Message
On behalf of the Japan Private Equity Association (“JPEA”), I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support and cooperation.
With the support and cooperation of our members, along with the dedication of our past chairmen, directors, and the Membership Expansion and Exchange Committee, the JPEA has expanded to include approximately 80 full members and approximately 150 supporting members as of September 2025.
According to various research reports, Japan’s private equity industry has, in recent years, invested more than 3 trillion yen across 300+ transactions annually, now accounting for roughly 16% of the domestic M&A market. Increasingly, Japan’s leading corporates are seeking privatization backed by private equity sponsors, making such transactions commonplace.
In addition, Japan’s private equity industry has delivered returns significantly outperforming the public equity markets, while also making meaningful contributions to employment and diversity as illustrated by the “Investment Return Performance” and “Promotion of Job Creation & DEI” survey conducted by the JPEA. As a result, domestic and international institutional investors’ interest in Japan’s private equity market has reached unprecedented levels, presenting a tremendous opportunity for fund size growth. These are developments I could hardly have imagined when I first entered this industry 25 years ago.
That said, JPEA will not rest on its achievements. We remain committed to driving further development of the industry by expanding our membership base, enhancing information sharing, organizing study sessions and networking events, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
I believe private equity is a truly rewarding profession. It is a unique profession where one can draw upon their own skills and expertise to enhance the value of portfolio companies and deliver positive outcomes to all stakeholders—including investors, lenders, portfolio companies, management teams, employees, clients, local communities—and to ourselves as investment professionals. Nevertheless, responsibilities are significant. The role requires deep expertise, resilience, strong leadership, compelling personal qualities, and the highest ethical standards. We warmly welcome aspiring young professionals who wish to join us in this challenging, but fulfilling field.
Japan is home to many attractive companies with unique business models and advanced technologies. On the other hand, there are also companies struggling to overcome difficult management challenges. Through the investment activities of our members, JPEA strives to support high-quality companies achieve further growth while provide solutions to those encountering operational difficulties—ultimately contributing to the growth of the Japanese economy as a whole. We sincerely appreciate your continued support.
Japan Private Equity Association
Chairman Megumi Kiyozuka