Shiga Bank

President Takashi Kano leads the institution, with investment decisions integrated into the bank's senior management structure. The bank does not operate a separate asset-management subsidiary for its venture portfolio — allocation decisions are made internally under its board and investment-committee framework, consistent with Japan's regional-bank regulatory model.

Shiga Bank is a publicly listed regional bank that operates a venture capital allocation as part of its balance sheet, not a single-family office or a traditional venture firm. Its late-stage venture commitments are funded by depositor capital and retained earnings, which subjects the portfolio to Japanese banking regulations rather than limited-partner fund structures.

The bank focuses on late-stage venture capital. This stage preference reflects the institution's need for companies with established revenue, clearer paths to liquidity, and reduced binary risk — appropriate for a depositor-funded balance sheet that must manage capital-adequacy ratios while seeking equity returns above traditional government-bond yields.

There is no public disclosure of explicit sector exclusions. However, as a regional bank with close ties to Shiga Prefecture's industrial base, the venture portfolio is likely to avoid sectors that conflict with its core lending relationships or that carry regulatory or reputational risk under Japan's banking supervision — though precise boundaries are not published.

Public records confirm venture capital allocations, but the bank does not publicly break out direct-versus-fund commitment ratios. Regional Japanese banks of Shiga Bank's profile often use a mix: direct equity stakes in local growth companies alongside limited-partner commitments to external venture funds as a diversification tool, though Shiga Bank's specific split is not disclosed.

The investment capital originates from Shiga Bank's deposit base and retained earnings, not from a single-family wealth event. The bank collects deposits from individuals, small and medium enterprises, and corporations primarily within Shiga Prefecture and the broader Kansai region, then deploys that capital across lending and its equity portfolio.

While many Japanese regional banks have tentatively entered venture investing, Shiga Bank's explicit focus on late-stage commitments signals a deliberate positioning: it competes less for seed-stage startup access and more for growth-equity allocations where portfolio companies already have operating histories and clearer correlations to the bank's existing commercial-banking relationships in manufacturing, logistics, and real estate.