Japan's MUFG Bank, two others lead $290 million Sierra Space fundraising -Nikkei

A man walks past a signboard of MUFG Bank in Tokyo, Japan April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - MUFG Bank is among three Japanese firms leading a $290-million fundraising round for U.S. spaceship company Sierra Space, spearheading a commercial "spaceport" project in the southwestern region of Oita, the Nikkei daily said on Tuesday.

Despite recent setbacks for national space missions, Japanese companies aiming to foray into space are increasingly deepening ties with private companies, from American giants such as SpaceX to home-grown startups.