Konnichiwa Amsterdam: Japan Banks Eye Post-Brexit Home

  • MUFG and Mizuho have bolstered operations in the Dutch city
  • Cheaper rents, moderate taxes and English proficiency appeal

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg
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As Frankfurt, Paris and Dublin vie for financial jobs that may move from London after Brexit, two of Japan’s biggest banks have been quietly building their presence elsewhere: Amsterdam.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. are bolstering their units in the Dutch city, where they both hold a banking license that enables them to serve clients throughout the European Union. They still need to choose a location for conducting securities business in the region should the U.K.’s exit make London a more difficult place to perform certain services for European customers, such as underwriting and derivatives.