Japan: Restructured and paying out

Focus on corporate governance

The restructuring of Japan's government pension fund is spreading to other corporates, says Sarasin & Partners' Subitha Subramaniam

For the Bank of Japan's quantitative easing programme to produce any tangible effects, Japan needs to break this cycle - corporate cash must be deployed, new hires must pick up, and - crucially - investment returns must improve. Amid this pressure, improving corporate governance in Japan is no longer simply a matter of evolving business sense, but an economic imperative. Japan refocused: Which companies and sectors are driving change? In keeping with this, under the 'Abenomics' programme of reform, we are beginning to see the emergence of corporate governance as a key focal point. ...