< The 2016 All-Japan Research Team

Total appearances: 9

Team debut: 2006

Before slipping to runner-up in 2014, Takuya Osaka held the No. 3 position on this roster for two years. The Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. researcher reclaims that spot, impressing one fund manager as “fundamentally sound as an analyst. He’s a hard worker, with good insights and information on the strategic decisions that companies are making.” Osaka, 46, reports on 23 Japanese transportation names, an increase of one over the past year, and points to Seibu Holdings as one of his favorites. The Saitama-headquartered conglomerate’s diversification across several businesses — such as construction, hotels and real estate — should serve as a long-term profit driver, he contends. His target price for the stock, which was trading at ¥2,292 in mid-March, is ¥4,100. He is also backing Tokyo-based Japan Airport Terminal Co., which is benefiting from rising “inbound demand,” the analyst explains, as well as the global expansion of Tokyo International Airport, commonly called Haneda, as it builds out takeoff and landing spots in a bid to become a recognized hub for worldwide travel. Moreover, JAT is making a “further advance into downtown duty-free stores,” he adds. The shares are best played by “buying on dips for a mid- to long-term theme,” Osaka concludes. He pegs them at ¥7,800, which implies a 91.2 percent upside to their level in mid-March.