Business

Announcing the Winners of the Tokyo Financial Award!

As one project in the “Global Financial City: Tokyo” Vision, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) is hosting the “Tokyo Financial Award.” Since last year, the TMG has been granting a prize to financial companies who provide and develop innovative products and services that meet Tokyo citizens’ needs and challenges, as well as financial companies who work to promote ESG investments*.
The winners of the Award have been decided. Details follow below.
* ESG (“Environment, Social, Governance”) refers to investment decisions based on an company’s proactive efforts in combating global warming, empowering women, selecting outside directors, etc.

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1 Winning Companies

Financial Innovation Category

Place Company Theme Submission Outline
1st Frich,Inc.
  • Insurance
    Want a service that allows insurance sharing.
  • The company developed a platform for insurance service with the P2P (Peer to Peer) system that provides the service to groups with certain insurance needs in the insurance field where market size is small and insurance services have not been established so far despite insurance needs (or where fees are too expensive to be difficult to buy the service).
  • First, it intends to offer pet insurance service for specific breed of dog using community groups on social media.
  • In the future, the company will expand the similar insurance service with the P2P system to various insurance fields that have potential insurance needs but are not developed, such as for a single parent family.
2nd Fly Money Technologies LTD
  • Payments
    Too many different types of e-money makes it a hassle to use.
  • The company offers those who go on a trip overseas travel payment service: currency exchange at reservation, delivery service of local currency at home and the airport, top-up into local payment service (Mobile Wallet, a prepaid card, etc.) with reasonable prices. (the service already has been developed and offered in Germany, etc.)
  • It intends to provide the service in Japan where inbound tourists are increasing every year to enable the tourists to use Japanese currency smoothly after entering the country.
  • In the future, the company will expand the service to outbound tourism like overseas trips of Tokyo residents.
3rd 400F Co., Ltd.
  • Asset Management
    Want advice on asset management products that is suitable for the respective customer from a neutral perspective.
  • The company provides personal service of clear appropriate efficient asset management advice based on “Money checkup”, in which customers can grasp status of their balance and assets.
  • A customer first answers simple questions to grasp the objective situation, match with an appropriate advisor, and receive advise by chat. An advisor provides neutral and appropriate advise to the customer using chatbots that have been machine-learned by AI based on a database on customer’s financial questions.
  • The company also provides a “Financial Community Platform” that effectively enhances the financial knowledge of customers by combining online (social media) and offline (seminars, etc.).

ESG Investment Category

Company Main ESG Promotional Activities
Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd.

Contributing to ESG bond promotion in the domestic market

  • In the green bond market, the company gained the largest market share of more than 25% as well as the largest number of Green Bond Structuring Agent* in the country.
  • The company contributed to the market development from the founding period of the domestic ESG bond market as a pioneer.

*It is one who supports the issuance of green bonds through the establishment of a Green Bond framework and others.

Shinsei Corporate Investment Limited

Implementation of impact investments through the establishment of childcare and nursing care support funds

  • The company established the impact investment* fund which is the first-in-kind for Japanese bank groups as a solution to social challenges.
  • Focusing on social challenges that Tokyo residents are familiar and sympathize, the company aims to achieve both economic returns and social returns through the fund.

*Investments aiming to achieve both economic and social returns

S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC.

Development of “Index for reducing greenhouse gases”

  • GPIF adopted the index of Japanese and foreign stocks for reducing greenhouse gases as an environmental stock index, and started managing funds on a scale of approximately 1.2 trillion yen.
  • The company encouraged portfolio companies to improve carbon efficiency and to raise awareness of environmental issues through engagement and other measures.

2 Judging Panel Members

  Financial Innovation Category ESG Investment Category
Chairperson of the Judging Panel Kiyoshi Hosomizo
President, Japan Exchange Regulation
Judging Panel Members Kayo Oe
President, Office Libertas
Financial Planner
Tomonori Uchiyama
Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Masaru Arai
Chair, Japan Sustainable Investment Forum
Soichi Kariyazono
Honorary Chair, Japan Venture Capital Association
Yasuyuki Kato
Director, Money Design Research Institute
Research Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Visiting Professor, Kyoto University
Masakazu Masujima
Partner, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Fiona Reynolds
CEO, PRI*(Principles for Responsible Investment)

* Established in order to realize a sustainable society as proposed in 2006 by then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, PRI are principles that encourage institutional investors incorporate environmental, social, and governance issues into their investment decisions. PRI is also an international network of investors working together to put the principles into practice.

3 Award Ceremony

Ceremony Information

Date and Time

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 from 2:00 pm to 4:25 pm (scheduled)
* Venue opens at 1:30 pm

Venue

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, Tower Hall, 49th floor, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Language

Simultaneous interpretation between Japanese and English will be available

How to Apply

Please apply from the link below
https://tokyofinancialaward2019tfa.peatix.com(External link)

Program

  • Overview of the “Tokyo Financial Award”
  • Comments from the Chairperson
  • Lecture on “Financial innovation”
  • Presentation from awarded companies of Financial Innovation Category(3 companies)
  • Lecture on “ESG investment”
  • Presentation from awarded companies of ESG investment Category (3 companies)
  • Remarks from the Governor
  • Awards & Photo Session of Financial Innovation Category
  • Awards & Photo Session of ESG investment Category

4  Tokyo Financial Award Website

https://finaward.metro.tokyo.jp/en

For Inquiries
Strategic Projects Section, Strategy Promotion Division, Office for Startup and Global Financial City Strategy
E-mail: S1130103@section.metro.tokyo.jp"
 

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