Kio, Garbe, DBJ, Tokyo Trust to Speak on Japanese Outbound Capital at Mingtiandi Tokyo Forum

Next week’s second annual Mingtiandi Tokyo Forum brings together a panel of four experts to share insights on how Japanese capital is working with local fund managers and developers worldwide to drive innovation and leverage opportunities.

The all-day event comes as Australia overtook the US last year as the biggest recipient of Japan’s outbound investment in commercial real estate, according to Cushman & Wakefield, with inflow from Japanese players reaching nearly $1.8 billion.

With Japanese investors playing a growing role in backing deals globally, the session on outbound capital features senior leaders from Kio Investment Management, Garbe, the Development Bank of Japan and Tokyo Trust Capital.

The forum takes place on Wednesday 5 November at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo and consists of 11 sessions covering sectors including hospitality, residential, industrial and commercial. Tickets to the forum are available at the link above.

Investors Talk Shop

Joining the outbound panel is Sam Bisla, founder and managing director of Sydney-based Kio Investment Management, which has raised capital, launched and invested in build-to-rent and studio living strategies in Australia to create a combined portfolio with an end value of A$1.3 billion ($860 million).

From Garbe comes Christopher Garbe, managing partner of the European developer, operator and investor. Hamburg-based Garbe’s 20 branch offices in 13 countries oversee more than €15 billion ($17.5 billion) worth of assets under management.

Hayato Tsuji, general manager with the real estate finance department at the Development Bank of Japan, takes responsibility for property investment, fund investment, non-recourse financing, sustainability activities and proptech initiatives at the state-owned financial firm. Tsuji previously led the establishment of DBJ Private REIT, which has JPY 176 billion ($1.2 billion) in assets under management.

The panel also welcomes Christopher Handte, chief executive of Tokyo Trust Capital, which has consummated real estate investment transactions in Japan and the US totalling over $900 million. Handte previously led BlackRock’s real estate business in Japan from 2015 to 2022.

Event of the Year

The Mingtiandi Tokyo Forum is headlined by spotlight interviews with Takashi Murata, co-head of Asia Pacific real estate for Warburg Pincus and Andrew Burych, head of east Asia real estate for Brookfield Asset Management, with more than 20 speakers set to take the stage.

A third spotlight interview session will feature a team from Deloitte Tohmatsu Group to explore solutions to challenges facing global investors in the Japan market, with special insights into corporate buyout considerations for real estate investors.

To take a closer look at the megatrends driving Japan real estate, the event’s keynote panel will feature Chedli Boujellabia, the founder, managing partner and CEO of Alyssa Partners; Calvin Chou, head of Asia Pacific at Invesco Real Estate; Michio Matsumoto, managing director and head of Japan at EQT Real Estate; Stanley Shen, executive director at TE Capital Partners; and Tokyo Trust’s Handte.

A panel on hospitality and tourism in Japan will bring together Suchad Chiaranussati, chairman and founder of SC Capital Partners; Abhijay Sandilya, managing director for Japan and Micronesia at IHG Hotels & Resorts; Bryan Lee, founder and CFO of AB Capital Investment; and Gary Kwok, CEO and managing partner of Axe Management, for a look at opportunities linked to travel growth in Japan.

With hotels continuing to shine as one of the most attractive asset classes for both global and domestic investors in Japan, a panel on hotel strategies will feature Perry Tan, managing director of Pegasus Capital; Seth Sulkin, president and CEO of Pacifica Capital; and Daniel Wei, head of Singapore at CREAL Asia.