Oct
26
Geisha-Loans Bank Outshines Japan’s Behemoth Lenders
By-
Community bank shows how to thrive despite Japan’s low rates
-
Lending is based on borrower’s personality rather than metrics
Kikuno Kashima, a Tokyo geisha, couldn’t get a bank loan to open a club for her patrons and select guests until a tiny credit union agreed to lend her the money. Now she’s part of a lending model that’s doling out cash to startup companies and yielding surprisingly high profits in the process…