Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance has identified 39 cases of inappropriate information removal involving employees seconded to banks and other institutions across four agencies.
The cases were uncovered following an internal investigation that began in August 2025, reported Nikkei.com.
The company said the agencies involved have not, at this stage, indicated any breaches of Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
The investigation covered the period from April 2021 to July 2023 and examined both seconded staff at partner institutions and Meiji Yasuda employees. In addition to questionnaire surveys, the company conducted digital forensics on emails and other electronic records.
Meiji Yasuda attributed the incidents to insufficient understanding of information management and compliance requirements among seconded employees and their supervisors. To prevent a recurrence, the insurer said it will strengthen reporting and oversight of interactions involving seconded staff at its headquarters. It also plans to fully abolish sales-related secondments by the end of March.
The disclosure comes amid broader scrutiny of information handling practices in Japan’s life insurance sector. In July 2023, it emerged that an employee seconded from Nippon Life Insurance to Mitsubishi UFJ Bank had removed internal information without authorisation. Subsequent probes found more than 1,500 similar cases across the group, while Dai-ichi Life Insurance also reported 27 cases of inappropriate information removal across its agencies. Other insurers have also launched internal reviews to determine whether comparable issues exist within their organisations.