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The Bank of Yokohama
The Bank of Yokohama was founded in 1920 as a regional bank anchored in Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and a major industrial and port city south...
The Bank of Yokohama
The Bank of Yokohama was founded in 1920 as a regional bank anchored in Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and a major industrial and port city south of Tokyo. Kazuyuki Yamato serves as President and CEO of the bank, which merged with Higashi-Nippon Bank in 2016 to form Concordia Financial Group. The bank operates as the primary banking entity within the holding company structure, running over 180 branches concentrated in the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan corridor. The bank deploys venture capital through its wholly owned subsidiary, Yokohama Capital, which manages corporate venture funds making direct equity investments in Japanese technology startups. The strategy spans seed through Series B rounds, with a focus on enterprises that can benefit from the bank's regional corporate network and customer base of small-to-medium enterprises. Confirmed investment sectors include enterprise software, fintech, manufacturing technology, and life sciences. Notable portfolio holdings have included regional SaaS platforms and industrial automation startups, though individual company names and fund sizes are not publicly disclosed, consistent with the private posture of Japanese regional bank venture arms. Beyond venture capital, The Bank of Yokohama maintains a diversified balance sheet that includes domestic sovereign bonds, corporate lending, and limited partnership commitments to external private equity funds through its asset management division. The firm does not report dedicated alternatives headcount, and its venture activity appears integrated within a broader business development or securities investment department rather than a standalone unit. The holding company, Concordia Financial Group, held total assets of approximately ¥23 trillion as of its public financial disclosures. Structurally, The Bank of Yokohama's venture program functions as a strategic extension of its regional banking mandate rather than a returns-maximizing institutional investor. This architecture — a deposit-funded corporate venture arm inside a listed bank holding company — means investment decisions are measured against client acquisition potential, regional economic development goals, and fee-income generation, not solely carried interest. The bank does not operate a separate family office or endowment-style pool, and there is no public record of co-investment partnerships with external family offices.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
1920
Location
Region
Asia
Country
Japan
City
Yokohama
Corporate office
Yokohama, Japan
Principals
Kazuyuki Yamato
President & CEO
Frequently asked questions
How does The Bank of Yokohama source its venture investments?
The bank sources deal flow primarily through its regional corporate network in Kanagawa and the greater Tokyo area, leveraging relationships with over 100,000 small-to-medium enterprise clients. Its venture arm, Yokohama Capital, also accesses opportunities through syndicates with other Japanese regional banks and domestic venture capital firms. The firm does not publicly disclose participation in U.S. or European deal networks.
What is the relationship between The Bank of Yokohama and Concordia Financial Group?
The Bank of Yokohama is the wholly owned lead banking subsidiary of Concordia Financial Group, a publicly traded holding company formed through the 2016 merger with Higashi-Nippon Bank. Concordia is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Bank of Yokohama retains its brand identity and branch network while operating under Concordia's consolidated governance and capital management framework.
Does The Bank of Yokohama invest in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The bank's venture activity is predominantly direct equity investment through Yokohama Capital, targeting Japanese startups. In its broader asset management activities, the bank makes limited partnership commitments to external private equity and venture capital funds, though the specific fund names and commitment sizes are not publicly itemized in English-language disclosures.
What investment stages does The Bank of Yokohama target in venture capital?
Yokohama Capital targets seed, early-stage, and Series A/B rounds, consistent with the strategic mandate to support emerging companies that may later become commercial banking clients. The bank does not operate a growth equity or buyout platform. Stage boundaries are flexible and determined by the maturity of the startup ecosystem in the target sector.
Who makes investment decisions for The Bank of Yokohama's venture activities?
Investment decisions flow through the management team at Yokohama Capital, the bank's dedicated venture capital subsidiary, under the oversight of the bank's executive leadership. President and CEO Kazuyuki Yamato holds ultimate authority over material capital allocations. The specific investment committee members and deal-level decision process are not disclosed publicly.
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