Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai reclaims the No.1 spot
SINGAPORE – WEBWIRE – Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Global headwinds blew away nearly a third of the combined wealth of Japans 50 richest, shrinking their collective net worth to US$170 billion. The complete list of Japans 50 richest on the 2022 Forbes list can be found at www.forbes.com/japan and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich, as well as in the June issue of Forbes Asia.
Soaring energy and commodity prices, as well as supply chain disruptions, dashed Japans hopes of an economic rebound. The yen fell 17% against the dollar since fortunes were last measured in April 2021. The meltdown extended to the stock market, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index declining 12% in the same period. Overall, the wealth of 38 members on the list dropped from a year ago.
Clothing retailer Tadashi Yanai, who was the second richest last year, reclaimed the title of the countrys richest person. However, his fortune slid 44% to $23.6 billion as a sales slowdown in the domestic market and in China affected shares of his Fast Retailing, the parent of the Uniqlo store chain. Takemitsu Takizaki, founder of sensor-maker Keyence, climbs to No. 2 for the first time with $21.6 billion, although his wealth too declined by $4.2 billion from a year ago.
Rounding out the top three is SoftBank Group founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, whose net worth more than halved to $21.1 billion. Son, ranked No. 1 last year, took the biggest hit in both dollar and percentage terms. Amid a global tech rout, SoftBanks two Vision Funds reported a record $27 billion loss for the year ended March 2022. Apart from Son, a dozen others saw their fortunes fall by more than $1 billion.
Despite the turbulence, six newcomers overcame the odds to make their debut this year. They include the Sekiya family (No. 20, $2 billion), whose company Disco makes semiconductor processing equipment; scientist-turned-entrepreneur Keiichi Shibahara (No. 34, $1.35 billion), who founded Amvis Holdings to provide hospice care; Japanese beauty brand DHCs founder Yoshiaki Yoshida (No. 44, $1.03 billion) and Hachiro Honjo (No. 48, $950 million), chairman of Ito En, a maker of canned and bottled teas.
Three returned to the list after dropping off last year. They include online gaming tycoon Yoshikazu Tanaka (No. 43, $1.04 billion), founder and CEO of Gree, which gained traction from the launch of two new titles.
Nine dropped from the ranks, including Shintaro Yamada, founder and CEO of used-goods marketplace app Mercari, who was the biggest percentage gainer in the 2021 list. Shares of the company tumbled as it racked up losses in the nine months ended March 2022, partly due to a decline in listings.
The minimum net worth to make the list was $925 million, down from $1.15 billion last year.
The top 10 richest in Japan are:
- Tadashi Yanai; US$23.6 billion
- Takemitsu Takizaki; $21.6 billion
- Masayoshi Son; $21.1 billion
- Nobutada Saji; $9.3 billion
- Takahisa Takahara; $6.4 billion
- Shigenobu Nagamori; $4.6 billion
- Hiroshi Mikitani; $4.4 billion
- Masatoshi Ito; $4.35 billion
- Hideyuki Busujima; $4.2 billion
- Masahiro Noda; $3.5 billion
This list was compiled using shareholding and financial information obtained from the families and individuals, stock exchanges, annual reports and analysts. The ranking lists both individual and family fortunes, including those shared among relatives. Private companies were valued based on similar companies that are publicly traded. Net worths were based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the close of markets on May 13, 2022. The list can also include foreign citizens with business, residential or other ties to the country, or citizens who dont reside in the country but have significant business or other ties to the country.
For more information, visit www.forbes.com/japan and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich
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