Banks are the most keen to lend companies money in 17 years. Corporate treasurers don't need the cash.
The Bank of Japan's "tankan" business confidence index released Tuesday showed that the prevalence of midsize companies saying banks are willing to lend to them rose to 19 in March, the highest since June 1997.
Yet demand for loans from businesses remains below levels before the global financial crisis, other central bank data show.
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