Takehiko Watabe

Fukoku Capital Management, Inc. (FCM) is the investment management subsidiary of Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Japan. Founded in 1986, the firm is headquartered in Tokyo and provides a range of discretionary investment management and advisory services to individual and institutional clients.

Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. (Investment Portfolio) (FMLI-IP) is the investment portfolio management subsidiary of Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Japan. Founded in 1923, the insurance firm is headquartered in Tokyo with branches and agencies throughout Japan and international subsidiaries in London and New York. FMLI-IP provides insurance as well as financial products and services, distributed to retail and corporate clients by their own sales network and through various financial institutions. In 2006 the firm formed a business alliance with Kyoei Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd., concentrating on life insurance while Kyoei Kasai Shinrai Life covers the non-life sector. The firm provides corporate pension plans and offers socially responsible investment products.

Development Bank of Japan, Inc. (DBJ) is a financial institution created in 1999 through the regrouping of JDB-Japan Development Bank and Hokkaido-Tohoku Development Finance Public Corp., and the adjunction of the finance divisions of Japan Regional Development Corp. and Japan Environment Corp. The firm is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with a network of domestic branches, as well as overseas offices in New York and London, and a subsidiary in Singapore. Formerly government-owned, DBJ underwent restructuring in 2007. The current structure was established in 2008 when a several-year privatization process was initiated. DBJ is a socially-committed investor. It provides long-term complementary financing and debt guarantees to promote the development of regional economies in Japan. The firm also supports technology-based enterprises, urban redevelopment and socially-desirable projects. It operates in collaboration with private sector financial institutions and favor projects with high policy content. As part of their investment activities, DBJ manages private equity funds.

Organization for Promoting Urban Development (MINTO), a non-profit body supervised by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was established in 1987 in order to promote the formation of urban areas through urban development projects and the use of low-interest funds. The organization provides long-term and low-interest loans to private sectors that implements urban development projects. MINTO is based in Tokyo, Japan.

The Japan Economic Research Institute was established in 1946 by economists Takahashi and others, and later expanded by Dr. Osamu Shimomura with the support of the economy and academic society. The non-profit company is based in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese company's goal is to contribute to the development of the economic society and to promote independent and sustainable development of the local community.