The Mizuho Financial Group, the world's biggest financial empire in terms of assets, takes shape today, integrating Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Fuji Bank and the Industrial Bank of Japan under a newly created holding company.
Boasting aggregate assets of 134.4 trillion yen, the group hopes to become one of the world's top five financial firms in terms of profit.
But its restructuring timetable shows it will be many years before the full benefits of the merger will be reflected in the firm's earnings.