Schroder Japan Trust is a London-listed investment trust that is focused on specific single stock opportunities within the larger Japanese equity market. It is an exciting time to be invested in Japan, with a cheap yen and the Japanese government pushing ahead with far-reaching reforms for listed companies. On the podcast we talk to Schroder Japan lead fund manager Masaki Taketsume about running a best ideas portfolio in Japan. We discuss some of the key trends he is seeing in the market, including the yen, interest rates, tariffs and shareholder activism. He also explains the trust’s approach to stock picking and the benefits of investing in under-researched companies. 🎧 Subscribe and stay updated with insights from leading investors, fund managers, and innovators. Listen on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2vfaIsYhqcRejpjWNqYF6f Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-armchair-trader-podcast/id1454640070 Amazon - https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/68a66097-24d8-403e-a86f-70fab0d2d686/The-Armchair-Trader-Podcast SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/armchairtrader/ Follow us: BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/thearmchairtrader.com Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/10429893 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/armchairtrader Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheArmchairTrader 00:00 Intro to the Schroder Japan Trust 01:45 Market cap of invested companies 02:37 The yen and Japanese interest rates 04:47 The effect of inflation on Japanese companies 05:57 Effect of trade barriers on Japan 08:00 Corporate governance and shareholder interests 11:25 Opportunities with under-researched companies 12:56 Which sectors are looking good? 13:46 Why is active fund management important with Japan equities? 15:17 Activist campaigns in Japan 17:27 Over-diversified business groups 20:24 Outlook for Japanese equities