Japan's regional banks in merger talks to form largest in nation's west

Joining of Shiga Bank and Senshu Ikeda Holdings follows trend ahead of law expiring in 2030 Shiga Bank and the parent company of Ikeda Senshu Bank are in talks for a merger, which would make them the largest such entity by combined assets in Japan's western Kansai region. TOKYO/OSAKA -- Two Japanese regional lenders, Shiga Bank and Senshu Ikeda Holdings, the parent company of Osaka-based Senshu Ikeda Bank, are in the final stages of merger talks to create the largest regional lender in Japan's western Kansai region, Nikkei learned Friday.