Niaga Spotlight: Japan & ASEAN SMEs | Opportunity amid global uncertainty

Japan’s generational corporate shift could reshape business across Southeast Asia.
Thousands of mid-sized Japanese companies — many family-owned and rooted in regional prefectures — are confronting a major transition: ageing founders, succession gaps, and slower domestic growth. Increasingly, that search for the next chapter is turning toward ASEAN.
Could cross-border mergers and acquisitions become the bridge between Japan’s succession challenge and Southeast Asia’s growth ambitions?
On Niaga Spotlight, Tehmina Kaoosji speaks with Yusuke Ojima, Regional Head for Southeast Asia at Nihon M&A Center Inc., one of Japan’s leading SME-focused M&A advisory firms, about what this emerging investment corridor could mean for Malaysia’s business ecosystem, regional partnerships, and the next wave of Japan–ASEAN economic collaboration.