68 Most Honored Companies across 28 sectors, 7 with ‘All-Star’ status (1st in all six categories in their sectors)
TOKYO, JAPAN, February 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Extel (formerly Institutional Investor Research) known for its benchmark research on global financial markets, announced results (requires free registration) of their 14th annual Japan Executive Team survey, revealing Japan’s leading CEOs, CFOs, Investor Relations Officers, Investor Relations programs and Company Board, that best uphold corporate governance standards, ESG and facilitate investment into their company. A total of 142 (up from 131 in 2025) companies attained a published position in the categories listed above to become an Honored Company, and 68 of those companies were granted the coveted Most Honored Company (MHC) designation. To earn the MHC title, a company must achieve a weighted score of at least 10 points for its published positions in CEO, CFO, IRO, IR Program, ESG, and Company Board categories*.
>>> Japan Executive Team Survey Methodology
Extel leverages its unique, independent services to uncover candid and anonymized market sentiment from Japan’s buy-side and sell-side and identifies best-in-class executive teams. Its robust polling process — refined over more than 50 years and involving months of verification and double-checking of ballots — is widely regarded worldwide as the gold standard for assessing corporates and buy- and sell-side firms. Outside of Japan, Extel covers seven other regions with its surveys each year. The unique qualitative insights derived from balloting are also extensively used by companies to optimize their teams and maintain or enhance the quality of their market offering.
To determine the members of Extel’s 2026 Japan Executive Team, we surveyed buy-side analysts, money managers and sell-side researchers at securities firms and financial institutions that cover the country, including those who cast and received votes in this year’s Japan Research Team surveys. Results reflect the opinions from 484 investors, portfolio managers and analysts from 207 firms, nominating a total of 566 companies. We asked the buy- and sell-side voters to name the best CEOs, CFOs and investor relations professionals at the companies in their coverage universes. CEOs were rated on their credibility, leadership and quality of communication. CFOs were rated on their ability in capital allocation, financial stewardship and quality of communication. For the Investor Relations programs, companies were rated on a variety of attributes covering their services, communication and disclosure. Separate rankings – buy-side and sell-side, as well as combined – are available for CEO, CFO, IR Professional, IR Program, ESG and Company Board awards.
To earn the designation of MHC, a company must achieve a weighted score of at least 10 points for its published positions in CEO, CFO, IRO, IR Program, ESG, and Company Board categories; rank is determined by weighted score wherein each first-place position is worth three points; second place, two; and third place, one. When a tie exists in the weighted score, companies are ordered according to the number of ranked positions they receive in their industry sectors.
To be eligible for inclusion on the 2026 Japan Executive Team, a company must be headquartered or have operational or executive headquarters in Japan. We keep the identities of the survey respondents confidential to ensure their continuing cooperation. Voters must meet eligibility requirements, and winners must achieve a minimum vote count.
>>> Results Highlights
Of the 68 MHCs, 7 firms were awarded ‘All-Star’ status for winning a first place in all the six categories above. The 7 ‘All-Star’ companies are: ITOCHU Corp., Kadokawa Corp., Mitsui Fudosan Co., Nippon Steel Corp., Sony Corp., TDK Corp. and Tokyo Electron.
Within the ‘All-Star’ companies this year, ITOCHU Corp., (Trading Companies), Kadokawa Corp. (Broadcasting including Advertising & Media) and Mitsui Fudosan Co. (Housing & Real Estate) earned plaudits for achieving the highest weighted total score, all three scoring 54.
The following companies were commended for obtaining a first-place position within their sector:
Asahi Group Holdings, (Beverages, Food & Tobacco), Asahi Intecc Co., (Medical Technologies & Services including Devices, Equipment and Facilities Management), ASICS Corp., (Retailing), BayCurrent, (Professional/Consumer Services), CyberAgent, (Internet), East Japan Railway Co., (Transportation – Air, Land, Sea), GMO Payment Gateway, (Software excluding Internet), Honda Motor Co., (Autos), ITOCHU Corp., (Trading Companies), Kadokawa Corp., (Broadcasting including Advertising & Media), KDDI Corp., (Telecommunications), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, (Engineering & Machinery), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, (Banks), Mitsui Fudosan Co., (Housing & Real Estate), NEC Corp., (Electronics Industrial including Semiconductors), Nippon Gas Co., (Energy & Utilities), Nippon Steel Corp., (Metals), Resonac Holdings Corp., (Chemicals), Sega Sammy Holdings, (Gaming), Sony Corp., (Electronics Consumer), Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., (Construction), Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals), TDK Corp., (Electronics Components), Tokio Marine Holdings, (Insurance & Other Non-Bank Financials), Tokyo Electron, (Electronics Precision Instruments including Imaging & Semiconductor Precision Equipment), Toray Industries, (Technical Materials including Ceramics, Glass, Paper and Textiles), Unicharm Corp., (Cosmetics & Personal Care), Yokohama Rubber Co., (Auto Parts)
Extel’s Michael Clemons, Director of Japan & Australia, said, “Having been in this market for 30 years and with Extel for 7 years, it’s clear all eyes are now on Japan. This year we saw many new companies ranking first or for the first time. We also saw more companies within a sector sharing the market share which proves competition is strong. Investors are looking for the next wave of growth and not wanting to be caught out as the market climbs to record highs.”
Extel will soon publish a supporting editorial piece alongside the results, including interviews with the MHC CEOs. For the full list of published winners and the article, please visit https://www.extelinsights.com/results/executive-teams/japan/2026?tab=Overview
For more information, contact Michael Clemons, Director of Sales, Japan & Australia on
+81-90-6512-9181 michael.clemons@extelinsights.com
Check out Extel’s Japan hub here https://www.extelinsights.com/campaign/japan-hub
*Rank is determined by weighted score wherein each first-place position is worth three points; second place, two; and third place, one. When a tie exists in the weighted score, companies are ordered according to the number of ranked positions they receive in their industry sectors.
>>> About Extel
For more than 50 years, Extel (formerly Institutional Investor Research) has been a trusted leader in proprietary benchmark research and rankings for the global investment community. Providing independent, data-driven feedback on sell-side, buy-side and corporate performance, Extel is the premier choice for validating qualitative market intelligence and identifying best practice across the financial ecosystem. With a global presence spanning Europe, Emerging EMEA, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America, and offices in New York, London and Tokyo, Extel continues to set the standard in independent market insight.
Extel’s heritage in financial information and data spans more than 150 years. The founding company, The Exchange Telegraph Company (ExTel), was established in 1872 to transmit business and financial information from the London Stock Exchange through one of the world’s first stock-ticker telegraph networks. Over the following century, Extel evolved into a global news and information provider and was owned at different times by the Financial Times Group and Thomson Reuters. In 2018, Extel was acquired by Institutional Investor, which had operated a comparable U.S. equities research survey since 1972, and became Institutional Investor Research. Following the sale of Euromoney, Institutional Investor’s parent company, in 2022, the business rebranded back to Extel and became an independent entity again in 2024.
>>> Media Contact
Heather Prosser, Managing Director, FGS Global Japan
extel@fgsglobal.com | +81 90 6370 1730
To share your position on your website content, advertisements, communications and marketing collateral, please contact marketing@extelinsights.com
>>> Marketing License
Extel owns the copyright to all survey and awards logos. Speak with us to acquire access to the Extel award or award logo to share your winning position in the 2026 Japan Executive Team ranking across your website content, advertisements, communications, marketing collateral, and more. Please contact marketing@extelinsights.com for details.
>>> Benchmark Data and IR Perception Analysis
To request further information on how you can use survey data to market your firm internally or externally, or deeper analysis of survey data, please contact Michael Clemons, +81-90-6512-9181 or michael.clemons@extelinsights.com
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