Rachel Evans
Asia editor
You won't find the phrase corporate governance in a dictionary of essential business Japanese. The translation of corporate governance is corporate governance. There is no widely recognised Kanji phrase. As this might suggest, corporate governance is a relatively recent imported concept, and a concern for foreigners – particularly from the US and UK – not the Japanese.
|
“Japanese company law is stronger in providing for shareholder rights than the US, on average”
Nicholas Benes, JTP Corporation |
But corporate governance in Japan is actually healthier than in many other developed jurisdictions. As Nicholas Benes, president of boutique investment bank JTP Corporation, argues: "Japanese company law is already pretty strong in providing for shareholder rights; on average, it's stronger than in the US, especially regarding say-on-pay and access-to-the-proxy."
Unlike the US, for example, where shareholders face an expensive and uncertain battle should they wish to get their nomination for a director...