Japan’s ‘Middle Country’ Bank is Puzzling Chinese Tourists
- Chugoku Bank resorts to signs in Chinese to explain its name
- Move has sparked some critical feedback on social media
A Chugoku Bank branch in Japan.
Source: Google MapsChugoku Bank is a small Japanese lender named after the central Japanese region where it’s based. But it’s having to turn away Chinese would-be customers convinced they have come across a branch of the global giant Bank of China.
That’s because, when written in Japanese, its name is identical to the name of its Beijing-headquartered peer. It literally translates to “Middle Country Bank” in English.