May 2020
14May

Tesla’s Newest Board Member Talks About Changing The World Through Japan’s $1.5 Trillion Pension Fund

By putting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) at the heart of the world’s largest pension fund’s investments, Hiromichi Mizuno (known as Hiro) not only rocked the world of traditional pension finance but also had a profound impact on the cause of socially responsible investing. During his tenure as the Executive Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Japan’s $1.5 trillion Global Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), Mizuno reached the conclusion that the fund had become so big that it essentially...

May 14, 2020
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April 2020
30Apr

Japan’s GPIF Seeking Active and Passive Managers for Foreign Bonds

The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) in Japan is aggressively seeking active and passive managers of foreign bonds to diversify its portfolio beyond low-paying Japanese bonds. The world’s largest pension fund is seeking broad asset managers with access to various benchmarks, such as corporate high yield indexes, emerging market indices, and aggregate indexes, the GPIF said. On Monday, the pension fund also said it is considering appointing a new fund of fund (FoF) manager for infrastructure assets in emerging...

April 30, 2020
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30Apr

Japan’s GPIF Seeking Active and Passive Managers for Foreign Bonds

The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) in Japan is aggressively seeking active and passive managers of foreign bonds to diversify its portfolio beyond low-paying Japanese bonds. The world’s largest pension fund is seeking broad asset managers with access to various benchmarks, such as corporate high yield indexes, emerging market indices, and aggregate indexes, the GPIF said. On Monday, the pension fund also said it is considering appointing a new fund of fund (FoF) manager for infrastructure assets...

April 30, 2020
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March 2020

30Mar

Japan. World’s largest pension fund growing greener

Japan’s massive Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) has been a keen proponent of investing in sustainable assets. In 2019, it committed to investing a sizeable tranche of its US$1.6 trillion assets under management into green and socially responsible investments. And by making asset managers accountable with this strategy, the GPIF is strongly pushing the boundaries of sustainability investing, not only in Japan, but in the global asset management industry as well. In its latest move towards...

March 30, 2020
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27Mar

Japan to give one-year tax grace period for virus-hit companies

Unprecedented payment delay to include corporate taxes, social insurance premiums. The Japanese government will create a special system to provide a one-year grace period for companies to pay tax and social insurance premiums due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Nikkei has learned. The period will cover the payment of corporate tax, sales tax and social insurance premiums. The government will exempt delinquent tax and will not ask companies to provide collateral. The unprecedented measure comes amid slowing economic activity after the central and...

March 27, 2020
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26Mar

Masataka Miyazono to Head up Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund

The Japanese government named Masataka Miyazono, as the new President of Japan Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF). Masataka Miyazono is the former Deputy President of Norinchukin Bank. Masataka Miyazono will replace current president Norihiro Takahashi, whose term is due to expire at the end of March 2020. Masataka Miyazono retired from Norinchukin Bank on June 22, 2018. Read more @swfinstitute

March 26, 2020
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February 2020

22Feb

Japan’s Public Sector Balance Sheet

By Yugo Koshima This paper compiles and reviews the evolution of Japan's Public Sector Balance Sheet (PSBS). In the past, large crossholdings of assets and liabilities within the public sector played a role in sustaining a high level of public debt and low interest rates. The Fiscal Investment and Loan Fund (FILF) channeled all postal deposits and pension savings to financing of public sector borrowing. After the FILF refrom in 2000, however, the Post Bank and pension funds shifted their...

February 22, 2020
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19Feb

How Japan and Singapore are reinventing old age

A new demographic dividend – the “longevity dividend” – is emerging as populations age; Singapore, one of the most rapidly ageing populations in the world, and Japan, where around 25% of the population is older than 65, are already responding to this demographic shift and benefit from it; From innovative retirement income and care programmes, Japan and Singapore's governments are already seeing positive results. Also Read Mongolian commercial banks resume providing loans to pensioners Demographic change has favoured economic...

February 19, 2020
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07Feb

World’s Largest Pension Fund Gains on Stocks, Foreign Debt

The world’s biggest pension fund posted a gain for a fourth consecutive quarter, with foreign stocks providing the best return among assets amid a thaw in trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund returned 4.6%, or 7.4 trillion yen ($67 billion), in the quarter ended Dec. 31, with assets totaling 168.9 trillion yen, it said Friday in Tokyo. Foreign stocks were the fund’s best performing investment, gaining 9.7%, while domestic equities added 8.6%. The...

February 7, 2020
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January 2020

29Jan

Japan. Wanted: rational pension reform

The government is required by law to examine the long-term financial health of Japan’s public pension system every five years. In the latest review released last August, it was confirmed that in most of the scenarios considered, the income substitution rate — the ratio of pension payouts to the after-tax income of the working generation — will be maintained at 50 percent or more. Read also The 7 biggest fintech trends to watch in 2020 This means that retirees will...

January 29, 2020
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