Regulatory reform has been one of the forces boosting the Japanese equity market’s performance over the last two years — but capital efficiency and margins still disappoint. Improving these metrics may be key to further improvement in the market.  

A Japanese publishing company allegedly bribed an Olympic committee member to become an official sponsor of the Tokyo Games. As Kadokawa Corp picks up the pieces, we ask what governance factors may have led to this point. And then we look at why doing the “right thing” by sourcing slavery-free cocoa is becoming a regulatory imperative, even for ice cream makers.

In just seven years (2015-2022), we’ve seen a stunning rise in the proportion of controlled companies in the global economy. We dig into some of the details, including more concentrated ownership by large asset managers. And in Japan, more than a decade of reform was spearheaded by ex-prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Now, a country steeped in tradition is seeing the evolution of its governance practices.

As the world mourns former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, we ask: What was his impact on Japanese firms and global investors? To help answer, we look at two key initiatives: competitiveness and profitability, and corporate governance.

After nearly a decade, the SEC has begun to update the reporting requirements for companies on climate change. But before they can do that, they need to hear what the public has to say. In March 2021 the SEC sent out a 15-question consultation that asked investors, data providers, companies, academia, and others what the most appropriate climate change disclosures would be. Comments were due this week, and we discuss what we wrote to the SEC and what we think is the best way forward. We also discuss the trouble that is brewing at Toshiba after a report was made public that said the company worked with the Japanese government to suppress shareholder votes. As its board chair refuses to step down and the Japanese government remains intransigent, we ask what is next for Toshiba and corporate Japan?