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Docomo Bank to Begin Services in August, Aiming for 1,500 Branches

TOKYO - NTT Docomo will begin offering banking services under the new "Docomo Bank" brand in August, with plans to build a network of more than 1,500 locations by fiscal 2030, far exceeding the branch networks of Japan's major banks.

NTT Docomo Financial Group, a financial services company established on July 1, announced the plan at a news conference in Tokyo.

Customers will be able to open bank accounts and seek advice on loans and other financial products at Docomo mobile phone shops beginning in August.

By fiscal 2030, the company aims to provide banking services at more than 1,000 Docomo shops and operate at least 500 bank franchise locations, creating a combined network of more than 1,500 outlets.

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As of 6:25 a.m. JST on July 11, Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) is expected to pass very close to Okinawa Prefecture's Sakishima Islands this morning, with airlines warning of further disruptions and transport operators urging passengers to check the latest service information before traveling.

Large and powerful Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) was making its closest approach to Okinawa's Sakishima Islands early on July 11, bringing gusts of up to 40 meters per second to Miyakojima and placing parts of Okinawa's main island, more than 300 kilometers from the storm's center, inside the storm zone.

A wave of bear sightings across Japan has forced the cancellation of traditional summer events, while one animal entered a home and came within inches of a sleeping resident's face.

Japan is expected to remain under intense summer heat through next week as the Pacific high-pressure system continues to dominate the country, bringing widespread temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and increasing the risk of heatstroke.

Akie Abe, the wife of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has said she is only now becoming able to grieve honestly over her husband’s death, four years after he was shot and killed during an election campaign speech in Nara.

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NTT Docomo will begin offering banking services under the new "Docomo Bank" brand in August, with plans to build a network of more than 1,500 locations by fiscal 2030, far exceeding the branch networks of Japan's major banks.

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Tokyo stocks fell for a third straight session on July 8 as selling in semiconductor and AI-related shares continued, while rising Japanese government bond yields, Middle East tensions and concern over the Bank of Japan’s policy independence added pressure to the broader market.

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 7 as a selloff in South Korean chip shares triggered fresh concern over the sustainability of the AI boom, dragging the Nikkei 225 lower while banks and other value shares resisted the decline.

Japan’s long-term interest rate briefly rose to 2.83% on July 6, its highest level in nearly 30 years, as investors grew more cautious over inflation, the pace of Bank of Japan rate hikes and the government’s fiscal stance.