[Japan Loses Title of World's Largest Creditor Nation for First Time in 34 Years] Japan's Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday that Japan had lost its title as the world's largest creditor nation for the first time in 34 years, being overtaken by Germany. As of the end of last year, partly due to the depreciation of the yen, Japan's total external assets increased by 12.9% year-on-year to 533.05 trillion yen ($3.7 trillion), surpassing 500 trillion yen for the first time in history, but still falling short of Germany's 569.65 trillion yen. Japan's Ministry of Finance stated that Germany had benefited from a huge current account surplus.