JBIC STORY
JBIC's Strategic Research Department conducts multifaceted analyses of geopolitics and geoeconomics to support Japanese companies in overseas business expansion. HATA Hitomi and TOMODA Reo, two young JBIC staff members, speak about their sense of accomplishment and the significance of being on the frontlines of this work.
(left)
Division 1, Strategic Research Department
Corporate Planning Group, JBIC
TOMODA Reo
Joined the bank in 2025. At the Strategic Research Department, he is responsible for research on the overseas business expansion of Japanese companies and industry trends. Received his master's degree from Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine.
(right)
Division 2, Strategic Research Department
Corporate Planning Group, JBIC
HATA Hitomi
Joined the bank in 2022. After engaging in Brazil-related projects, management of steel-related projects, and approvals for new projects in the Mining and Metals Finance Department, she was an overseas trainee at the Representative Office in New York before her current position. Graduated from Akita International University, Faculty of International Liberal Arts.
Identifying structural changes for management strategy blueprints
"I feel that understanding geopolitical dynamics and their implications is becoming more valuable than ever for companies," says HATA, Division 2, Strategic Research Department. As government policies and market trends continue to evolve, the business environment surrounding Japanese companies is in flux.
In such an environment, the key question is not whether to react to individual developments, but how to interpret the trends and events, and assess whether they represent structural changes. The role of the Strategic Research Department is to connect fragments of information and draw up a strategic blueprint for interpreting the latest global situation and business trends of Japanese companies.
In addition to researching publicly available information, the department also engages in dialogue with domestic and international experts to provide geopolitical and geoeconomic insights to JBIC and Japanese companies.
Every year, the Strategic Research Department publishes the Survey Report on Overseas Business Operations by Japanese Companies a.k.a. the Global Landscape of Overseas Business Expansion (GLOBE). The 2025 edition based its analysis on responses from more than 700 companies in a variety of sectors. TOMODA, Division 1, Strategic Research Department, who joined JBIC in April 2025, was involved in the research and analysis of key themes such as "promising countries or regions," and "AI-driven business transformation and business opportunities."
"Organizing and visualizing the voices of companies, and sharing them both domestically and internationally, leads to policies and discussions. I find being a part of this process rewarding," reflects TOMODA.
Gathering voices from around the world and improving the investment environment
HATA, who joined the bank in 2022, worked on Brazilian steel-related projects in the Mining and Metals Finance Department before being assigned to Division 2 of the Strategic Research Department in 2024. She thought that this move from a client-facing lending role to the Strategic Research Department, a "back-office department," would mean less overseas business trips. "I was completely wrong," she laughs.
HATA frequently flies around the world to locations including Europe, India, the U.S., and South Korea to meet with experts and gather information. Analyzing geopolitical risks, she is involved in briefing JBIC's senior management on effective frameworks. She also acts as a bridge for valuable information by sharing these externally through discussions with Japanese companies, lectures at universities, and writing articles.
HATA Hitomi, who has also lectured at a university as part of her work in the Strategic Research Department, says, "The students' fresh perspectives and questions were engaging, and I enjoyed seeing their enthusiasm throughout the discussion."
Meanwhile, TOMODA has carefully gathered the voices of companies through the GLOBE survey: “I gained a sense of the reality on the ground, something that can’t be grasped just from public documents or information online.”
Views collected in this way are not only shared with companies in the form of survey reports but are also shared directly with government authorities in various countries.
During his first business trip, which was to India, TOMODA met with government agency officials to discuss the complex legal systems and infrastructure conditions that Japanese companies face when expanding into the market. "I find it meaningful work to deliver the voices of Japanese companies to local governments to help create a better investment environment," he says.
On his first business trip, TOMODA Reo (photo left) participated in a meeting with senior officials of the Indian government. India is showing very high interest in GLOBE.
A sharper understanding of the global landscape and cultivating sound judgment
They both find it essential to maintain a critical perspective and gather information from the media, documents, books, and all other available channels. At the same time, HATA remains mindful of the guiding words of her supervisor: "Just listing information doesn't create added value. Developing a keen sense of what information matters is essential for deeper analysis."
TOMODA recalls feeling frustrated when he was struggling to clearly communicate when explaining the GLOBE analysis to government agencies and companies. His supervisor advised him: "You need to carefully think about what the other party wants and fine-tune your explanation. Your message won't resonate if you give the same explanation to everyone."
After the responses were collected, some 160 interviews were held with companies and experts. Through direct visits, telephone calls, and emails, the team strove to better understand what drove the survey responses.
The two agree that what they are learning in the Strategic Research Department will be very beneficial for building their careers at JBIC. HATA, who is also looking to be assigned to a representative office overseas, has her eyes on the future, saying, "I now have a sharper understanding of the global landscape. I want to make the most of the skills I developed in the Strategic Research Department to provide Japan with more high-value insights."
Having studied immunology at graduate school, TOMODA has an unconventional background for JBIC. He laughs, saying that he never imagined he would be conducting research on overseas business by Japanese companies. The perspectives he developed through his scientific background, however, are also proving useful for technological evaluation of companies and industries. Noting that he has come to look at entire businesses from a technological standpoint, he says, "I've learned to take a broad perspective on companies, including their business strategies."
Each day, they continue facing a turbulent international situation and tackle questions with no easy answers.
TOMODA Reo, Division 1, Strategic Research Department, Corporate Planning Group, JBIC
HATA Hitomi, Division 2, Strategic Research Department, Corporate Planning Group, JBIC
The Strategic Research Department conducts research and analyses of the environment surrounding the overseas business expansion of Japanese companies from perspectives such as international economics and finance, as well as geopolitics and geoeconomics. While considering major trends in the global economy and international landscape, the department identifies challenges and opportunities for Japanese companies through corporate interviews and data analyses, and shares these findings both within and outside the bank.
