The Bank of Japan as a Designated Public Institution The Bank is listed as a designated public institution in the Basic Act on Disaster Management, together with the Japanese Red Cross Society and electric power companies, for example.
Along with the national and local governments, designated public institutions are required to make necessary arrangements to protect "the lives, bodies, and property of citizens from disaster." The Bank not only issues banknotes and conducts monetary policy, but also provides a system to settle funds smoothly among financial institutions.