1.   A similar tax break applies in the case of contributions to Deposit Insurance Corp., set up by banks to protect depositors.

2.   But the odd result is that bans designed to protect depositors may wind up preserving surcharges even as they make finding ATMs more difficult.

3.   Early this month, Prime Minister Hashimoto said the government will consider the use of public funds to protect depositors by boosting the capital base of the corporation.

4.   Financial authorities will help Sendai through the Deposit Insurance Corp. to protect Tokuyo depositors, NEN said.

5.   Hashimoto said it was important to protect depositors, but the government would not rescue financial institutions, the Nihon Keizai reported.

6.   Has the Finance Ministry said clearly, if just this once, that the expenditure of public funds is intended to protect depositors in general?

7.   If that occurred, it would violate laws designed to protect depositors.

8.   In Japan, authorities have used this kind of brokered deal for decades to rescue troubled lenders from bankruptcy, protect depositors and preserve stability in the system.

9.   Investors read that as good news -- the government would let the weakest financial institutions sink while using public money to protect depositors, analysts said.

10.   Investor concern about financial troubles in Japan eased after the Japanese government said it would protect depositors if financial institutions fail.