5,586 companies in the world have over 200 years of operating history – 56% of them are in Japan

Japanese Value Investing with a local fund manager - Jiro Yasu

Japan is often considered to be one of the most fertile places in the world for value investors. Unfortunately, Japan’s equity markets are also beset by problems, including the poor capital allocation policies of Japanese management teams, making the region a frustrating place to invest.

To be able to invest in Japan successfully, you need to know and understand the region and its benefits as well as drawbacks. An understanding of these factors has helped Jiro Yasu of Tokyo-based VARECS Partners excel over the years. Since Yasu became the fund’s sole portfolio manager at year-end 2009, the fund has earned a net annualized 14.0%, vs. 9.6% for the TOPIX...