About six billion of it is in Islamic bonds, including a three and a half billion dollar bond set for repayment on Monday.

VOA: special.2009.12.11

Already, banks' overall profit margins nationwide have fallen to 0.15% at the end of September from 0.21% two years prior as income from investments, including bonds, has fallen, according to the Japanese Bankers Association.

WSJ: Japanese Government Bonds Soar

The European Union financial and sovereign debt crisis has heated up again as European bond yields are rising, including Italian bonds moving above the critical 7% level Tuesday.

FORBES: Comex Gold Ends Near Steady As Bargain Hunters Step In to Buy Weakness

Total bank credit, including foreign bonds and loans in foreign currencies, fell to 6.3% in the first from 8.4% in the same period last year, according to the World Bank.

FORBES: World Bank Revises China GDP Forecast Upward