Aurelius has opened its tenth global office in Tokyo, establishing a permanent presence in Japan as the operationally focused private equity firm seeks to capitalize on corporate carve-out opportunities across the region. The move signals growing appetite among international investors for Japanese corporate restructuring deals.

Eiji Shibata joins as managing director and head of Aurelius Japan, bringing nearly 25 years of private equity and M&A advisory experience from Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and Permira. Most recently, he worked at Japan Post Investment Corporation, where he managed Asia's leading LP platform and Japan's largest co-investment fund.

Shibata will source and execute international carve-outs from Japanese corporates while serving as the firm's primary liaison for advisers handling such transactions. His appointment reflects Aurelius's strategy to leverage local expertise in navigating Japan's complex corporate landscape.

Japan's corporate governance reforms have created a fertile environment for carve-out activity, with companies increasingly willing to divest non-core assets. Aurelius joins other global PE firms expanding their Japanese footprint to capture this emerging deal flow.