In Japan, April heralds the arrival of cherry blossoms in their resplendent glory, painting the landscape with hues of pink and white and marking the year’s most enchanting season. Against this lively and picturesque setting, NOAH’s ARK is further solidifying its dedication to the Japanese market, taking yet another significant stride in advancing its localized global strategy.
Japan has consistently been regarded by NOAH’s ARK as a market of immense strategic significance and untapped possibilities. The founding of ARK Japan in 2024 stood as a pivotal moment in Noah’s broader quest for global expansion, underscoring our conviction that Japan holds a pivotal position in the future landscape of cross-border wealth management.
In 2025, NOAH’s ARK rolled out its “Glocalization” strategy, a visionary framework that transcends the traditional dichotomy of globalization and localization. Instead, we empower our clients to construct portfolios tailored to specific markets, respecting local nuances while harnessing the power of global expertise. This “global reach, local depth” philosophy is designed to equip Chinese-speaking wealth managers with a robust investment framework capable of navigating diverse cycles and markets across regions.
As our footprint in Japan deepens, this strategic vision is being translated into tangible actions, forging connections with high-quality, differentiated resources to deliver wealth solutions that are both professionally rigorous and culturally attuned for global Chinese investors.
In Japan, a market where local expertise is indispensable, forging strong, credible partnerships is the linchpin of delivering top-tier service. On March 18, ARK Japan forged a strategic alliance with Tokyo Star Bank, aiming to jointly explore business prospects and deliver financial services that are finely tuned to the needs of Chinese-speaking clients.
Tokyo Star Bank is a financial institution with a unique positioning, blending local market acumen with a global outlook. Renowned for its client-centric and flexible approach, the bank has consistently innovated to meet the increasingly personalized demands of its clientele, a philosophy that resonates deeply with NOAH’s ARK’s long-standing client-first ethos.
Ms. Jingbo Wang, the Chairwoman of Noah Holdings, remarked, “Tokyo Star Bank provides international investors in Japan with financial services that seamlessly integrate a global perspective with local insights. This aligns perfectly with ARK Japan’s mission to deliver personalized solutions to local Chinese clients. By continuously cultivating partnerships with premier institutions in the Japanese market, we aspire to create more comprehensive and integrated financial service experiences for the Chinese-speaking community.”
In March, ARK Japan also convened its Spring Investment Strategy Meeting, inviting global thought leaders and core clients to share ARK Japan’s developmental roadmap, deliberate on our 2025 H1 CIO Report, and delve into macroeconomic trends and investment certainty across major Japanese asset classes.
Why Japan? A Strategic Testing Ground for “Global Network, Local Depth”
Japan, as a mature economy with a robust regulatory framework, continues to be a magnet for global investors. Its cultural affinity with China and geographical proximity make it a natural choice for many Chinese wealth managers and investors seeking international diversification.
Unlike markets such as Europe, the U.S., or Canada, Japan maintains a high degree of localization while remaining receptive to global capital. In contrast to city-based economies like Singapore or Hong Kong, Japan boasts a deeper domestic industrial base and more balanced development, with strong public trust in local enterprises.
For NOAH’s ARK, Japan’s dual nature—open yet deeply rooted in its traditions—makes it an ideal testing ground for our “global-local” service model.
The adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” encapsulates a mindset that deeply resonates with many Chinese investors. ARK Japan’s initiatives are a direct and timely response to this burgeoning demand for diversified, globally anchored wealth strategies.
Through our partnership with Tokyo Star Bank, we anticipate delivering more diverse, locally tailored solutions and constructing a platform for deeper dialogue, exchange, and knowledge sharing, meeting not only the financial needs but also the intellectual and emotional expectations of Chinese-speaking investors worldwide.
After the “Lost Decades”: Japan’s Trajectory
The term “Japan’s Lost Decades” is widely recognized, referring to the prolonged period of economic stagnation that followed the bursting of the asset bubble in the early 1990s. However, a closer examination of the past 10-15 years reveals a different narrative.
Today, Japanese equities and real estate have embarked on a sustained upward trajectory, and the overall quality of Japan’s economic growth has markedly improved, signaling a departure from the past.
Many Chinese investors have taken note of the yen’s significant depreciation in recent years and view this as an opportune moment to allocate to Japanese assets. What often goes unnoticed, however, is that numerous Japanese companies generate substantial profits from their overseas operations, a strength that has been further amplified by the weaker yen, resulting in enhanced returns from offshore investments.
This resilience is deeply ingrained in Japan’s postwar “Rebuild Japan Abroad” strategy, which enabled companies to transcend domestic constraints in land and resources and establish robust, globally diversified operations.
While globalization remains the dominant trend, the resurgence of localization—particularly in the aftermath of political and economic shifts in the West—warrants increasing attention from global Chinese investors.
NOAH’s ARK will persist in advancing its “Global Network, Local Depth” strategy, exploring a new paradigm for assisting Chinese-speaking wealth owners in investing globally while remaining firmly grounded in local realities. Through this approach, we aim to serve the evolving needs of global Chinese investors with greater agility, insight, and foresight.
