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, includingbonds, has fallen, according to the Japanese Bankers Association.
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.
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.