Pros
Excellent colleagues Player in some niche areas, e.g. Project Finance, Aircraft Finance Competitive pension Greater responsibility at an earlier career stage than would be found in a larger bank (although this is because management avoids taking responsibility)
Cons
Limited prospects for non-Japanese staff and women, who are treated like children Bureaucratic processes and 'blame culture' Hierarchial structure Promotion is based on length of service, not merit Salary and non-pension related benefits are on the lower end of the scale, study leave packages very poor Lunchtime and afternoon boozing culture among some local management Too much power in the hands of the HR Department Senior management tend to be on short term placements from Japan. Their main aim when in London is to avoid anything happening which they might be blamed for, therefore they have limited engagement with staff and the whole operations of the bank are geared towards making sure nothing lands on their desk. This can mean many issues being swept under the carpet or not being brought to senior management's attention.