Japan's corporate bankruptcies hit 19,441 in 2001, up 1.9 percent from the previous year, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday.
The number of bankruptcies, the second-largest figure in the post-war period, rose for the second straight year, the credit research agency said.
Debts left by failed firms totaled 16.21 trillion yen, also the second-largest figure in the post-war era after the 23.99 trillion yen registered in 2000, the agency said.