Services at 128 Banks in Japan Halted Due to Technical Glitch

A widespread technical glitch disrupted banking services for 128 Shinkin banks in western Japan, halting cash withdrawals, deposits, and financial transfers via ATMs and bank branches, as well as online banking services, with no set date for resumption. The Shinkin Central Bank, which operates the core banking systems for Shinkin banks, announced that the outage began around 1:30 p.m. on Friday and affected all 128 banks located west of the Tokai region, encompassing approximately 3,430 bank branches. The disruption left customers unable to withdraw or deposit funds or conduct financial transfers, whether through ATMs or within branches, and prevented access to several electronic banking services. The bank stated that initial investigations point to a malfunction in communication equipment at its western Japan center, which manages the regional banking network, and suggested the outage was likely caused by a problem with one of the devices, though the exact causes remain under investigation. The bank added that technical teams are working to repair the fault, restore affected systems, and gradually reinstate banking services, while authorities have been unable to provide a timeline for a return to normal operations.