(Japan Times, 10/25/2014) Prosecutors have delayed for three months a decision on whether to charge three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co. for their handling of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, an official with a panel that requested the indictments said Friday.
Author: Admin
Canadian Disclosure Rules Regarding Women on Boards, Effective in 2015
（Quote from Andrew MacDougall,Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP） Securities administrators in all Canadian jurisdictions other than Alberta and British Columbia have approved the final rule. The new rule is largely unchanged from the proposals issued earlier this year.
October 10th “Director Boot Camp” – Active and Experienced Participants! Next Course: December
BDTI's October 10th English Director Boot Camp was a great success, including much input from the experienced directors at the table, and several Japanese participants. We are planning to hold the next course early in December. Sign up early!
A description of the course, and a sign-up page, can be found here:
ACGA / CLSA Release “CG Watch 2014”, Upgrades Japan to 3rd in Asia, Stresses Importance of Japan’s CG Code and Director Training
The Asian Corporate Governance Association and CLSA have released their well-known review of corporate governance in Asia,CG Watch 2014. This year the reportupgraded Japan to 3rd place in Asia (from a tie for 4th). Hong Kong edged out Singapore for the top ranking. The chapter on Japan can be downloaded here:
New UK Corporate Governance Code Issued
(UK FRC –> ) The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has issued today an updated version of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code). This significantly enhances the quality of information investors receive about the long-term health and strategy of listed companies, and raises the bar for risk management.
Interview: Japan’s Corporate Governance ‘Tipping Point’ (Interview of Nicholas Benes, in The Diplomat)
Japan’s tarnished image for corporate governance is undergoing a polish. From its declaration as a key “third arrow” reform for Abenomics, new company law reforms, the launch of a stewardship code for investors, and promised corporate governance code in 2015, the nation’s businesses have been put on notice to improve performance or face the consequences.
New UK Corporate Governance Code Coming
Article – Investors come first in the new corporate governance code, byStephen Haddrill,chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council.
Question of the Day: Why Does Japan Only Have a Teency-Weency Corporate Bond Market?
How would you respond to this question?
Bruce Aronson at Hitotsubashi-wrote apaper (see below) in 2011which providedsome of the answers to this question, including the fact that bank loan interest ratesare very cheap in Japan.
True “Stewardship” in Japan – Actions That Speak Louder than Words
There has been a lot of talk about stewardship in Japan over the past year. And there have been fine statements and announcements made about stewardship commitments by many institutions. This is all good, even if it is not clear how all this will play out.
But actions speak much louderthan words, – so we at BDTI think it fittingto point out that the following institutions have supported The Board Director Training Institute of Japan (BDTI) by making significant donations, in many cases more than once:
Bruce Aronson, Article: “The Important Role of JASBA in Japan’s Corporate Governance”
(Bruce Aronson isProfessor of Law at theGraduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, and serves as anAdvisor at
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu. This article was previously published in JASBA's magazine,Gekkan Kansayaku. )