Among the many financial institutions, credit unions are rooted in their communities and provide local services. Mizushima Shinkin Bank also plays an important role as a familiar financial institution for Kurashiki City residents.
Mizushima Shinkin Bank serves not only as a place for financial transactions, but also as a trusted adviser who supports local people. It also fosters community exchange beyond the scope of its regular work, and is known for actively taking part in festivals and local events.
What kinds of young employees work at Mizushima Shinkin Bank, which values its ties with the community?
Meet Mizuko Takumi, who works at Mizushima Shinkin Bank.
The information presented was current when this article was published in February 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Mizushima Shinkin Bank
Mizushima Shinkin Bank (commonly known as Mizushin) is a financial institution established in 1950.
Like banks, it handles deposits, loans and other financing, and financial products such as investment trusts. However, credit unions differ significantly in their principles and service areas.
Mizushima Shinkin Bank’s guiding principle is “coexistence and mutual prosperity with the local community.”
It is also notable that all its branches are located in Kurashiki City and many of its employees are from Kurashiki.
In addition to providing financial products, as a public-interest organization, it carries out a variety of cultural and social contribution activities to revitalize the community. Examples include:
- Taking part in local festivals (Mizushima Port Festival and Kurashiki Tenryo Summer Festival)
- Participating in workshops at local high schools and exchanging views with students
- Hosting participants in the Kurashiki Challenge Work program
- Helping out at local children’s cafeterias
Mizushima Shinkin Bank also conducts its own training programs.
To help new employees connect with the community, they interview local businesses and share information about them. Each year, they choose a theme, such as “local restaurants,” and conduct interviews.
In 2025, the theme was “Food × SDGs.” QR codes linking to introduction videos made by new employees are printed on calendars issued by Mizushima Shinkin Bank. If you’re interested, be sure to check them out.
Training that helps employees learn about the city where they work is an initiative unique to Mizushima Shinkin Bank, which is deeply rooted in its community.
Mizuko Takumi, who works at Mizushima Shinkin Bank
The person who spoke with us for this article is Mizuko Takumi, who works at Mizushima Shinkin Bank. Born in 1998, he is from Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
Having studied commerce and business administration in high school and university, Mr. Mizuko considered a career in finance and joined Mizushima Shinkin Bank in 2021. He says he was impressed by the warmth of the bank’s recruitment process during his job search amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Japanese term “nyuko” (“joining a shinkin bank”) is used in the same way as “nyusha,” meaning “joining a company.”
After being assigned to the deposits and loans departments, where he handled customer service at the counter and other duties, he now works on a range of tasks as a senior member of the business development team.
About Mr. Mizuko’s work
Mr. Mizuko’s current work falls into three main areas.
The first is recommending the bank’s services.
Credit unions offer a variety of financial products. Familiar examples include car loans and home loans. Mr. Mizuko recommends loans, suggests ways to build assets using deposit products (such as ordinary and time deposits), provides information about insurance, and introduces investment trusts.
The second is helping solve problems by making use of the bank’s network and services.
For example, when a company struggling to find a successor seeks advice, he first conducts an in-depth interview. Based on what he learns, he may connect the company with a partner staffing agency or suggest using Polytechnic Center Okayama (a specialist organization that provides employment and job-retention support). He provides assistance in collaboration with a range of organizations and institutions.
The final area is management work in his role as a senior employee, which he began in late August 2025.
He also receives consultations about inheritance from individual customers and sometimes helps families arrange opportunities to discuss their assets together.
In addition to managing branch figures and setting targets, he provides daily support to his subordinates on the business development team. There are three members on the team at his branch, including Mr. Mizuko, and all are in their twenties. It is a workplace where young employees are thriving.
Mr. Mizuko became a senior employee at the age of 27.
His work covers a wide range of responsibilities, but during our interview, he gave us the reassuring impression of someone who would live up to expectations.
How he came to work at Mizushima Shinkin Bank
Influenced by his older brother, Mr. Mizuko was passionate about volleyball even before starting elementary school. He joined his junior high school volleyball team, and his achievements earned him a recommendation for admission to Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Commercial High School. After graduating, he moved to Tokyo and enrolled in the commerce department of a university in the city.
When looking for a job, he focused on the financial industry, which he felt was a natural continuation of his studies in commerce in high school and university. He also wanted to return to his hometown, so he looked for work in Kurashiki as well.
However, 2020, when Mr. Mizuko was job hunting, was right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Various restrictions were imposed on job seekers from outside the prefecture, limiting the financial institutions where Mr. Mizuko, returning from Tokyo, could proceed with recruitment. He was also unable to attend Mizushima Shinkin Bank’s information session because the two-week quarantine period after returning home would not have ended in time.
When he explained his circumstances, Mizushima Shinkin Bank was the one that responded personally and considerately, saying, “In that case, we’ll arrange another date for you.” Mr. Mizuko was also struck by how different the bank was from what he had imagined after seeing the enthusiasm and character of the recruitment staff at the time. He recalls that the process was swift even before he received an offer, and that the staff were quick to act.
He was also attracted by the opportunity to continue working as a Kurashiki City resident without being transferred elsewhere, and decided to join Mizushima Shinkin Bank.
What does Mr. Mizuko see as the appeal of Mizushima Shinkin Bank as a workplace?
Mr. Mizuko says the greatest attractions of Mizushima Shinkin Bank are its “well-balanced work environment” and “the large number of employees who care about their community (Kurashiki).”
He says many employees at Mizushima Shinkin Bank keep work and personal life clearly separate. Since their work involves financial products, they are always serious on the job, but at social gatherings and other off-duty occasions, a more approachable side comes out.
Rather than maintaining a tense atmosphere all the time, having a chance to relax now and then probably makes it easier to build trusting relationships.
Another distinctive feature of Mizushima Shinkin Bank’s community-focused approach is that many of its employees are from Kurashiki.
Employees often get caught up talking about local shops, saying things like, “I used to go there all the time,” or exchange the latest local news. Many employees are well-informed, so they have plenty of common topics to discuss with customers, too.
Mr. Mizuko says, “Many of our employees love the city where we live, and there’s a strong sense of unity.”
This warm connection with the community may also help earn customers’ trust.
Mr. Mizuko joined Mizushima Shinkin Bank and reached his fifth year in 2025. We interviewed him about the rewards of working at a community-based financial institution and what makes his workplace appealing.
Mizushima Shinkin Bank data
| Organization | Mizushima Shinkin Bank |
|---|---|
| Industry | General financial services under the Shinkin Bank Act |
| Representative | Yokomizo Hiroyuki |
| Established | 1950 |
| Address | 8-23 Mizushima Nishitokiwa-cho, Kurashiki City (head office) |
| Contact | 086-446-2229 |
| Website | Mizushima Shinkin Bank website |
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