Tokyo, Nov. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Shinkin Central Bank and Shinkin Kyodo Center said Friday that a system failure has disrupted automated teller machine services at 128 shinkin banks, mainly institutions in the country's west.

Shinkin Central Bank, the central financial institution for shinkin banks, and Shinkin Kyodo Center, which operates a financial network system for the banks, issued a statement apologizing for the incident. They said the system failure was caused by an equipment malfunction, not a cyberattack.

Efforts are underway to restore the system.

The glitch occurred in the system around 1:30 p.m. Friday, leaving customers unable to conduct over-the-counter transactions or deposit and withdraw money through ATMs at the 128 institutions, including Okazaki Shinkin Bank, Osaka City Shinkin Bank and Hiroshima Shinkin Bank.

Some services, including deposits and withdrawals, were restored later in the day, according to Shinkin Central Bank and Shinkin Kyodo Center.

A notice informing customers of a temporary suspension of shinkin bank ATM services due to a glitch in a system managed by Japan's Shinkin Kyodo Center, photographed in Nagoya on Friday afternoon

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]