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Min Jeong Lee
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 10, 2021
Toshiba sought ministry help to swing key vote, probe finds
Toshiba sought government help in an attempt to influence a key shareholder vote that installed its slate of directors, a probe has found in a vindication for investor activism in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 8, 2021
BOJ’s first ETF-free month under Kuroda wins over some investors
Many market watchers are praising the move, saying that the BOJ's outsized presence has undermined the price discovery process.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 24, 2021
In taking on Toshiba, secretive hedge fund Effissimo ended years of silence
'All Toshiba had to do was agree to an independent investigation,” said an expert on corporate governance in Japan. 'But for some reason, they refused.”
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 22, 2021
Dreams of Nikkei record now distant as virus tamps down euphoria
If the government goes on with the Olympics even as circumstances don't support it, some fear investors overseas will view Japan as incapable of dealing with emergencies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2021
Activist investors get their moment in Japan with $21 billion Toshiba bid
In corporate Japan, activist investors have gone from largely impotent onlookers to kingmakers in the space of just a few years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 23, 2021
Japanese billionaire’s drab clothing firm becomes a sportswear sensation
Shares in Yoshio Tsuchiya's Workman Co. have more than quadrupled since the start of 2018.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 21, 2020
Foreign investors eye return to Japan stocks after years of selling
The Tokyo Games and a recently forged Asia trade pact will serve as some of the reasons for investors to seek Japan-specific exposure.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 31, 2020
Japan stocks a buy for funds betting on Abenomics continuity
The central bank is going to continue with its current monetary easing to meet its objectives despite Abe's resignation, according to people familiar with the matter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 13, 2020
After 133% rally, SoftBank investors bet there’s more to come
Founder Masayoshi Son has made a career out of confounding his doubters, and analysts see plenty of upside to his company's share price despite all its recent troubles.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 10, 2020
Japanese college dropout builds $560 million fortune through AI firm
AI inside Inc. has ambitious plans to expand outside Japan and into other business lines.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2020
Activist investors busier than ever in Japan despite coronavirus
Shareholder activists are saying they have more than enough cash to weather the coronavirus pandemic and boost shareholder returns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 11, 2020
Founder of software company who turned down SoftBank joins ranks of Japan’s billionaires
Masayoshi Son had offered to buy Shunji Sugaya's business idea for $2.8 million.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 24, 2020
Growing need for digital signatures gives Japanese firm a massive boost
The coronavirus pandemic is yanking corporate Japan into the 21st century and raising the shares of Bengo4.com Inc.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2020
Activist urges Japanese clothing firm Sanyo Shokai to sell itself
A U.S. activist investor has called on Japanese clothing company Sanyo Shokai Ltd. to sell itself, saying a new owner would help turn around the firm.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 10, 2020
Goldman says Japan stock index may still be too big after re-size
Japan's equity market overhaul may cut the companies in the benchmark gauge by a few hundred, and that won't be enough for investors, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 9, 2020
Japan-run language school that saw stock surge 1,093% last year eyes expansion
A Japan-run language school that saw its stock soar almost 12-fold last year is planning to expand into new business areas as its chief executive officer tries to keep the rally alive.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2019
Shareholder activism rises in Japan as firms go hostile and investors speak out
Record shareholder activism is combining with rare hostile takeover bids in Japan, in a trend that's seen as good news for investors in the country's ¥675 trillion stock market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2019
Japan Inc. paying more dividends than ever, says Nomura Holdings
Japan Inc. is paying dividends like never before, and that's poised to lure more investors, according to Nomura Holdings Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 5, 2019
5G stocks among rare winners in Japan's sluggish market
Even with an ongoing trade war between the world's two biggest economies, and a weak domestic market, some Japanese investors suggest going long on next-generation technology stocks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2019
Japan Inc. sitting on ¥506.4 trillion mountain of cash
In banks across Japan sits a pile of money that's bigger than most countries' gross domestic product — the cash reserves of the nation's companies. For some it's a testament to their strength, but to many it's a wasted opportunity.

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