Takugin's profitable business is likely to end up with Hokuyo Bank, a healthy mid-sized institution in Sapporo, while most of the non-performing loans will be inherited by the Deposit Insurance Corporation, an emergency pool funded mainly by other banks.

ECONOMIST: Japanese banks

If they have a large pool of elderly patients with complex conditions, or high rates of emergency admissions - both of which are more expensive to treat - it can be hard to keep costs down.

BBC: Why the fuss when the NHS is in surplus?