This explains why it is difficult for banks to enter directly into geographical markets in which they were previously absent; indirect growth by acquiring existing banks or branches is often the easiest way to overcome this barrier and enter a retail market characterized by information asymmetries.
Although one of the reasons for the declining population in Hiroshima Prefecture is that more young people, such as those in their 20s, are moving out of the prefecture than into it, Hiroshima Prefecture in recent years often ranks high on the list of desirable places to move to.