> Banks will be also be prohibited from handling bitcoins while securities firms will be barred from brokering bitcoin trades, the Nikkei reported.

Really? Maybe a silly question, but if banks aren't allowed to handle bitcoins... who is? Only individuals? Does this really outlaw ALL bitcoin banks?

Yesterday a kind reader posted a translation of a Mt Gox audio statement from Japanese. I'd be really eager to learn more about what's going on here but I keep running into language barriers.