News

April 16, 2021

In order to expand Japan’s role as an international financial center, the Japanese government is committed to making its capital markets more attractive with strategic initiatives, and to creating an environment that attracts foreign businesses and highly skilled foreign professionals.
As a part of the initiatives, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) and Local Finance Bureaus (LFBs) established the Financial Market Entry Office (the Office) on January 12, 2021. The Office handles all regulatory processes, from pre-application consultation and registration to supervision after registration, for newly entering asset management firms as a single point of contact. All communications are available in English.
We are pleased to announce the first case in which a foreign financial business operator has completed its registration under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA) after the establishment of the Office.

Affirmative Investment Management Japan Inc. (AIM), a Japanese subsidiary of UK asset management company Affirmative Investment Management Partners Limited, applied for registration of Investment Advisory and Agency Business under the FIEA. Since AIM is qualified to submit documents in English, the Office conducted pre-application consultation and registration procedures in English as a single point of contact.

We have been supporting foreign financial business operators in promptly establishing their bases of operations in Japan. In the process of supporting AIM for its registration as an Investment Advisory and Agency Business operator, various communications, including a video conference with the company and the preparation of the registration application documents, were conducted in English, following which the registration procedures were carried out and have been completed today.

In addition, since the registration process of AIM was completed in English, the supervision of AIM will also be conducted in English by the Office.

The Office continues to handle all regulatory processes, from pre-application consultation and registration to supervision after registration, for newly entering asset management firms as a single point of contact with all communications available in English.