Commerce Bank then offers its customers longer banking hours and freedom from annoying fees.

ECONOMIST: Hard times have been good to America's smaller banks

Commerce is well known in the New York area for consumer-friendly services like weekend banking hours and coin-sorting machines.

FORBES: TD Raids South of the Border To Buy Commerce Bank

Other Japanese banks are now getting their acts together, from dealing with bad loans to changing banking hours to better appeal to customers.

FORBES: Fact and Comment