Bizarre bank policy: staff sign bloody pledge to ‘commit suicide’ if they steal | Popular

A Japanese bank is redefining ‘strong work ethics’ after employees signed a pledge to ‘commit suicide’ if they were involved in financial irregularities. Shikoku Bank’s leadership has taken a blood oath promising not to engage in financial malpractice and to commit suicide if caught embezzling or misappropriating funds.

The unusual promise gained wider attention after a popular X account shared a screenshot of the bank’s website on the social media platform. The X-account compared the corporate governance of Japanese banks versus American banks, where even large-scale financial fraud can only get a slap on the wrist.

The promise

“Anyone working at this bank who has stolen money or allowed others to steal from the bank will pay for it with his or her own assets and then commit suicide,” reads the pledge signed by Shikoku Bank executives.

According to the bank’s website 23 staff have signed the pledge in blood. “This pledge is part of a document signed and stamped in blood by all 23 employees, including President Miura, of the Thirty-seventh National Bank, the predecessor of the Shikoku Bank, to ensure the proper handling of banknotes,” reads the website page for company information.

The website explains that if irregularities are found in financial transactions, the suspect will refund the affected customers and then commit “seppuku”.

Seppuku, also called hara-kiri, is a form of ritual suicide that originated in Japan. It was historically practiced by samurai as a way to maintain honor.

According to the bank, the pledge emphasizes “ethics and sense of responsibility not only as a bank employee but also as a member of society, and is passed on as a treasure of Shikoku Bank.”

But people who saw the pledge on social media were stunned by the bank’s extreme expectation of accountability.

“Now it’s clear why they all have so much cash on their balance sheets,” one X user joked. “This pact has a WWII feel to it,” said another.

‘How wonderfully medieval. The world needs more of this attitude,” one user opined.