RECENT INVESTMENT

The UK-based Legatum Institute ranked Japan as the 22nd most prosperous country in the world in 2015. The most prosperous country according to their report is Sweden, followed by Denmark in 2nd and Switzerland in 3rd. The UK is ranked 6th, the USA is 11th, Canada 15th, Germany 17th, France 19th, then Japan in 22nd. Further down the line are stagnant or developing economies such as Italy in 41st, Brazil in 54th, China in 59th and India in 94th place.
"Source: 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index TM"

Japan has often been depicted as one of the most difficult markets to enter, but the many large, successful companies that dominate the country show that this may not be the case. Over the last 10 years, the media have kept China on a pedestal as the most promising place to invest in East Asia; however, recent doubts about the sustainability of their economic success is making Japan the appealing choice once again. Japan's reputation has taken a hit over the last 15 years due to a negative focus in the media. Recent popular topics include Japan's stagnating economy and aging population, and reports in the 1980s highlighted the extortionate land prices in certain areas of central Tokyo.

Negative aspects aside, one shouldn't overlook the fact that Japan is still the third largest economy in the world after the USA and China. According to IMF's GDP country ranking data, Japan will still be holding 3rd position in 2020.