To strengthen partnerships with Japanese businesses and mobilize private capital for global development, IFC and the Government of Japan have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the Tokyo Business Development Hub (Tokyo Hub).
In alignment with government efforts, the Tokyo Hub will create a robust pipeline of potential projects with Japanese partners, focusing on key areas such as food security, energy infrastructure, and African development.
Welcoming this major milestone, IFC and the Japanese Ministry of Finance underscored the potential of the Tokyo Hub to mobilize private capital, foster innovation, and connect Japanese expertise with development needs.
“Amid overlapping global crises, accelerating private sector development and scaling up private capital mobilization are key to tackling urgent development challenges. As one of the world’s largest economies and a leader in advanced industries, Japan’s contributions are vital. The Tokyo Hub will serve as a platform to deepen collaboration with Japanese partners, helping harness their expertise and innovation to support sustainable growth and job creation in developing countries,” said Riccardo Puliti, IFC’s Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific.
“With its ecosystem of advanced industries and sophisticated financial markets—and the strong support of development partners like the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI)—Tokyo is an ideal city for business development. I believe the Tokyo Hub will play a central role in driving business and helping to deliver more impactful IFC projects,” said Daiho Fujii, the former Deputy Vice-Minister of Finance for International Affairs at the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
As IFC’s second-largest shareholder, Japan has been an invaluable and trusted supporter of IFC’s development mission. Japan is also a leading donor to IFC’s advisory and Upstream programs through the Comprehensive Japan Trust Fund (CJTF), which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
IFC maintains strong partnerships with Japanese development financial institutions, such as JBIC and JICA, which have co-invested approximately $4 billion in IFC projects around the world to date. Since fiscal year 2005, the Japanese private sector has been a long-standing co-investment partner of IFC, contributing around $10 billion.
