Yohei Omichi leverages 20-plus years partnering with institutional investors, most recently in senior roles at BlackRock Japan
Sydney, 27 February 2026: Bfinance, the independent global investment consultancy, has opened a new office in Tokyo. Yohei Omichi has been appointed Senior Director to lead the firm’s Japan presence, strengthening support for Japanese asset owners and global institutions at a key turning point for the country’s economy and capital markets.
The opening reflects growing two-way demand. On the one hand, global institutional investors are increasing their focus on Japan opportunities. On the other, Japanese asset owners, energised by the new dynamism of the domestic economy, are looking outwards with renewed optimism, seeking investment insight to create global portfolios across both public and private markets.
With extensive experience working with public/private pension funds and distributors, Omichi is well placed to capitalise on opportunities as Japan’s economy and capital markets look set to enjoy a sustained recovery. More broadly, with the addition of Tokyo, bfinance significantly strengthens its existing Asia Pacific (APAC) presence in Hong Kong and Australia.
The new office adds to a global footprint now spanning 12 locations, also including London, Paris, Munich, Amsterdam, Rome, Chicago, Toronto, Montréal and Dubai, the company’s hub for the Middle East and Africa.
Japan’s renewed economic dynamism and a vibrant outlook for APAC
Japan’s pension and insurance companies represent one of the world’s largest pools of institutional capital, while the country’s savings and investment landscape is at a key turning point following a series of co-ordinated reforms.
A sustained focus on corporate value creation, capital efficiency, continued momentum in shareholder engagement and corporate action is reigniting interest in Japanese capital markets. Inflation is now close to the Bank of Japan’s 2% target and there are high hopes the new government will successfully execute a further shift towards growth-orientated policies.
The reforms to date have helped restore a long-absent economic dynamism, seemingly drawing a line under a punishing period of deflationary economics. This is not only stimulating external interest in Japan but also prompting Japanese-based asset owners to broaden their investment horizons and begin looking outwards again.
bfinance has certainly seen strong demand in Japan for the full range of private markets, and particularly for income-generating asset classes such as infrastructure equity and debt. Diversifying liquid strategies have been another ongoing source of strong demand as Japanese investors seek to optimise long-term returns and manage risks in a low-yield environment, as Japanese interest rates slowly normalise in response to the return of moderate rates of inflation.
The company has long observed a good appetite for lowvolatility, ‑market‑independent hedge fund strategies in Japan. While these strategies are currently enjoying strong performance tailwinds, bfinance’s independent analysis has consistently identified those with a track record for alpha generation across different market cycles.
More broadly, over the past five years, bfinance has helped a wide variety of investors across APAC, in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
It has partnered with these clients on the full range of private markets assets, including all the real asset classes of infrastructure, real estate and natural capital (timber and agriculture), as well as the entire range of liquid markets (including diversified strategies, fixed income and listed equities).
This has included working with an array of APAC wealth clients, as the region is set to become the predominant source of wealth creation. Financial wealth is projected to grow at about 9% annually in APAC through 2029, compared to 4% in North America and 5% in Western Europe*.
What the Tokyo office means for international and Japan-based clients
The Tokyo office brings bfinance closer to clients and market participants in Japan, combining local presence with the firm’s global research and implementation platform.
- For Japan-based asset owners: closer day-to-day support, faster execution, deeper local market insight, and direct connectivity to bfinance’s global manager research specialists.
- For global institutions: stronger on-the-ground due diligence, improved access to Japan-based managers and opportunities, and tighter coordination across cross-border research.
David Vafai, CEO at bfinance, says: “The opening of a Tokyo office strengthens our ability to support clients at a time when Japan is increasingly central to institutional portfolios – both for global investors re-engaging with the market and for Japanese asset owners building more international, multi-asset portfolios.
“Our focus is on delivering independent manager research, rigorous due diligence and practical implementation support, with the responsiveness and local presence that sophisticated investors expect.
“Yohei brings deep institutional experience and a strong understanding of the needs of Japan-based asset owners. His appointment is an important step as we deepen our commitment to clients in Japan and across the region.”
Yohei Omichi, Senior Director, says: “I’m delighted to lead bfinance’s Tokyo office at a time when institutional investors – in Japan and globally – are reassessing portfolio construction and implementation. Japanese asset owners are increasingly seeking global reach, transparency and disciplined execution, while global institutions are looking for stronger access to Japan opportunities and local market insight.
“bfinance is well positioned to support both needs by combining independent global research with practical implementation expertise. I look forward to partnering with clients as they navigate more complex portfolios and a rapidly evolving investment environment.”
About Yohei Omichi
Omichi brings more than 20 years’ experience advising institutional and professional investors. Prior to joining bfinance, he held senior roles at BlackRock Japan, advising institutional clients and distributors. He is a graduate of Keio University and is a Chartered Member of the Securities Analysts Association of Japan (CMA). Omichi joined bfinance in January 2026.
For more information please contact:
Rose Wei | Honner +61 435 554 520
Sapience Communications: Richard Morgan Evans,
Fergus Atkinson, Jonathan Batchelor
020 3327 8422 | [email protected]
