Post-merger integration process in Japanese M&A: The voices from the front-line

While the average level of M&A activity in Japan as a proportion of GDP is still much lower than in the US or in EU countries such as Britain, the number of M&A transactions in Japan nearly doubled from just over 1,500 in 2001 to nearly 3,000 in 2006 ( The Economist, 2007 ) – a more than five-fold increase in the last 10 years. A similar rising trend can be observed with respect to transaction value – although with some fluctuation due to the size of some of the deals.