Alternative and Foreign Direct Investment

GOALS

AT A GLANCE

Formation: July 2023

Committee Type: Open to any ACCJ member

Since July 2023, this committee merges together the activities and leadership teams of the Alternative Investment and Foreign Direct Investment Committees. This new group approaches cross-border investment, also known as foreign direct investment (FDI), especially between Japan and America, from multiple perspectives.

The formation of this group reflects the many changes to the world economy that have occurred since 2020: global geopolitics, energy markets, financial markets, economic security, technology supply chains, regional military activities, domestic American policies, and closer alignment of the USG and the GOJ.

During the last five years (for the first time in history), two distinct trends have emerged. The United States has been the largest source of foreign investment into Japan, and Japan has been the largest source of foreign investment into the United States.

To promote inward and outward FDI as well as regional and global economic cooperation.
To promote greater awareness of the benefits and risks of making alternative investments.
To promote policy, legal and regulatory changes in Japan to support Japan’s desire to increase inward FDI flows from their present low level.
To provide a forum for ACCJ members to network and share information regarding cross-border investment.

advocacy and impact

ACTIVITIES

Information sharing and Speaker Events

Our group covers mergers and acquisitions – both by corporations as well as by private equity firms – as well as developments in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, managed futures, carbon markets, commodities, real estate, infrastructure investments, digital assets (cryptocurrencies, Web 3.0, etc.), intellectual property, art and historical documents, and other alternative investment strategies.

Presentations from Japanese regulators and agencies on topics ranging from ESG investing to revisions in regulations such as FEFTA changes.
Venture Capital investing in digital payment systems and digital assets including cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies, security tokens. Technologies involving blockchain, virtual currencies, and the “tokenization of assets.”
Emerging scientific technologies including space-related industries, FemTech, Age-Tech, biotech, human genome-related investments, and energy storage technologies.
ESG-related investing, impact investing, ethical investing, and corporate governance
Passion Investing, such as watches, jewelry, fine and popular art, photographic and video copyrights, patent rights, fine wines and whiskeys, vintage cars and other collectibles

We support advocacy efforts through the writing and submission of ACCJ Viewpoint papers on a variety of relevant topics, such as most recently, the Government of Japan’s proposed ESG disclosure policies and fair M&A guidelines.

This Committee believes in creating constructive impact through engagement with the Japanese government and the business community outside the ACCJ. Toward this goal, this group hosts events that bring transparency to investor activism, corporate governance, and investment stewardship.