Introduction

Japanese issuers increasingly recognize the importance of corporate governance and the vital role proxy voting plays in enhancing governance. As these issuers seek to become more “investor friendly”, they are eager to maximize the IR value of improving the proxy voting process for their institutional shareholders, both domestic and overseas. By participating in the ICJ platform Japanese issuers are providing institutional investors with expanded voting deadlines, consolidated voting capability and quicker access to meeting materials.

Japanese companies who participate in the ICJ platform are making great efforts to show overseas investors in particular that Japan intends to lead global markets when it comes to corporate governance and investor friendliness.

We encourage overseas investors to make their needs known to issuers throughout the Japanese market and encourage them to earnestly consider participation in the ICJ platform. An investor’s ability to vote in the best interest of shareholders, as well as the issuer’s ability to compete long-term in the international capital market, may depend on it.