Description
Japan Finance Corporation (日本政策金融公庫) is a Japanese policy-based financial institution that provides loans and financial support to small and micro businesses, individual entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized enterprises, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries operators through its three core business lines: 国民生活事業 (Micro/Small Business and Individual Operators), 中小企業事業 (SME Business), and 農林水産事業 (Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Business). In addition to standard business financing, it offers the 国の教育ローン (National Education Loan) to support families with children's education costs, online application and e-contract services, and management support in areas such as startup founding, business revitalization, business succession (including an M&A/succession matching service), overseas expansion, and structural transformation of the agriculture and fisheries sectors. The corporation also operates special consultation windows for businesses affected by disasters (such as the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake), geopolitical and economic shocks (Middle East/Ukraine situations, oil price rises, US auto tariffs), and business disruptions such as corporate bankruptcies affecting payment processing. It publishes research and reports through its research institute and runs outreach programs including a business plan grand prix for high school and technical college students, and trade fairs to support domestic agricultural and fisheries product distribution.