Loiter in a Tokyo branch of the Sumitomo Mitsui Bank and you will notice some changes. There is still a large closed-off area of bank officers shuffling documents, but there are now two counters, a high one at which to make deposits and transfer money, and a more appealing line of low desks, behind which staff wait to discuss your financial needs.
“In the eyes of our customers, we wanted clearly to separate payments from consultation about things like a new account,” says Takashi Yamashita, a senior vice president in SMBC’s retail bank.
