MUFG goes where no bank has gone before

MUFG, which in February 2023 launched an online consultation service for asset management and opened a digital channel that enables customers to consult with their investment advisors from their home, is partnering with JR East to allow customers to consult with their financial advisors from a booth in “Ekinaka” (literally, “inside the station”) as another move to eliminate restrictions imposed by the conventional format of branches.

The new service became available last Wednesday, and this pilot phase is scheduled to end by September 29. Leveraging JR EAST’s “STATION BOOTH” and “STATION WORK” facilities in Tokyo Station, Shimbashi Station, Shinjuku Station, Omiya Station, Kashiwa Station, Yokohama Station, and Nakayama Station, MUFG Bank customers can make a reservation for the desired date and time from the dedicated website.

The service is free of charge, but the ticket to access the station is responsibility of the customer. The consultation is currently limited to explanations about NISA, which a regulation change in 2024 will make more attractive for individual investors.

In addition to the JR East facilities, MUFG Bank has also struck a similar agreement with V-cube, the operator of “TELECUBE” services. Through that partnership, the same type of consultation can be booked at the Tokyo Building TOKIA, the Shin-Yurakucho Building, and the Shin-Marunouchi Building.

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