Japan Trailblazer

Singapore investors have been actively snapping up Japanese properties this year, surpassing all other countries with over US$3 billion. This surge comes as Japan’s economy and property market show signs of revival.

Jeremy Yong was ahead of his time, making a big bet on Japan over a decade ago when he founded Croesus Retail Trust, a company that operated Japanese malls and went public on the SGX in 2013. In under five years, Croesus’ assets grew threefold to over S$1.3 billion, attracting a privatisation offer from Blackstone, valuing the company at S$900 million. Shareholders who invested since the IPO nearly doubled their total return.