Future Financial Innovation Lab (FFIL) Established
Future Corporation establishes the 'Future Financial Innovation Lab' headed by former BOJ official Hiromi Yamaoka to drive next-generation financial innovation using AI and tokenization.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 02:04 (15h 3m after Collected)
Future Corporation (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tomohiko Taniguchi; hereinafter "Future") announces the opening of the Future Financial Innovation Lab (Director: Hiromi Yamaoka; abbreviation: FFIL) as a research organization to promote financial innovation utilizing advanced technologies such as AI.
Moving forward, the Future Financial Innovation Lab plans to engage in activities such as "research and study on cutting-edge global trends in financial innovation," "research and study on financial innovation utilizing Future Group's technologies," and "research and study on the application possibilities of the infrastructure provided by the Future Group."
■ Background of Establishment
With the emergence of new technologies such as "Generative AI" and "Tokenization" (*1), finance—which is a highly advanced aggregate of computational processing and information—is a domain where the application possibilities of these technologies are expanding. The utilization of such technologies holds great potential to elevate financial services, improve customer convenience, and enhance economic welfare. Currently, at international conferences, the application of generative AI and tokenization in finance is a major theme, drawing attention to concepts like the "AI-enabled bank," "AI-powered bank," and "on-chain finance." At the practical level, diverse initiatives are underway, including efficiency improvements through the coordination of centralized and decentralized systems, and operational advancements combining AI with "smart contracts" enabled by tokenization.
To advance such innovations, the openness and flexibility of infrastructure become increasingly crucial. Future Architect, Inc. (President and CEO: Yohei Saito), a core group company of the Future Group, has built the flexible core banking system "InfiniBANK" (*2) equipped with a "Full Open API." Based on global financial innovation trends, we are establishing this research organization focused on cutting-edge financial innovation with the aim of connecting the infrastructure provided by our group, such as "InfiniBANK," to further value creation and contributing to the development of Japan's finance and economy.
■ Comment from Hiromi Yamaoka, Director of Future Financial Innovation Lab
With the emergence of new technologies such as generative AI and tokenization (the digital tokenization of assets based on decentralized technology), the global financial infrastructure is at a dramatic turning point. Furthermore, the environment surrounding finance is undergoing major changes, such as Japan's transition to a "world with interest rates." Future has consistently provided open and flexible financial infrastructure capable of adapting to environmental changes. In this lab, while maximizing Future's advanced IT implementation capabilities and our network with regional financial institutions nationwide, we will connect information and insights regarding global advanced financial trends to Japan's financial innovation, contributing to the overcoming of social challenges.
Profile of Hiromi Yamaoka
Director, Financial Business and Fintech Promotion, and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Future Corporation
Director of the Future Institute for Economic and Financial Research
Director, Future Architect, Inc.
Served broadly in policy areas at the Bank of Japan, including as Director-General of the Financial Markets Department and Director-General of the Payment and Settlement Systems Department. During this time, he held key positions in international organizations, such as Alternate Executive Director for Japan at the International Monetary Fund, Member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Member of the Markets Committee at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and Member of the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures at the BIS. He has authored numerous books and articles in the fields of economics and law. Attorney at Law, New York State, USA.
Future is a social design company operating more than 20 operating companies. Alongside its core operating company, Future Architect, it aims to be the number one company in the social implementation of AI, providing consulting services that realize the resolution of management issues through technology. Particularly in the financial sector, we have provided consulting services to over 30 regional financial institutions nationwide and have introduced our proprietary fully open API core banking system "InfiniBANK" and the strategic business system "FutureBANK." By arranging the "system groups," "business processes," and "business data" to effectively introduce and utilize advanced technologies such as AI, we will realize an AI-Ready (*3) framework that enables data strategy and data governance.
*1. Digital tokenization of assets and funds using decentralized technology.
*2. Future Architect named its next-generation banking system, including sales support systems, "InfiniBANK."
*3. The state of being prepared for AI utilization.
Moving forward, the Future Financial Innovation Lab plans to engage in activities such as "research and study on cutting-edge global trends in financial innovation," "research and study on financial innovation utilizing Future Group's technologies," and "research and study on the application possibilities of the infrastructure provided by the Future Group."
■ Background of Establishment
With the emergence of new technologies such as "Generative AI" and "Tokenization" (*1), finance—which is a highly advanced aggregate of computational processing and information—is a domain where the application possibilities of these technologies are expanding. The utilization of such technologies holds great potential to elevate financial services, improve customer convenience, and enhance economic welfare. Currently, at international conferences, the application of generative AI and tokenization in finance is a major theme, drawing attention to concepts like the "AI-enabled bank," "AI-powered bank," and "on-chain finance." At the practical level, diverse initiatives are underway, including efficiency improvements through the coordination of centralized and decentralized systems, and operational advancements combining AI with "smart contracts" enabled by tokenization.
To advance such innovations, the openness and flexibility of infrastructure become increasingly crucial. Future Architect, Inc. (President and CEO: Yohei Saito), a core group company of the Future Group, has built the flexible core banking system "InfiniBANK" (*2) equipped with a "Full Open API." Based on global financial innovation trends, we are establishing this research organization focused on cutting-edge financial innovation with the aim of connecting the infrastructure provided by our group, such as "InfiniBANK," to further value creation and contributing to the development of Japan's finance and economy.
■ Comment from Hiromi Yamaoka, Director of Future Financial Innovation Lab
With the emergence of new technologies such as generative AI and tokenization (the digital tokenization of assets based on decentralized technology), the global financial infrastructure is at a dramatic turning point. Furthermore, the environment surrounding finance is undergoing major changes, such as Japan's transition to a "world with interest rates." Future has consistently provided open and flexible financial infrastructure capable of adapting to environmental changes. In this lab, while maximizing Future's advanced IT implementation capabilities and our network with regional financial institutions nationwide, we will connect information and insights regarding global advanced financial trends to Japan's financial innovation, contributing to the overcoming of social challenges.
Profile of Hiromi Yamaoka
Director, Financial Business and Fintech Promotion, and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Future Corporation
Director of the Future Institute for Economic and Financial Research
Director, Future Architect, Inc.
Served broadly in policy areas at the Bank of Japan, including as Director-General of the Financial Markets Department and Director-General of the Payment and Settlement Systems Department. During this time, he held key positions in international organizations, such as Alternate Executive Director for Japan at the International Monetary Fund, Member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Member of the Markets Committee at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and Member of the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures at the BIS. He has authored numerous books and articles in the fields of economics and law. Attorney at Law, New York State, USA.
Future is a social design company operating more than 20 operating companies. Alongside its core operating company, Future Architect, it aims to be the number one company in the social implementation of AI, providing consulting services that realize the resolution of management issues through technology. Particularly in the financial sector, we have provided consulting services to over 30 regional financial institutions nationwide and have introduced our proprietary fully open API core banking system "InfiniBANK" and the strategic business system "FutureBANK." By arranging the "system groups," "business processes," and "business data" to effectively introduce and utilize advanced technologies such as AI, we will realize an AI-Ready (*3) framework that enables data strategy and data governance.
*1. Digital tokenization of assets and funds using decentralized technology.
*2. Future Architect named its next-generation banking system, including sales support systems, "InfiniBANK."
*3. The state of being prepared for AI utilization.