On May 1, Money Forward announced unauthorized アクセス (akusesu, access) to its GitHub account—and ten days later, its bank connection features are still not restored.
The asset management サービス (saabisu, service) has suspended links with banks and other financial institutions, and as of May 11, there is still no clear timeline for when they will resume. Frustrated users have taken to social media, posting comments such as “Isn’t it back yet?” and “I want a refund.” Some have even reported canceling their subscriptions.
What Happened?
Money Forward revealed on May 1 that there had been unauthorized access to its GitHub (ギットハブ, gittohabu). As a precaution, the company stated it would temporarily suspend bank integrations “for safety confirmation.”
However, the suspension has lasted longer than many users expected.
As of the morning of May 11, the company’s サポートページ (sapōto pēji, support page) had last been updated on the evening of May 8. No specific restart date has been announced.
The company continues to say that there is no problem with the safe operation of the overall システム (shisutemu, system*). At the same time, it maintains that it stopped the integrations to ensure complete safety confirmation with each partner financial institution.
What Services Are Affected?
The suspension applies broadly across Money Forward’s services, including:
- The personal finance app マネーフォワードME
- The business-oriented マネーフォワード クラウド (kuraudo, cloud) for corporations and sole proprietors
Both automatic and manual updates remain unavailable. In other words, users cannot refresh their financial data at all.
Connections to major credit カード (kaado) companies—such as Sumitomo Mitsui Card, Saison Card, and Tokyu Card—as well as some securities companies like Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, are listed as “under system response.” Users cannot check usage amounts or account balances through the app.
The company has repeatedly stated that services will resume 安全性の確認が完了次第 (anzen-sei no kakunin ga kanryō shidai)—“as soon as safety confirmation is completed.” For now, that remains the only timeline.
Cultural Context: Why This Matters in Japan
Money Forward is one of Japan’s most widely used personal finance platforms. In a country where many people use multiple bank accounts, credit cards, and securities accounts, automatic aggregation is a major convenience.
Japanese consumers also place strong importance on corporate responsibility and transparent communication during incidents. Phrases like “for safety confirmation” reflect a careful, risk-averse approach that is common in Japan’s tech and finance sectors.
At the same time, subscription-based digital services are expected to function reliably. When they don’t, users are quick to express dissatisfaction—especially online.
Learn Japanese from This Article
Let’s break down some key words and grammar patterns used in this news story.
Key Vocabulary
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| サービス | saabisu | service |
| システム | shisutemu | system |
| クラウド | kuraudo | cloud (cloud computing) |
| アクセス | akusesu | access |
| サポートページ | sapōto pēji | support page |
| カード | kaado | card (credit card, etc.) |
| ギットハブ | gittohabu | GitHub |
| 連携 | renkei | linkage, integration |
| 停止 | teishi | suspension, stoppage |
| 再開 | saikai | resumption, restart |
Notice how many of these are written in katakana because they are loanwords. Tech news in Japanese is full of terms like システム, クラウド, and アクセス.
Grammar Spotlight 1: 〜ており / 〜ている (Ongoing State)
In formal written Japanese, you’ll often see 〜ており instead of 〜ている.
Example from the article:
- 銀行との連携停止が長期化しており、問題発生から10日経っても再開のめどが見えていない。 Ginkō to no renkei teishi ga chōkika shite ori, mondai hassei kara tōka tatte mo saikai no medo ga miete inai. “The suspension of bank integrations is continuing for a long period, and even after 10 days, there is no sign of resumption.”
Here, 長期化しており expresses a continuing situation in a formal news style.
Compare:
- 止まっている (tomatte iru) – is stopped (neutral)
- 止まっており (tomatte ori) – is stopped (formal/written tone)
You’ll see 〜ており constantly in news articles.
Grammar Spotlight 2: 〜次第 (As Soon As…)
The company says services will resume:
- 安全性の確認が完了次第、再開します。 Anzen-sei no kakunin ga kanryō shidai, saikai shimasu. “We will resume as soon as safety confirmation is completed.”
〜次第 means “as soon as” or “once (something) is completed.”
Structure:
- Verb (dictionary form) + 次第
- Noun + 次第
Examples:
- 準備ができ次第、出発します。 Junbi ga deki shidai, shuppatsu shimasu. “We will depart as soon as preparations are ready.”
- 連絡があり次第、お知らせします。 Renraku ga ari shidai, oshirase shimasu. “We will inform you as soon as we receive contact.”
This is a very common expression in business and official announcements.
Useful Expression
- 〜のめどが見えていない ~ no medo ga miete inai “There is no prospect/clear outlook for ~.”
Example:
- 再開のめどが見えていない。 “There is no clear outlook for resumption.”
You’ll frequently encounter this phrase in reports about delays or uncertainty.
Continue Learning
📚 Working on your reading skills? Our Katakana Essentials: Adapting Global Words to Japanese lesson is a great next step.
📚 Curious about the Japanese used here? Our Basic Vocabulary Building: Embracing Words Without Latin Ties lesson covers this in depth.
Basic Vocabulary Building: Embracing Words Without Latin Ties
📚 Curious about the Japanese used here? Our Reading and Writing in Japanese II: Hiragana and Katakana lesson covers this in depth.
これからもよろしくお願いします。 Kore kara mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.