< The 2015 All-Japan Research Team

Total appearances: 4

Analyst debut: 2012

Daiwa Securities Group’s Shiro Sakamaki, 38, repeats in second place, impressing investors with his long and varied experience. “He was in New York covering the U.S. and European autos industry before he moved back to Tokyo to follow auto parts and tires, and that accounts for his unique global perspective,” attests one admirer. “He brings a rare combination of East and West to the table, and it shows everywhere in his work.” For his part Sakamaki is continuing to champion Aichi-based Denso Corp., an innovative global supplier of a cornucopia of car products, including air-conditioning compressors, alternators, fuel injectors, radiators and spark plugs. He notes that Denso operates in some 35 countries, employing 140,000 people, and has been increasing the number of products it sells to its No. 1 client, Toyota Motor Corp., while casting a wider net by marketing more of its wares to non-Toyota automakers. For a decade Toyota has represented 50 percent of Denso’s customer base, but the analyst expects management to shift that equilibrium. In addition, he deems the shares’ valuation attractive as compared with those of its international peers. The stock rose 15 percent over the 12 months through late March, to ¥5,600, and Sakamaki believes that a price of ¥6,000 is justified.