Japan’s Corporate Credit Information Market: Understanding the “Japanese Uniqueness”
March 21, 2026
Japan’s corporate credit information market is dominated almost exclusively by two firms — Teikoku Databank (帝国データバンク, TDB) and Tokyo Shoko Research (東京商工リサーチ, TSR) — a structure that stands out as remarkably unusual on the global stage. For due diligence professionals approaching this market from overseas, simply thinking of them as “Japan’s version of D&B” falls significantly short. The following examines five dimensions that make this market uniquely Japanese. 1. Origins
