Japan: leather is a protected industry
26/11/2019
Under the new regulations, overseas investors will need permission from the government before obtaining a stake of 1% or above in listed Japanese companies. The current threshold is 10%.
National security is the reason the government has give for making the regulations so strict. Commentators have said the government is also concerned about possible leaks of sensitive information and intellectual property to China.
To the surprise of no one, companies involved in arms manufacturing, transport infrastructure, utilities, broadcasting and telecommunications are included among the core businesses. To the surprise of many, leather is too.
Image: Comme des Garçons leather boot
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