen their defenses. Specifically, it has called on banks and other institutions to stop verifying customers' identities by photographing driver's licenses or similar documents when opening accounts, and to move instead to reading the IC chips embedded in My Number cards (マイナンバーカード) and equivalent documents.
Anthropic Launches Cyber Defense Program for Critical Infrastructure
U.S.-based Anthropic (アンソロピック) has announced a defense program aimed at protecting critical social infrastructure — including power grids and water systems — from cyberattacks. Eleven companies from around the world have joined the initiative, among them Hitachi (日立製作所) and a U.S. affiliate of Mitsubishi Electric (三菱電機).
Honda to Source Vehicles from Mitsubishi Motors for First Time in About 30 Years
Honda (本田技研工業) has decided to receive OEM-supplied vehicles from Mitsubishi Motors (三菱自動車). It is the first time Honda has procured vehicles from another automaker in approximately 30 years. With competition from Chinese manufacturers and others intensifying, Honda is looking to deepen ties with Nissan (日産自動車) and Mitsubishi Motors — partners in its broader collaboration — to strengthen its competitive position.
Italo Enters Germany, Opening a New Chapter in European Rail Competition
Italy's privately operated high-speed rail operator Italo is set to begin running services within Germany. Rail liberalization across Europe has raised expectations that cross-border competition will improve services for passengers. The expansion is also seen as creating new business opportunities for Japanese companies active in the rail sector, including Hitachi.
Host Chat: Declining Handwriting and an Agency for Cultural Affairs Survey
Saturday host Kono Chiyaki (こうのちやき) shared a personal story about sitting down to write a thank-you note by hand for the first time in a while, only to be struck by how much her handwriting had deteriorated. As digitization has advanced and opportunities to write by hand have plummeted, she noted, the skill has faded noticeably compared with the past.
The anecdote led into a discussion of a public opinion survey on the Japanese language released by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁). Asked about the habit of writing by hand, 80.4% of respondents said it was something that should be "valued." About 70% gave as their reason that handwriting "reveals individuality and conveys emotion that printed characters cannot." The segment highlighted the gap between widespread recognition of handwriting's importance and the reality that the habit itself is quietly disappearing in everyday life.
Takeaways
- METI is drafting legislation — potentially including compulsory investigation powers — to expel predatory M&A brokers exploiting the wave of small businesses seeking successors.
- The FSA issued a three-month insurance-sales suspension against Prudential Life Insurance Japan after former employees defrauded customers of more than 6 billion yen, citing grave corporate governance failures.
- An Agency for Cultural Affairs survey found 80.4% of Japanese respondents believe handwriting should be valued, even as digital convenience erodes the actual habit.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.