Newsletter_FINCITY.TOKYO UPDATE (July 2026)
Updates from Tokyo’s expanding finance and startup ecosystem and the 65 members of FinCity.Tokyo.
FinCity.Tokyo in the News
UK, Japan urged to work together on transition finance（Carbon Pulse, 6/25）
Tokio Morita, Executive Director of FinCity.Tokyo, emphasized that the UK has the potential to become a key partner in advancing transition finance, an area in which Japan has built years of experience and engagement.
Japan and the UK push transition finance cooperation（Funds Global Asia, 6/30）
At the UK-Japan Transition Finance Forum hosted by FinCity.Tokyo, policymakers, financial institutions, and market participants from Japan and the UK underscored the need for closer cooperation on transition finance to accelerate capital mobilization for industrial decarbonization. Panelists also voiced hopes for greater interoperability between the two countries’ systems, increased transition bond issuance in both London and Tokyo, and stronger efforts to advance transition projects with enhanced investment appeal.
＊Also republished in Funds Europe.
Archives of the UK-Japan Transition Finance Forum are available below
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Special Interview
Interview: Connecting with the World Through Resilience Bonds — Tokyo Metropolitan Government joins FinCity.Tokyo event, shares lessons from promoting Tokyo’s initiatives in London
The UK-Japan Transition Finance Forum 2026, one of the flagship events hosted in London by FinCity.Tokyo during the London Climate Action Week（LCAW）as a follow-up to last year’s success, explored the growing collaboration between Japan and the UK in raising finance for the green transition. We interviewed Mr. Sadaaki Shimizu and Mr. Takehiro Sasagawa from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government about the TOKYO Resilience Bond and TMG’s efforts in sustainable finance, which were central to the events, along with their thoughts on why the UK-Japan collaboration matters at this time.
View the full interview here:
Other Updates
A conversation with Susan Langley, Lady Mayor of the City of London
On Thursday, June 18, a discussion was held between Susan Langley, Lady Mayor of the City of London, and Governor Koike of Tokyo. Hiroshi Nakaso, Chair of FinCity.Tokyo, also attended the meeting. FinCity.Tokyo explained that Tokyo and London are working together to promote sustainable finance, including transition finance. It also conveyed its intention to expand Tokyo’s efforts to support a sustainable and resilient society through finance to the world through dialogue and exchange among financial stakeholders in both cities, and to further strengthen Tokyo’s presence in this field.
FinCity.Tokyo’s activities in London can be found here:
Visit by Mongolian Delegation
On Tuesday, June 23, a 15-member delegation, including representatives from the Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia and the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association, visited FinCity.Tokyo. The main focus of the visit was sustainable finance, and the delegation engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as Asia’s sustainable finance roadmap and frameworks for reducing investment risk, with the aim of building strong international networks and sharing knowledge.
In addition to our organization, the delegation also visited the Ministry of the Environment, the Financial Services Agency, and the Development Bank of Japan.
For more on the Mongolian delegation’s visit, please see
FinCity.Tokyo Global Forum: Leaders Session in New York
On July 15, FinCity.Tokyo hosted its first forum in New York in nearly three years, bringing together approximately 180 participants from financial institutions, asset management firms, family offices, investors, and AI-related companies. Opened with remarks from Laurent Depus, FinCity.Tokyo Ambassador, moderated by Yoshiko Yamaguchi, Senior Advisor to FinCity.Tokyo, and topped with a fireside chat by Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko, the event covered Tokyo’s unique strengths and investment opportunities, its development as an asset management hub, talent development, startup support, and the urban infrastructure needed for the AI and GX era.
Building on the momentum from this event, we will host the FinCity.Tokyo Global Forum in New York on October 15, bringing together a diverse group of speakers from financial authorities, institutional investors including GPIF, the asset management industry, and financial markets to deepen discussions on the Japanese economy, asset management, and investment opportunities in Tokyo.
FinCity.Tokyo’s activities in New York can be found here
「FinCity.Tokyo Global Forum: Leaders Session in New York」YouTube archive video
Key Stories in Media
Japanese Media
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- The government approves its Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform: creates an investment framework for growth sectors, does not set a primary-balance surplus target (Nikkei, July 21)
On July 21, the government approved at a Cabinet meeting its “Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform” (the Basic Policy). It places emphasis on investment in growth sectors such as AI and semiconductors. It does not set a target of achieving a surplus in the primary balance and instead aims to improve public finances through growth. - The Financial Services Agency and the Tokyo Stock Exchange revise corporate governance guidelines: number of principles narrowed from 83 to 30; “interpretive guidelines” introduced (Yomiuri Shimbun, July 21)
On July 21, the Financial Services Agency and the Tokyo Stock Exchange revised the Corporate Governance Code, which sets out principles of conduct for listed companies. This time, in order to enable companies to focus on substantive efforts to enhance medium- to long-term corporate value, the number of principles was narrowed from a total of 83 to 30. They also newly established “interpretive guidelines” to support responses to the principles, presenting specific methods and model case examples by individual companies. - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: “We will support further investment in Japanese financial assets” through pension funds including GPIF (Nikkei, July 17)
On July 17, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attended intensive deliberations of the House of Councillors Budget Committee. Referring to GPIF, she said, “We will pursue measures to support further investment in Japanese financial assets by pension funds.”
- The government approves its Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform: creates an investment framework for growth sectors, does not set a primary-balance surplus target (Nikkei, July 21)
English Media
- Japan asset managers pursue global investor mandates as yen bond demand grows (Reuters, July 8)
With Japan’s rising interest rates pushing up bond yields to an attractive level for the first time in decades, Japanese asset managers are scrambling to launch yen bond funds to meet renewed interest in Japanese debt among overseas investors. - Takaichi’s new economic blueprint for Japan: 4 things to know (Nikkei Asia, July 21)
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has approved an economic blueprint targeting over 370 trillion yen in public-private investment by 2040, prioritizing AI, semiconductors and defense while balancing growth ambitions with fiscal discipline. - GPIF makes first direct private equity investment (The Japan Times, July 21)
Japan’s GPIF will invest 20 billion yen directly into a private equity fund focused on domestic projects. The fund is run by Japanese PE firm Advantage Partners. This marks the GPIF’s first direct investment into this asset class as it gradually expands exposure to alternative assets. - Copyright © 2026 FinCity.Tokyo. Distributed for FinCity.Tokyo by Kreab K.K.