The Institute of Corporate Governance,Japan, an independent membership based organization, was founded with the aim of modernizing and rationalizing corporate governance as it is practiced in this country. As of 2016 more than a third of the shares of all listed Japanese companies was in the hands of foreign investors. A central concern of such investors is the system of corporate governance, which needs to be understood in order to assess the real potential of the companies in question.
As the practice of Japanese corporate governance has certain features unique to Japan and as it has been evolving fairly rapidly in recent years, in part due to the efforts of the ICGJ, it is our hope that this English language website will provide necessary insight and guidance to investors, potential investors,international executives with responsibilities for operations in Japan,and others with an interest in governance-related issues.
Corporate governance is the aggregate of the activities of corporate stakeholders seeking to maximize the value of the company. It provides a framework for resolving conflicting interests that allows for optimal balance, paving the way for achieving the best possible returns.Recognizing that corporate governance takes varied forms depending on the stage of development of the company, and the degree to which ownership and
management are independent, it is the mission of the ICGJ to undertake actions aimed at helping Japanese companies improve corporate governance across the board, secure in the conviction that such improvements will eventually result in an economy that is more dynamic and more robustly competitive in the international arena.