13:00 - 18.00 JST
An exclusive gathering of senior business leaders marked the launch of the Brand Finance Japan 300 2026 report recently, the most authoritative annual assessment of Japan’s most valuable and strongest brands.
Held under the theme “Beyond marketing: Why brand matters more than ever for Japanese businesses”, the forum presented key findings from the latest rankings and explored how brand has evolved from a communications function into a strategic driver of enterprise value, trust, competitiveness, and long-term growth.
Against a backdrop of rising investor expectations, intensifying competition, and the increasing importance of intangible assets, the event provided a valuable platform for senior leaders to exchange perspectives on why brands are becoming a critical management asset for Japanese business leaders.
Keynote: Sustaining growth and global competitiveness
Alex Haigh, Managing Director, Brand Finance Asia Pacific, explored the evolving role of brand as a strategic business asset within Japan’s changing corporate and capital market landscape. He highlighted the growing importance of intangible assets, investor expectations, and brand value disclosure, while examining the performance of Japan’s strongest and most valuable brands. The session also explored the factors underpinning sustainable growth, brand strength, and global competitiveness, emphasising the need for Japanese companies to more confidently communicate and quantify their brand value to enhance investor confidence, defend enterprise value, and drive long-term growth.
Case perspective presentation: The power of collaborative brand building
The discussion brought together Katsushige Kojima, President and CEO of NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Inc., and Hiroyuki Konuma, President and Group CEO of SATO Corporation. It explored how brands have evolved from a communications function into a strategic driver of enterprise value, trust, competitiveness, and long-term growth, offering two distinct perspectives on building stronger brands in today’s increasingly complex B2B environment.
Keynote: Brand as a management foundation, not only a communications exercise
Strong brands are not built through communications alone. Adam Newall of VI360 explored how leading organisations embed brand into governance, operations, and decision-making, turning it into a strategic business asset rather than a marketing function. Drawing on international best practice, he examined the implications for brand governance and how global organisations are using brand to drive consistency, alignment, and long-term growth.
Fireside chat: Connecting with global audiences: Turning brand into action
The fireside conversation featured Yohei Kasuga, Executive Officer of the Global Division at Kashima Antlers, and explored what businesses can learn from one of Japan’s strongest sports brands. The discussion focused on how a trusted, community-rooted brand can create meaningful connections with audiences beyond its home market, and how authentic storytelling, strategic partnerships, and strong governance can transform brand strength into real engagement with fans, partners, and football institutions worldwide.
The Brand Finance Japan 300 is an independent, data-driven ranking of Japan’s leading brands, evaluated using Brand Finance’s globally recognised brand valuation methodology.
The ranking assesses:
Brand Finance’s methodology is grounded in international standards (ISO 10668 and ISO 20671) and trusted by companies, investors, and policymakers worldwide
