HEADLINES:

Barclays has boosted its Japanese business with 10 new staff, including former bankers at Nomura and Lehman Brothers.

Hideaki Sunaga, former head of European investment banking at Nomura, will be in charge of corporate finance and mergers advice as co-head of investment banking in Japan.

Barclays bought bankrupt Lehman's US businesses last year while Nomura acquired its Asian and European operations.

Barclays is bucking the trend in Japan, where rivals such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse have been sacking staff as the recession worsens.

“The financial crisis won't continue forever, and it's a good investment opportunity to strengthen our commitment in Japan,” Barclays Capital Japan chief executive Eiji Nakai said.

Goldman Sachs began laying off staff in Tokyo in November and by mid-December had axed 200 across all business units. Deutsche Bank has fired about 60 people in its securitisation, credit and trading businesses.