Latest news with #Okinawa-based
The Mainichi
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Basketball: Utsunomiya clinches B-League title in Game 3 thriller
Utsunomiya Brex guard Makoto Hiejima, right, attempts a shot during Game 3 of the B-League basketball finals against the Ryukyu Golden Kings at Yokohama Arena on May 27, 2025. (Kyodo) YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Makoto Hiejima poured in 14 fourth-quarter points to lead Utsunomiya Brex to a championship-clinching 73-71 victory over the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Game 3 of the B-League basketball finals on Tuesday. With just three points through the first three quarters, the veteran shooting guard exploded in the final period at Yokohama Arena, hitting 5-of-5 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Utsunomiya won the best-of-three series opener 81-68 on Saturday before Ryukyu evened things up with an 87-75 victory the following day. Contesting their fourth-straight finals, the Okinawa-based Golden Kings led 51-44 going into the fourth quarter of Game 3 before Brex came back to take their first lead since the opening period at 67-66 on a three-pointer from finals MVP D.J. Newbill with 1:15 left. Hiejima, who finished with 17 points and three assists, gave coach Zico Coronel's squad the lead for good on a corner three-pointer with 33 seconds on the clock. Ryukyu received a lifeline when Keve Aluma was fouled on a three-point attempt with Utsunomiya up 73-70 and less than a second left. The forward miss his second free-throw, however, forcing him to intentionally miss the third in an unsuccessful attempt to score two points off a rebound. The Utsunomiya players dedicated the team's first title since 2021-2022 to former head coach Kevin Braswell, who died aged 46 during the season in February after suffering complications from emergency heart surgery. The team kept a framed photograph of Braswell on the bench throughout the remainder of the season, including the finals, and the players shouted his initials, "KB," for motivation during their huddles. "We've been to funerals and cried together, and now we get to cry tears of joy," said Coronel, who started the season as Braswell's assistant. "It means the world to us to honor Kevin."
The Mainichi
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Basketball: Utsunomiya beats Ryukyu 81-68 in B-League finals opener
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Guard D.J. Newbill scored 25 points and had six assists to lead Utsunomiya Brex to an 81-68 win over the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the opening game of the B-League basketball finals on Saturday. Utsunomiya, aiming for its first title since 2021-2022, took a 24-20 lead into the opening change and led the rest of the way at Yokohama Arena. Guard Atsuya Ogawa and big man Gavin Edwards chipped in with 15 points each for Brex, which connected on 16 of 39 three-point attempts. The Okinawa-based Golden Kings, missing injured point guard Ryuichi Kishimoto, got 18 points from swingman Vic Law, but the team made just six of its 23 shots from beyond the arc. Playing in their fourth straight finals, the 2022-2023 champion Golden Kings will try to square the best-of-three series on Sunday.
The Star
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Carlyle on Japan hiring spree for new US$3bil fund
TOKYO: Carlyle Group Inc has said it is on course to hire 10 investment professionals in Tokyo as it starts dealmaking for its latest 430 billion yuan (US$3bil) Japan buyout fund. The Washington-based private equity firm has already made four junior to mid-level hires this year, and aims to add six more by December, according to Carlyle Japan co-head Takaomi Tomioka. That will bring its total number of investment professionals in Japan to 35. Private equity has found a sweet spot in Japan in recent years, where borrowing costs remain low and companies from large corporations to smaller family-owned businesses have become receptive to selling off operations. Investors are also more keen to allocate money to Japan-focused funds. But the boom has also made recruitment increasingly competitive in the market, Tomioka said in an interview. 'Many new funds that have set up in Japan are frantically trying to hire,' he said. 'The competition is very intense.' Carlyle's Japan expansion comes as US President Donald Trump's tariff policies cloud the outlook for global businesses and investors. That has made evaluating new opportunities and exits via initial public offerings (IPOs) more complex, according to Tomioka. Most of Carlyle's Japan investments have been in medium-sized companies with a domestic focus, helping to shield it from some of the global trade turmoil. The firm, now in its 25th year of business in Japan, is still on track to invest its planned 100 billion yuan in the country for 2025, Tomioka said. Carlyle is seeking an IPO this year for portfolio company Orion Breweries Ltd, Tomioka said, pointing to the Okinawa-based beermaker's locally focused consumer business as less likely to be impacted by the trade ructions. Carlyle took Orion private in 2019 with the investment arm of Nomura Holdings Inc. Tariff policies have also had little influence on the factors driving dealmaking for private equity in Japan, according to Tomioka. Intensifying pressure to improve shareholder value is spurring local companies to go private or sell off non-core operations, and many smaller businesses face succession issues, he said. 'There is a significant deal flow,' he said. 'However, we need to be cautious about whether the companies we evaluate for investment can actually execute their business plans as planned within the current global economic environment. That assessment is crucial.' Most recently, Carlyle has acquired KFC Holdings Japan Ltd and is in the process of privatising software provider Kaonavi Inc. Carlyle's latest Japan buyout fund, its fifth, finished fundraising last year and is about 70% bigger than the previous one. Appetite was so strong that it sapped investor interest from a separate Carlyle pan-Asia buyout fund, Bloomberg reported last year. Japan-focused funds have drawn investment during a period of stagnant fundraising. The share of private equity capital raised focused on the country rose to 15% of the Asia-Pacific total last year from 7% in 2019, according to a report from Bain & Co. In the current global environment, Japanese companies that are focused on domestic businesses and not expanding globally are actually very appealing, Tomioka said. 'They are easier to invest in right now, and many are in our pipeline,' he said. — Bloomberg
Business Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Carlyle on Japan hiring spree after new US$3 billion buyout fund
[TOKYO] Carlyle Group said it is on course to hire 10 investment professionals in Tokyo as it starts dealmaking for its latest 430 billion yen (S$3.8 billion) Japan buyout fund. The Washington-based private equity firm has already made four junior to mid-level hires this year, and aims to add six more by December, according to Carlyle Japan co-head Takaomi Tomioka. That will bring its total number of investment professionals in Japan to 35. Private equity has found a sweet spot in Japan in recent years, where borrowing costs remain low and companies from large corporations to smaller family-owned businesses have become receptive to selling off operations. Investors are also more keen to allocate money to Japan-focused funds. But the boom has also made recruitment increasingly competitive in the market, Tomioka said. 'Many new funds that have set up in Japan are frantically trying to hire,' he said. 'The competition is very intense.' Carlyle's Japan expansion comes as US President Donald Trump's tariff policies cloud the outlook for global businesses and investors. That has made evaluating new opportunities and exits via initial public offerings (IPOs) more complex, according to Tomioka. Most of Carlyle's Japan investments have been in medium-sized companies with a domestic focus, helping to shield it from some of the global trade turmoil. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The firm, now in its 25th year of business in Japan, is still on track to invest its planned 100 billion yen in the country for 2025, Tomioka said. Carlyle is seeking an IPO this year for portfolio company Orion Breweries, Tomioka said, pointing to the Okinawa-based beermaker's locally focused consumer business as less likely to be impacted by the trade ructions. Carlyle took Orion private in 2019 with the investment arm of Nomura Holdings. Tariff policies have also had little influence on the factors driving dealmaking for private equity in Japan, according to Tomioka. Intensifying pressure to improve shareholder value is spurring local companies to go private or sell off non-core operations, and many smaller businesses face succession issues, he said. 'There is a significant deal flow,' he said. 'However, we need to be cautious about whether the companies we evaluate for investment can actually execute their business plans as planned within the current global economic environment. That assessment is crucial.' Most recently, Carlyle has acquired KFC Holdings Japan and is in the process of privatising software provider Kaonavi. Carlyle's latest Japan buyout fund, its fifth, finished fundraising last year and is about 70 per cent bigger than the previous one. Appetite was so strong that it sapped investor interest from a separate Carlyle pan-Asia buyout fund, Bloomberg reported last year. Japan-focused funds have drawn investment during a period of stagnant fundraising. The share of private equity capital raised focused on the country rose to 15 per cent of the Asia-Pacific total last year from 7 per cent in 2019, according to a report from Bain & Co. In the current global environment, Japanese companies that are focused on domestic businesses and not expanding globally are actually very appealing, Tomioka said. 'They are easier to invest in right now, and many are in our pipeline,' he said. BLOOMBERG
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
China accused of ‘two-faced diplomacy' after entering Japanese waters following high-level talks
China has been accused of 'two-faced diplomacy ' after pledging greater cooperation with Japan and South Korea in a high-level meeting, only for Chinese coast guard vessels to enter Japanese -controlled waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands the next day. This move has sparked criticism in Japan, with some accusing their government of being overly trusting of China. Four Chinese coast guard ships entered Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands early Friday morning and stayed for 92 hours and 8 minutes, marking the longest intrusion since Japan nationalised the islands in 2012, according to the Japan's coast guard. The previous record was 80 hours and 36 minutes in 2023. The Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu Islands in China) are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. They are administered by Japan but claimed by China – and have been a longstanding flashpoint between the two countries. The ships attempted to approach Japanese fishing boats before all four vessels left around 10.04pm on Monday, according to Japan coast guard officials in Okinawa. Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya expressed concern over the 'clearly escalating' presence of Chinese vessels near the disputed Senkaku Islands. Two Chinese coast guard vessels entered Japan's territorial waters near Minamikojima in the Senkaku Islands between 1.56am and 1.59am on Friday, according to the Japan's coast guard. They reportedly made repeated attempts to approach nearby Japanese fishing boats and were later joined by two more ships. According to the Kyodo News, an opposition lawmaker criticised the timing of the Chinese ships' intrusion, calling it 'extremely inappropriate' as it coincided with the bilateral foreign ministerial talks. In response, Mr Iwaya said the meeting had occurred in 'a conciliatory and friendly atmosphere', but added, 'it is truly regrettable that things like this happened, so we will deal with this issue in a resolute and calm manner'. Earlier, following a trilateral meeting with China and South Korea on Saturday, Mr Iwaya expressed optimism about the high-level talks and said that there was 'a frank exchange of views' and mentioned that the three countries had 'confirmed that we will promote future-orientated cooperation'. China's Wang Yi had echoed this, advocating better communication to address shared challenges. However, tensions quickly resurfaced as Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters near the Senkaku Islands less than 24 hours later. Meanwhile, the Japanese were irked by their government's trust in China. A reader on the Okinawa-based Yaeyama Daily News website criticised Beijing 's approach, calling it 'two-faced diplomacy', the South China Morning Post reported. Online comments expressed frustration over China's actions, with one saying: 'We must not tolerate China's tyrannical violations of international law.' Others called for tougher measures from Tokyo, including changes to the law to 'sink ships, arrest trespassers and punish them in court'.
