Japan pensions increase focus on private markets

Corporate pension funds in Japan are moving to create a new private markets category in their investment portfolios to drive income amid a low-interest-rate environment, an AsianInvestor forum heard. They are looking at areas such as infrastructure, unlisted real estate and private debt to provide regular income, with many using private equity as a means to smooth volatility within a broader equities bucket. But they acknowledge the need to accumulate knowhow as they look to inc…