The Norinchukin Bank

The Norinchukin Bank (農林中央金庫), also known as Nochu Bank, is a major Japanese cooperative financial institution headquartered in Tokyo. Established in 1923, it serves as the central bank for over 5,600 agricultural, fishery, and forestry cooperatives, providing deposits, loans, securities investment, fund settlements, and other banking services primarily to support Japan's agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors.

With total assets exceeding JPY 83 trillion (approximately US$546 billion) and around 3,200 employees, the bank focuses on asset management and large-scale corporate lending. It plays a key role in the national economy by channeling funds from member cooperatives to related industries, including international project financing such as renewable energy initiatives.