In the early 2000s, Japan seemed to be a prime target for activist investors, but as the decade draws to a close, it is clear that the aggressive style of activism that was successful elsewhere was doomed to fail in Japan. Yoshiaki Morukami’s M&A Consulting, TCI, Tower and Sparx, to name but a few, have either retreated entirely or shifted their strategy away from activism. It is against this backdrop that Taiyo Pacific Partners launched its first friendly activist Taiyo Fund in 2003, and since then has launched two more and has gone from strength to strength with total assets under management of over $1.8 billion.
Brian Heywood, John Hammond and Michael King
The three funds are all value-oriented, based on concentrated portfolios. The Taiyo Fund holds 12 to 18 positions in Japanese small-caps; the Pearl Fund, launched in 2007, invests further down the market...