TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Bank lending in May fell 4.5 pct year-on-year after falling a revised 4.7 pct om April, the Bank of Japan said.
The central bank provided the following year-on-year breakdown of lending in May compared with the previous month:
City banks - down 6.8 pct vs revised fall 7.0

Shinkin banks - down 3.5 pct vs fall 3.5
Regional banks - down 0.6 pct vs fall 0.7
Second-tier regional banks - down 3.6 pct vs fall 4.4
Foreign banks - up 25.8 pct vs up revised 23.4

Shinkin banks, or credit associations, provide financing for small- to medium-sized businesses and are similar to US savings and loans institutions.