Japan¡¯s financial regulator is urging local banks to better manage risks tied to their $655 billion (?87.3 trillion) in securities holdings, even as they remain insulated from the recent turmoil at some U.S. peers.

¡°There is room for improvement in risk management at some banks,¡± said Tatsufumi Shibata, a senior official in charge of regional bank oversight at the Financial Services Agency.

¡°Their portfolios have been changing both in their makeup and importance,¡± he said in an interview, adding that it is necessary to put systems in place to deal with this.