Latest Japan Headlines

All the headlines from our Japan Topic Page, ordered by recency.

S&P Revises Sompo U.S. Outlook to Stable

Mar 31 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Sompo Japan Insurance Co. of America (SJA; A+/Stable/–) to stable from negative. S&P said the “outlook revision...

S&P Upgrades Outlook on 7 Japanese Insurers

Mar 24 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised the outlooks to stable from negative on its financial strength and long-term counterparty credit ratings on seven Japanese insurance...

Best Affirms Mitsui Sumitomo ‘A+’ Rating

Mar 19 2004 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the “A+” (Superior) financial strength rating of Japan’s Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Ltd. with a stable outlook.“The rating reflects Mitsui...

Best Affirms ‘B++’ Rating of Fuji Fire & Marine

Mar 16 2004 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of “B++” (Very Good) of Japan’s Fuji Fire & Marine Insurance Company, Limited. Best also assigned a financial strength...

Best Affirms NIPPONKOA ‘A’ Rating

Feb 27 2004 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the A (Excellent) financial strength rating of NIPPONKOA Insurance Company Ltd (NIPPONKOA) (Japan). The rating outlook is stable.The rating reflects NIPPONKOA’s excellent business profile,...

Skandia Completes Sale of Japanese Operations to Millea

Feb 3 2004 // Skandia announced that the sale of its Japanese operations to Millea Holdings’ subsidiary, The Tokyo Marine & Fire Insurance Co. Ltd., has now been completed after receipt of the customary regulatory...

Holland’s Actuac, Japan’s IIC Partners Join Milliman Global

Jan 22 2004 // Seattle-based Milliman Global, an organization of independent, international consulting firms, announced that the Netherlands’ Actuac and Japan’s IIC Partners have joined its roster of international consulting...

Japanese Insurers Receive Fortress Re Payments

Jan 5 2004 // Three Japanese insurance companies have received at least part of the $1.12 arbitration award levied against Fortress Re (See IJ Website Dec, 23), a No. Carolina-based reinsurance company, which collapsed following Sept....

Swiss Re Receives Japan Branch License

Dec 29 2003 // Swiss Re announced that it has received a branch license from Japan’s Financial Services Agency, giving it permission to provide its reinsurance services locally, both in Property & Casualty and in Life &...

Millea to buy Skandia Japan Life Unit for $186 Million

Dec 24 2003 // Millea Holdings Inc., Japan’s largest general insurer, announced plans to acquire the Japanese life business of Sweden’s Skandia Insurance Co. for 20 billion yen ($186 million) in early 2004. “By...

S&P Comment on Japanese P/C 1st Half Results – Profitability Still in Question

Nov 26 2003 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a comment on the Japanese P/C sector, indicating that “a recovery in bottom-line profits recorded by all 10 major Japanese non-life insurers for the first half...

Big “I” Sees International Success with New Associate Member Status

Nov 4 2003 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America announced that two Japanese brokers are the first international insurance professionals to join IIABA by taking advantage of its new “associate...

Strong Quake in Japan; Tidal Waves Feared

Sep 26 2003 // An earthquake measuring in excess of 8 on the Richter scale struck the Northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido early this morning, local time, causing property damage and injuring more than 230 people. The tremor and two...

Best Lowers Unum Japan Rating to ‘BB+’

Sep 26 2003 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has downgraded the financial strength rating to B++ (Very Good) from A- (Excellent) of Unum Japan Accident Insurance Co. Ltd., removed the company from under review, and revised its outlook...

AIG Completes Acquisition of GE’s Japan Life and U.S. Auto Business

Aug 29 2003 // American International Group, Inc. announced that “the acquisition of the GE Edison Life Insurance Company in Japan and GE’s U.S.-based auto and home insurance business has been completed, effective...

EQECAT Provides Risk Analysis for Largest Japanese Cat Bond

Aug 21 2003 // Oakland- based EQECAT Inc., a division of ABSG Consulting of Houston, Texas, announced that it has provided the risk analysis for a $470 million bond consisting of three individual tranches covering potential losses from...

Best Affirms Toa Re ‘A+’ (Superior) Ratings

Aug 20 2003 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of A+ (Superior) of Japan’s Toa Reinsurance Company Limited, with a negative outlook.“The negative outlook reflects Toa Re’s...

A.M. Best Affirms Rating of Sompo Japan Inc.

Aug 7 2003 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A+ (Superior) of Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., Japan. The outlook is negative.The rating reflects Sompo Japan’s deteriorated risk-adjusted capitalization,...

Swiss Re, Mitsui Sumitomo Arrange $100M Catastrophe Risk Swap

Aug 6 2003 // Swiss Re and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company have arranged a $100 million catastrophe risk swap. The catastrophe risk swap is structured in two risk exchanges of $50 million each: Japan typhoon for North Atlantic...

AIG’s Greenberg to Hold Conference Call Today on GE Japan Life Deal

Jul 1 2003 // American International Group announced that Chairman M. R. Greenberg will hold a conference call on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 at 10:00 am EDT to discuss AIG’s agreement to acquire the GE Japan Life Insurance business and...