Company Name: Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.

Representative: Yasuhiro Sato President & CEO

Head Office: 2–5–1 Marunouchi Chiyoda–ku, Tokyo

(Code Number: 8411 TSE, OSE 1st Sec.)

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (President & CEO: Yasuhiro Sato) ("MHFG" or the "Company") hereby announces that it has determined, at its meeting of the board of directors held today, to turn Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Hiroshi Motoyama) ("MHSC"), a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, into a directly–held subsidiary of the Company (hereinafter such change to MHSC shall be referred to as the "Change") and to conduct a transformation (the "Transformation") into a new group management structure, which enables each business strategy promotion unit to pursue planning and promotion of a group–wide strategy across the banking, trust and securities functions and other business areas ("Across the Banking, Trust and Securities Functions"), on the assumption that the Change and the Transformation will have been approved at the general meeting of shareholders of each of Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (President & CEO: Takashi Tsukamoto) ("MHBK") and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. (President & CEO: Yasuhiro Sato) ("MHCB"), and among other things, filings will be made to, and permission will be obtained from, the relevant authorities in Japan and any foreign countries, as described below.

Mizuho, as the only financial group in Japan with banks, trust banks and securities companies under one umbrella, aims to further improve customer convenience by establishing a new corporate structure and corporate governance structure, with which it will be able to utilize the functions it possesses most effectively.

As a core part of the establishment of the most effective and advanced group management structure, as announced on March 30, 2012 in the release titled "Determination of Effective Date of Merger between Mizuho Bank, Ltd. and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.," MHBK and MHCB are scheduled to conduct a merger with the effective date of July 1, 2013 on the assumption that filings will be made to and permission will be obtained from the relevant authorities in Japan and any foreign countries, and as announced on May 15, 2012 in the immediate release titled "Signing of Merger Agreement between Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. and Mizuho Investors Securities Co., Ltd.," MHSC and Mizuho Investors Securities Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Katsuyoshi Ejima) ("MHIS") are scheduled to conduct a merger with the effective date of January 4, 2013 on the assumption that filings will be made to and permission will be obtained from the relevant authorities in Japan and any foreign countries.

The Change and the Transformation are intended to further promote the establishment of the most effective and advanced group management structure, and the Company will plan and promote its group strategy more promptly and comprehensively, thereby enhancing the group strategy Across the Banking, Trust and Securities Functions and its tackling of common group issues as well as strengthen group governance and improve group management efficiency. MHFG will announce the details, etc., of the structure as soon as they are determined.