Reiji Yoshida is a Tokyo-based reporter covering M&A deals and growth strategies of Japanese companies, mainly those in the industrials sector. He also regularly writes top executive interview stories of Japan-based startups.

Prior to joining Mergermarket in May 2021, he served as Senior Writer / Deputy Manager of the Domestic News Division of The Japan Times, the oldest and largest English-language newspaper of the country. Started his journalistic career in 1993, he has extensive experience of covering Japan-related topics as writer /editor.

Ryuya Shiga is Japan Bureau Chief of Mergermarket and has been leading the M&A coverage in Japan since 2022. He has provided actionable business intelligence involved in private equity buyouts and exits, domestic and cross-border M&A, including high-profile scoops on corporate carve -out. He joined Mergermarket in 2014 and has covered industrials & chemicals, logistics, consumer and leisure sectors.

Prior to Mergermarket, he worked in Tokyo-based TV stations where he covered corporate news, stock market, and international news as a reporter and field director.

Ryuya Shiga is Japan Bureau Chief of Mergermarket and has been leading the M&A coverage in Japan since 2022. He has provided actionable business intelligence involved in private equity buyouts and exits, domestic and cross-border M&A, including high-profile scoops on corporate carve -out. He joined Mergermarket in 2014 and has covered industrials & chemicals, logistics, consumer and leisure sectors.

Prior to Mergermarket, he worked in Tokyo-based TV stations where he covered corporate news, stock market, and international news as a reporter and field director.

• Since he joined Marsh in January 2022, Masato has been engaged in risk advisory work, including arrange of warranties and indemnity insurance, for private equity and corporate clientele. 
• Prior to joining Marsh, Masato has 13-year sales experience for Tokio Marine Nichido Fire, including the experience in sales planning of both cross-border and domestic M&A insurance.

【職歴】

三菱ケミカル株式会社　情報電子ビジネスグループ　事業企画本部長（現職）

1998年    ローム㈱入社　国内外のM&Aやグループ事業再編等を推進後、2010年に買収した米国企業に移籍し、PMIをリード

2015年    日本帰国と同時に　ルネサスエレクトロニクス㈱ 経営企画チームに参画、構造改革やクロスボーダーM&A、PMIを執行

2021年    当社に参画　グループ事業の戦略立案、In-organic案件＆事業再生等のプロジェクトを主導

2026年    現職に就任

【学歴】

慶應義塾大学法学部卒　米コーネル大学経営大学院MBA修了

Head of Business Development, Corporate Strategy Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Ryuji Tezuka is an M&A and corporate strategy professional with comprehensive experience in driving business transformation. He joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in May 2025 and currently serves as the Head of Business Development within Corporate Strategy, where he focuses on global portfolio strategies to support future growth and corporate evolution.

Prior to joining Mitsubishi Electric, Mr. Tezuka had a prolonged tenure at Kao Corporation, where he established the company’s global M&A and alliance strategy framework and led the team in strategy formulation and execution. His career also includes establishing the M&A function at Konica Minolta and managing international investments and value creation for portfolio companies at Ant Capital Partners. He began his professional journey at Fujitsu followed by Vodafone, focusing on telecommunications, corporate venturing, and marketing strategy.

With a broad background spanning from ICT to the beauty industry, Mr. Tezuka has executed numerous cross-border transactions across the entire deal lifecycle—from global sourcing to post-merger integration (PMI). He is dedicated to the effective use of M&A as a strategic tool to enhance long-term corporate value.

• Atsushi Tatsuguchi is a Managing Director and Head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Group in Japan since March 2022
• Since he joined Morgan Stanley in January 2006, Atsushi Tatsuguchi has been engaged in M&A advisory services and capital markets transactions in the Investment Banking Business Unit
• Graduated from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University in March 1998

Representative Transactions Include

• Sale of DIC’s stake in Taiyo Holdings through privatization led by KKR (2026) (Ongoing)
• Privatization of Toyota Industries by Toyota Fudosan, Mr. Akio Toyoda, and Toyota Motor (2025) (Ongoing) 
• Privatization of Shibaura Electronics by YAGEO via Tender Offer (2025) 
• Privatization of Lawson by Mitsubishi Corporation and KDDI (2024)
• JIC Capital’s Acquisition of Shinko Electric through a Tender Offer and Share Repurchase (2023)
• Acquisition of JSR Corporation by JIC Capital (2023)

Mai leads SEC Newgate in Japan, bringing extensive experience advising senior executives, boards, and investors across Japan and internationally.

A trusted advisor on complex and high-stakes situations, Mai works with Japanese and multinational clients on strategic positioning, financial communications and stakeholder engagement, particularly in situations involving investor scrutiny, geopolitical sensitivity, and significant reputational risk.

She has advised on a number of high-profile and complex mandates, including crossborder M&A transactions where she provided strategic counsel across stakeholder engagement, government and regulatory reviews, and global media strategy. Mai also advises corporates on shareholder activism defense, guiding clients through activist campaigns and periods of heightened investor engagement.

Prior to joining SEC Newgate, Mai served as Managing Director and Head of Tokyo at advisory firm Teneo, where she established and built the firm’s Japan business.

Earlier in her career, Mai served as Asia-Pacific Content Director at ION Analytics (Mergermarket and Dealreporter), where she led editorial strategy across seven regional bureaus covering M&A, private equity, and shareholder activism.

Masahiko (“Masa”) Ishida is a Country Managing Partner and head of the Japan corporate group in DLA Piper’s Tokyo office. Masa has a wide range of M&A and Private Equity experience in the Japanese market and abroad over his 20 year career. Masa has led many notable large acquisitions on behalf of his clients across various sectors including consumer goods, technology, finance and life sciences. He has also worked on behalf of governmental agencies and multinational trading companies in Japan. 

Masa has been recognized as a leading M&A lawyer by many legal publications and ranking institutions such as Chambers Global and Legal 500. Masa was also recently recognized as one of the “Dealmakers in Asia” for 2020 by Asian Legal Business. Prior to joining DLA Piper, Masa practiced at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto and thereafter at a multinational boutique investment bank in New York. 

Masa is a graduate of the University of Tokyo Graduate Schools of Law and Politics and of Columbia Law School where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Masa was also a visiting scholar at the Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB) at Columbia Business School. Masa is admitted to practice law in Japan and NewYork State.

Feng Wang is Division General Manager leading Nissan’s M&A team in Japan. He supports Nissan’s global initiatives in mergers, acquisitions, investments, divestments, joint ventures, partnerships and alliances.  Prior to joining Nissan in 2019, Feng served as Executive Director at Business Sweden and Senior Corporate Development Manager at Corning. 

Feng’s earlier career includes roles at Capgemini, EY Transaction Advisory and Barclays Capital in Hong Kong.  He holds MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelor’s degree of Software Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

２００５年より、フィデリティ投信にてアナリストやポートフォリオマネージャーを歴任。長年にわたり国際的な企業投資の最前線で活躍し、中小型企業の評価において高い専門性を確立。

2023年より株式会社ジーエヌアイグループの社外取締役、報酬委員、監査委員を務め、同社のガバナンス高度化に貢献。現在は取締役 代表執行役副社長 として、グローバル戦略の執行および財務・オペレーション全般を統括する。

カポカサル ランディは、オリバー・ワイマンのプリンシパルとして、東京オフィスのプライベートキャピタルプラクティスに所属しています。日本およびアジアの投資家や企業向けに8年以上のコンサルティング経験を有しています。特に消費財および小売セクターにおける戦略、M&A、グローバルトランスフォーメーションを専門としています。グローバルなバックグラウンドと日本での豊富な実務経験を活かし、顧客がインバウンド・アウトバウンドに係る課題を乗り越える支援を行っています。これまでに、グローバル食品企業による国内買収対象特定の支援、日本の大手複合企業への海外投資戦略およびデューデリジェンス対象の策定支援、ヨーロッパの美容業界企業への買収先の統合支援など、投資ライフサイクル全般にわたり顧客を支援してきました。また、グローバル飲料企業への市場環境調査やファーストフードチェーンの数千に及ぶ店舗の運営管理支援など、国内の事業戦略立案やオペレーション最適化も支援しています。

我々は今、国内市場の枠組みが再構築される重要な転換期を迎えています。日本への国際的な関心が高まり、国内企業が海外投資を増加させる中で、顧客の戦略や投資を具体的かつ持続的な価値に転換する支援ができることに、大きなやりがいを感じています。

マサチューセッツ工科大学（MIT）スローン経営大学院でMBAを取得し、デューク大学で学士号を取得しました。日本語が堪能で日本の永住権を持っています。コンサルティング業界でのキャリア開始以前は、国内リテール向けフィンテック企業の役員として勤務し、アメリカ陸軍の大尉としてアフガニスタンに派遣された経験もあります。仕事以外では、クロスフィットや日本の自然探索に取り組んでおり、最近では茶道の本格的な学習を始めています。また、Scouting AmericaのFar East Councilのメンバーも務めています。

As a Partner in the Corporate Finance team of Pitcher Partners Melbourne, Michael assists many clients, from a range of industries, with their transaction pursuits with specialist services including:  lead mergers and acquisitions advice, financial analysis, due diligence investigations and valuations.

Michael leads the Global Corporate Finance group for Baker Tilly International a top 10 accounting network globally.

Clients benefit significantly from Michael’s astute business acumen and persuasive negotiating skills. Clients seeking growth through divestment and acquisition strategies draw on Michael’s networks and knowledge to maximise their business and financial results. He works with many public and private businesses on their buy and sell side mandates.

Michael has worked on notable transactions with Japanese corporates investing in Australia.   Recent examples include supporting Sumitomo Forestry on its acquisition of Metricon, Australia’s largest builder; advising Airmaster on its sale to Daikin; supporting Daikin on its expansion of maintenance services; and advising DFP Recruitment on its acquisition by the Will Group.

Taku has over 20 years of experience working at financial institutions both in Japan and overseas. Through his corporate finance work, he has provided services related to financing, payments, and hedging to numerous Japanese listed companies, both domestically and internationally. At Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, he worked in the Corporate Banking Division at the Bangkok Branch, and at HSBC, he led a team as Head of Business Development in the Commercial Banking Division, contributing to the growth of clients’ overseas businesses.

He has also provided a wide range of support to Japanese listed companies regarding sustainable finance, including green bonds.

With experience working at Sustainalytics Japan, he assessed compliance with specific frameworks based on investors’ understanding of and policies regarding sustainable finance principles, and contributed to the dissemination of the company’s ESG risk rating data and methodologies.

• Shizuka Aida is leading Transaction Advisory Group, specializing in M&A and Private Equity, at Accenture.
• He has worked on various M&A transactions across different sectors for corporations and PE firms, acquiring expertise in both domestic deals and cross-border transactions.
• He also provides strategy consulting services on capital markets issues, including shareholder activism and shareholder engagement.
• Prior to joining Accenture, he gained experience in investment banking, worked at a private equity firm, and advised on various transactions as a Partner at M&A advisory firm.

Mr. Shiraki founded Akebono AssetManagement Ltd, the former entity of Aizawa Asset Management Co., Ltd.,and was appointed as CEO in 2015. 

Mr. Shiraki has over 25 years of experience investing in private equity, venture capital funds and hedge funds in both Japan and globally. He launched and managed several portfolios of hedge funds and private equity funds for Sanwa Bank, now part of the Mitsubishi UFJ Group. He was a founding member of Monex Alternative Investments established in 2004 and served as its CEO. He was appointed as CIO of Astmax Co., Ltd. in 2013.  He also served on a board of directors at Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. TSE1 listed security broker company in 2019 andjoined the board of directors at Asuka Asset Management in June 2020. 

Mr. Shiraki has been a board member of the Alternative Investment Management Association of Japan (AIMA Japan) since 2001 and has been its Chairman and currently serves as its Vice Chairman.                                                                 

He is also a director and committee member Japan Venture Capital Association for LP relationship committee.

Yuko Watanabe Shah is a Managing Director at I Squared Capital, where she leads Japan energy strategy and investor relations. She also founded and oversees Hexa Energy Services, a platform developing grid-scale battery energy storage and renewable energy projects that support Japan’s decarbonization, with more than $500 million in capital expenditure underpinned by long-term offtake contracts from the Japanese government and blue-chip counterparties. Yuko has played key roles in I Squared Capital’s value creation and exits in Asia, including the sale of Amplus Solar, a leading distributed solar PV platform in India, to Petronas, and a partial exit from Cube Highways, an operational toll-road platform in India, to Japanese strategic investors. Prior to joining I Squared Capital, she spent 15 years at Mitsubishi Corporation in global environment and infrastructure. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School.

Hiroyuki Otsuka is the Founder and CEO of Japan Activation Capital.

Japan Activation Capital, newly established in Oct 2023 by Mr. Otsuka, is new concept fund in Japan which invest into large to mid Japanese public companies with minority stake, and support companies’ sustainable growth as an insider to portfolio companies with buyout fund value creation style. The fund already raised JPY210bn (roughly $1.5bn) from Japanese large financial and institutions and continuing to raise more capital from domestic and global LPs. 

Before founding Japan Activation Capital, he was the Deputy Head of Carlyle Japan and Partner and Managing Director leading the Carlyle’s Japanese buyout fund operation and managing all carve-out deals. During his tenure at Carlyle from 2001 to 2002 and 2006 to 2023, Mr. Otsuka has driven number of significant transactions and served as a board of director at many portfolio companies and created value to portfolio companies and supporting their transformation to achieve sustainable growth, which include Totoku Inc. (previously a listed subsidiary of Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.), Tsubaki Nakashima Co., Ltd., Chimney Co., Ltd., and Senqcia Inc. (previously a listed subsidiary of Hitachi Metal Co., Ltd.). Thanks to his contribution with the team, he brought Carlyle Japan Buyout fund as top tier performance funds amongst Carlyle sister funds and the region. 

Prior to Carlyle, he was Managing Director at Lazard and worked at their New York headquarters as well as in Japan (COO of Japan operation), leading multiple cross border and domestic transactions. Mr. Otsuka began his first career at Sumitomo Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) in 1992.  

He also served as an independent board member of DeNA Co., Ltd. (TSE Prime Market listed) from 2015 to 2019. 

Mr. Otsuka was a member of the “Fair Acquisition” (2023) and “Challenges for M&A in Japan and Case Studies” (2022/2023) study groups formed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Currently, he is a member of Japan Association of Corporate Executives.  

Mr. Otsuka received his post-graduate degree from Oxford University and his B.A. from Waseda University.

Nao began his career in equity research at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities.  In 2014 he joined Misaki Capital as its first employee, eventually leading the research and corporate engagement for the firm.  During this time, he also served on policy committees for both the Financial Service Agency and the Accounting Standards Board of Japan infusing the discussions with the needs of a market practitioner on issues of financial disclosure, rules around revenue recognition, and general corporate governance.  He was born and raised in Okayama, Japan and earned a Bachelor of Law from The University of Tokyo.  More recently he earned his MBA at Columbia Business School where he focused on modern value investing. 

Hiroyuki Sameshima is the Director of the Corporate System Division of the Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan.

In 1999, Sameshima joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now METI) . Since, then he has held various positions in the Minister’s Secretariat and the Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, as well as serving on secondment to the Financial Services Agency and as an Executive Secretary to the Minister of State for IT.

Most recently, he was responsible for the amendment of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act(FEFTA) in the Economic Security Policy Division from 2019, and for the amendment of the Subcontract Act as Director of the Fair Trade Division of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency from 2023.

On July 1st, 2025, he returned to the Corporate System Division as its Director, a position Sameshima last held 17 years ago in 2008.

Based in Tokyo, Hiroshi advises clients on complex, high-stakes matters that can materially affect business outcomes, including government affairs, public policy, regulatory strategy, geopolitical and economic security issues, cross-border situations and crisis response. His work spans policy analysis, government engagement, stakeholder strategy, message development and reputation management, helping clients navigate sensitive situations that cut across the public and private sectors.

Drawing on senior experience at the Bank of Japan (Central Bank), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C., as the elected Governor of Yamagata Prefecture, and at Accenture, AECOM and Microsoft, Hiroshi brings expertise across finance and economics, government and public administration, strategic consulting, and digital and AI transformation. In particular, his experience as an elected prefectural leader gave him a deep understanding of Japan’s distinctive policy and regulatory environment and decision-making structures, including the dynamics of both Nagatacho and Kasumigaseki.

On that foundation, he advises Japanese and global companies on pragmatic, executable strategies where political, regulatory and commercial considerations intersect, including market entry, policy strategy, public-private collaboration, strategic communications, and digital and AI transformation. He joined Teneo in 2025.

Naoya joined Ascender Capital as an Analyst in January 2026. Previously, he was an Investment Analyst at Norinchukin Value Investments from 2023 to 2024, where he covered U.S., European, and Japanese public equities and pursued long-term investing with an engagement approach. Prior to Norinchukin, he served as a Principal and Assistant Portfolio Manager at Hibiki Path Advisors from 2020 to 2022, where he covered small and mid-cap Japanese companies and pursued value investing with an activism approach. Before moving into investment management, he spent four years in investment banking at SMBC Nikko Securities and KPMG FAS, advising on activist defense, tender offers, and M&A transactions.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Tohoku University, Japan and an MBA from INSEAD. Naoya is fluent in Japanese and English.

Toby Umezaki is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Senjin Capital, a Japan-focused activist investment firm based in Australia. He leads the firm’s research and engagement activities with Japanese listed companies, working closely with management teams to unlock and create value. 

Most recently, he served as Director of the Japan Engagement team at Taiyo Pacific Partners, a US-based, Japan-focused constructive engagement fund, where he worked closely with portfolio companies on operational improvement and value creation initiatives. His experience includes a secondment within a portfolio company to support operational enhancement, as well as leading the execution of a public-to-private buyout transaction.

Prior to Taiyo Pacific Partners, Toby worked at Boston Consulting Group within the Private Equity practice, KPMG in M&A advisory, and Barclays in Equity Research Sales. He brings a strong combination of financial, strategic, and operational expertise, together with a deep network across Japan.

Toby is a native Japanese speaker and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Waseda University and an MBA from London Business School.

Dominic has 40 years of financial sector experience of which 23 years are in institutional research sales & trading. He worked in London, New York and Tokyo for Robert Fleming and Jardine Fleming. Flemings was bought by Chase in 2000 and then became JP Morgan. Dominic was the Branch Manager and Head of Macquarie Securities Japan. He has extensive relationships around the world as well as solid experience setting up, growing and managing businesses.

After leaving investment banking, Dominic co-founded Bendigo Partners LLC, a private investment and consulting firm focusing on the financial services industry. He was on the board of directors of two Japanese public companies for eight and seven years respectively and is now a Senior Advisor to Akatsuki Corporation.

Dominic lives in Tokyo and speaks Japanese.

Yuki is a senior reporter at Mergermarket and covers growth strategies and M&A activity among Japan’s tech, defense, and space companies. Prior to joining Mergermarket, she spent over a decade at Bloomberg, where she covered manufacturing and financial sectors as well as regulatory authorities. During her time there, she interviewed many of Japan’s most influential CEOs as well as key political figures, including prime ministers. She began her career in television and served as Los Angeles bureau chief for Fuji TV.

Hidetoshi Uriu is an experienced investment executive and M&A strategist with over two decades of leadership in investment banking and corporate development. Currently serving as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at NEC Corporation, Hidetoshi is responsible for leading the company’s group-wide investment strategy and M&A execution, including NEC’s largest-ever acquisition—a $2.9 billion purchase of U.S.-based telecom software firm CSG Systems International announced in 2025. 

Hidetoshi began his career at Goldman Sachs in 1999 after completing his graduate studies at University of Tokyo. Over a 19-year tenure in the firm’s Investment Banking Division, he rose to Managing Director in 2012 and led various high-profile transactions, particularly in the technology sector. His most notable achievement includes spearheading the ¥2 trillion ($18 billion) sale of Toshiba Memory (now Kioxia) to a Bain Capital-led consortium in 2017, one of the largest M&A transactions in Japanese corporate history. 

In 2018, Hidetoshi transitioned to the startup ecosystem, joining VisasQ, a Tokyo-based expert network platform, as CFO. He later served as COO and Global CSO, where he led the company’s global expansion strategy. In 2021, he orchestrated the $100 million acquisition of U.S.-based Coleman Research Group, a transformative cross-border deal that tripled VisasQ’s revenue and expanded its global footprint to seven offices worldwide. 

Beyond his executive roles, Hidetoshi is a dedicated supporter of innovation and corporate governance. He served as an independent auditor at Money Forward, a leading Japanese SaaS/fintech company, from 2018 to 2026, and has served as an outside director at Medley, a digital healthcare platform, since 2025. His cross-sectoral experience and deep M&A expertise make him a trusted advisor to both large corporations and high-growth startups. 

Education

• MS in Bioinformatics from University of Maryland, MBA from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), CFA and PhD Candidate.
• Co-authored 3 books, along with numerous papers/journals and public lectures/media appearances. 

Experience

• Currently provides strategic and growth advisory services (including M&As, capital markets, and consulting) primarily for global life science companies.
• Previously worked for a global tech giant, leading Asian corporate development initiatives including M&As, JVs, CVC investments, and partnerships.
• At Houlihan Lokey Corporation, played central roles in originating and executing M&As, investments, licensing, and IPO deals in life sciences and healthcare, including biopharma, med device, and digital health.
• Prior to Houlihan Lokey, served as Head of Asia Pacific at Deloitte’s Healthcare practice (including 5 years in USA).
• Other positions held include Executive Director (IBD) at Morgan Stanley, Nippon Life, healthcare VC & Takeda.

He joined Ajinomoto Co., Inc. in 2020 and currently serves as a Group Executive Specialist. As an M&A expert, he has led the execution of key strategic transactions, including the acquisition of a medical nutrition company, the acquisition of Forge Biologics to enter the gene therapy CDMO space, and the divestiture of the North American F&F CDMO business. He has also been involved in the establishment of the company’s CVC function, supporting investments in and collaboration with multiple startups.

Prior to joining Ajinomoto, he worked at Nomura Securities and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. He brings over 20 years of M&A experience across the pharmaceutical and food sectors, covering over 50 transactions globally in both advisory and principal roles.

He is a CFA charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant.

Yusuke Watanabe is a Partner on the Carlyle Japan Buyout advisory team, and the head of Consumer, Healthcare, Tech & Services team in Japan. He is based in Tokyo.

Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Watanabe was a project manager at Mitsubishi Corporation involved in global principal investments and turnarounds in the food ingredients, nutraceuticals, plastics and chemical sectors.

Since joining Carlyle in 2006, Mr. Watanabe has advised numerous consumer retail portfolio companies including quick service restaurant, KFC Holdings Japan, packaged vegetable manufacturer, Meisui Bijin Factory, global color cosmetics contract manufacturer, Tokiwa, global beauty packaging company, HCP Packaging and global brands such as Supreme and Golden Goose Deluxe Brand. Mr. Watanabe is currently a board member of KFC Holdings Japan, Ltd. and HCP Global Limited. Formerly, he has been involved in providing advisory services for Covalent Materials, AvanStrate, Tsubaki Nakashima, and CxS.

Mr. Watanabe received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Keio University majoring in economics.

Takako is a leader in the Strategy & Corporate Development in Japan. She has more than 20 years of experience developing strategic business models and M&A integration / separation planning for domestic and international clients in wide range of industries. She works primarily with broader Manufacturing and Auto companies on strategy and M&A topics. 

Her experience in M&A stretches across the entire process, from strategy and theme definition to target selection, due diligence, synergetic assessment, and post-merger management for both domestic and cross-border transactions. 

Prior to joining IBM, she worked for KPMG FAS, Booz Allen Hamilton, GE Capital, and Intel based in the US and Tokyo. She leveraged in-depth knowledge of North American, Asian, and Japanese markets in order to provide astute and productive business consulting to clients. She worked on integration / separation projects for clients across North America, Europe, Asia, and Japan. 

Professional Experience 

Market Assessment, Business Due Diligence, and Visioning & Strategic Planning 

Provided assessments of the growth prospects and value creations of the target company through analysis of the overall addressable market and adoption rate as well as target-specific ramp-up issues and challenges. 

Value-Driven Post-Merger Integrations 

Led the overall PMI strategy, Day1 / Day 100 planning, value creation planning, and execution for clients undergoing merger. Included support to attain operational excellence for the continuous improvement of client operations. 

Separations / Carve-outs 

Helped client management teams work through their exit strategy decisions. Conducted separation due diligence to contain carve-out costs and identify savings. Supported structure and run the operational carve-out, IT separation, and divestiture process. 

Function and Specialization 

Takako is leading the IBM Japan M&A initiatives as part of IBM global transformation activities called “Transform to Glow” focused on strategic partnerships and acquisitions how IBM Consulting Japan collaborates with strategic partners and the broader ecosystem, while also investing in acquisitions to augment capabilities. 

Toshi Ito is a Deputy General Manager at Mitsui & Co., with dual roles in the Wellness Business Unit and the AI Strategy Unit. He is responsible for shaping healthcare strategy and driving company-wide transformation initiatives leveraging AI, data, and technology.

Since joining Mitsui, Toshi has led investments across the full lifecycle in the healthcare provider, pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare technology sectors, while also driving hands-on management and value creation as an operating officer at portfolio companies. Throughout his career, he has been committed to improving access to quality healthcare in Japan and emerging markets, while also advancing talent and organizational growth to help unlock their full potential.

Prior to Mitsui, he worked at GE and a strategy consulting firm, most recently serving as General Manager, Asia Pacific at GE Healthcare, leading operations across 16 countries and regions in Asia-Pacific. In addition to his professional career, he is actively involved in social and philanthropic initiatives, including serving as a partner at Social Venture Partners (SVP) Tokyo and as a Scout leader, and has contributed to healthcare-related committees organized by the Japanese government, including the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Keio University and an MBA from UCLA and the National University of Singapore.

Satoshi Hamada is the Founder and CEO of Nihon PMI Partners and brings more than 30 years of experience across healthcare investment, M&A and corporate leadership in Japan. He began his career at Hitachi, where he focused on venture investments in healthcare and IT, before becoming a founding member of Whiz Partners, a healthcare-focused private equity firm, where he helped launch and manage its inaugural fund. He later joined Mitsui & Co.’s Healthcare Business Division, where he led a number of landmark transactions, including the MBO of Sogo Medical, the turnaround and PMI of Hoken Dohjinsha, and the TOB of Human Associates Holdings. Since founding Nihon PMI Partners in 2021, he has led the firm’s healthcare buyout strategy and key investments including Long Life Holding and HospitalNet. 

He holds a B.A. in Law from Keio University and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

Tomoko Kitao is a Managing Director at Hamilton Lane, based in the firm’s Tokyo office, where she is primarily responsible for management support and development of the firm’s client relationships in Japan. Prior to joining Hamilton Lane in October 2012, Ms. Kitao was with the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, most recently as Chief Manager in the International Credit Division. Previously, she was Senior Manager in the Structured Finance Division, where she was responsible for managing a portfolio of global private equity fund investments. She also has extensive experience in the Credit Division, having worked out of the bank’s New York and London offices. Ms. Kitao received a B.A. from International Christian University. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society Japan. Ms. Kitao currently holds a Sales Representative Qualification Class 1, 2, and an Internal Administrative Qualification with the Japan Securities Dealer Association.

Mr. Yamazaki has engaged in private equity investment since the early 2000s consistently.In addition to investment analysis and execution, he has a wealth of experience in participating in the management of portfolio companies for value-creation on hands-on basis and in fund-raising from institutional investors.

He joined Integral Corporation in 2009, and has been mainly responsible for investments in Yohji Yamamoto, FiBest, Aderans, Toyo Engineering, SDRS, JRC, Primo Global Holdings, Tekscend Photomask, Asahi Kasei Medical, and Golf Digest Online.

Prior to joining Integral Corporation, he worked at Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan (IRCJ) from 2004 and was mainly involved in corporate revitalization project of small and middle-sized manufacturing company.Before joining IRCJ, he worked at Strategic Business Transformation division of Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting (now known as Abeam Consulting) and was involved in several business process transformation projects.

Personal history

BA Economics, the University of Tokyo, MBA, Harvard Business School
2001 Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting(now known as Abeam Consulting)
2004 Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan
2009 Integral corporation
2020 Promoted to Partner at Integral Corporation

Kohei Nose joined Japan Post Bank Asset Management (JPAM, f.k.a. Japan Post Investment Corporation) in 2018 as one of the founding members of the buyout co-investment program. He serves as Co-Head of Buyout Group and a member of the investment committees. 

Today, JPAM is an asset management arm of Japan Post Bank and offers investment advisory services as well as manages public and private funds. Since inception, JPAM’s buyout co-investment program has invested in more than 40 companies across the Asian region including Japan and a wide variety of industries, partnering with reputable private equity firms. 

Kohei Nose built up his career in the investment banking, working at Nomura, UBS and Citi in Tokyo, before joining JPAM. 

He holds a B.A. in Economics, the University of Tokyo. 

Joined J-STAR in January 2015. He made 11 investments in Minoshima (temporary electrical construction), Horiuchi Machinery (Manufacturing and sales of hydraulic cylinders), Senior Life Create (Home delivery of meals to the elderly), Tokuyama Shokai Group (Demolition work), Toy Factory (Manufacturing and selling recreational vehicles), Dainichi (processing and sale of cultured fish), WEGO (casual apparel), Sanwa Service (sale of cars), ITTY (D2C of health and beauty-related products), Aisei Pharmacy (management of pharmacies), Japan Hospice Holdings (hospice services, TSE Mothers 7061), and executed 3 successful exits. 

He designs tailor-made structures to meet the challenges and needs of owners and their companies. During the investment period, he supports the sustainable growth of each portfolio company by strengthening the organizational structure and implementing individual business improvement projects. He is committed to deepening mutual understanding with the management and other stakeholders of each company. 

Before joining J-STAR, he worked in the Investment Bank division of Nomura Securities and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.  

He graduated in political sciences from the Faculty of Law of Keio University. Since 2020, he has been working to diffuse integrated reports as a member of the board of WICI.

Takuji Ishida is an Executive Director based in Tokyo. He has been involved in investments including Japan Systems, Blueship, nobitel (Dr.stretch), and BDL Group.  Prior to joining Longreach, Takuji was a Managing Director at Polaris Capital Group, a private equity in Japan, where he played key roles in deal originations, transaction execution activities, and value creation for several portfolio companies. Prior to Polaris Capital Group, Takuji worked at Mitsubishi Corporation focusing on investments/project finance in Liquefied Natural Gas projects. Subsequently, at Boston Consulting Group, Takuji was a Project Leader in charge of developing strategies, formulating med-to long-term business plans, and launching new businesses in several sectors.

Takuji received a Bachelor of Laws from Kyoto University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

T.J. Kono joined Unison Capital in 2002. He has managed a number of investments in Japan since Unison’s first fund, then led Unison’s expansion to Korea as its founding member. Today, he serves as an Investment Committee member in both Japan and Korea. He has been involved in Unison’s investments in Drug Eleven (Japan), Mine-Mart (Japan), UCOM (Japan), Nexcon Technology (Korea), Gong cha (Korea)/Royal Tea Taiwan (Taiwan), and Minacia (Japan). In addition to investment role, he oversees Unison Group’s investor relations functions. Prior to Unison Capital, he worked at Merrill Lynch Japan.

Mr. Kono has a B.S/B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.