Japan's contrasting Shibaura, Makino FDI decisions offer clues to screening approach
By Sachiko Sakamaki ( September 15, 2026, 04:20 GMT | Comment) -- Japan’s blocking of Asian private-equity firm MBK Partners’ acquisition of machine-tool maker Makino Milling Machine in April — its first such intervention in nearly two decades — contrasts sharply with the conditional clearance granted to Taiwan’s Yageo to acquire thermistor maker Shibaura Electronics. As Japan tightens scrutiny of foreign investment, the two cases offer a rare view of how authorities may weigh normally confidential risks. They also point to how foreign investors can prepare for screening and mitigate potential national-security concerns.Japan’s blocking of Asian private-equity firm MBK Partners’ acquisition of machine-tool maker Makino Milling Machine in April — its first such intervention in nearly two decades — contrasts sharply with the conditional clearance granted to Taiwan’s Yageo to acquire thermistor maker Shibaura Electronics....
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