Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has produced these English translations of documents they createdto accelerate thinking in Japan about how to integrate and better utilize outside directors and kansayaku on boards. Overall, they reflect the shift towards a realization that more uniform and higher-level“best practices” are needed, in line with national policy to formulate a corporate governance code.
＜Press Release＞
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2014/0630_01.html
Guidelines on Outside Directors and Kansayaku
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2014/pdf/0630_01b.pdf
Interim Report on the Roles of and Support System for Non-Executives including Outside Directors and Kansayaku
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2014/pdf/0630_01a.pdf
The Board Director Training Institute (BDTI) is a "public interest" nonprofit in Japan dedicated to training about directorship, corporate governance, and related management techniques. It is certified by the Japanese government to conduct these activities as a regulated nonprofit. Read a summary about BDTI here, and see a menu of its services for both corporations and investors here.