MUFG Bank to Launch Jisha Connect Advisory Service for Religious Groups in 2026
Mitsubishi UFJ Bank plans to launch 'Jisha Connect,' an advisory service for temples and shrines, in 2026. The service aims to help religious corporations boost revenue, improve efficiency, and secure financing amid declining supporters and succession challenges. It will begin in Kyoto and expand nationwide. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, inactive religious corporations reached 5,286 as of end-2025, up 267 from 2024, raising concerns about misuse by criminal groups. The bank will also assist with digitalization and asset utilization.
Mitsubishi UFJ Bank plans to launch 'Jisha Connect,' a consulting and support service for temples and shrines, from 2027. The service is designed to address issues such as declining numbers of believers due to population decline and a shortage of successors. The bank will apply its management experience gained in supporting private companies to help religious corporations improve profitability, promote operational efficiency, and enhance financing methods. Initially, the service will focus on Kyoto, where the bank will build a track record before expanding nationwide.
According to data from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, as of the end of 2025, the number of 'inactive religious corporations'—those that have ceased religious activities but retain corporate status—reached 5,286, an increase of 267 from 2024. This trend is closely tied to social factors such as rural depopulation, low birth rates, and an aging society, making it difficult for temples and shrines to secure successors. Religious corporations enjoy certain tax advantages, with income from religious activities generally exempt from taxation. However, dormant corporations risk being acquired and exploited by unscrupulous intermediaries or criminal organizations, making their continued existence and proper management a social concern.
'Jisha Connect' will assist religious corporations in dealing with inbound tourists, promote cashless payment and other digitalisation measures, and strengthen revenue management and visitor services. The service also plans to leverage unused assets owned by temples and shrines—such as land, buildings, and cultural properties—to explore new revenue streams. For large-scale repair needs, the bank will offer not only loans but also combine corporate donations and sponsorship funds to build comprehensive financing packages.
Mitsubishi UFJ Bank held a 'Jisha Summit' in Kyoto in 2025 for people involved in temples and shrines to exchange views on management challenges, and has already begun supporting individual temples and shrines. The new service builds on this experience, with the initial focus on the department handling temple and shrine business at the Kyoto branch, to establish a support model.