High-conviction growth strategy seeks alpha in Japan
Unconstrained all-cap approach seeking Japanese companies positioned to benefit from Asia's growth
Invests in companies leveraged to the fast growing consumer demand across Asia, global industry leaders and entrepreneurial companies providing innovative domestic solutions
Under normal circumstances, the Matthews Japan Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Japan. The Fund seeks to invest in companies capable of sustainable growth based on the fundamental characteristics of those companies, including balance sheet information; number of employees; size and stability of cash flow; management’s depth, adaptability and integrity; product lines; marketing strategies; corporate governance; and financial health.
Risks
Investments in Asian securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation. In addition, investments in a single-country fund, which is considered a non-diversified fund, may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of concentration in a specific country.
These and other risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the
prospectus.
Under normal circumstances, the Matthews Japan Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Japan. The Fund seeks to invest in companies capable of sustainable growth based on the fundamental characteristics of those companies, including balance sheet information; number of employees; size and stability of cash flow; management’s depth, adaptability and integrity; product lines; marketing strategies; corporate governance; and financial health.
Risks
Investments in Asian securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation. In addition, investments in a single-country fund, which is considered a non-diversified fund, may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of concentration in a specific country.
The risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the prospectus
Performance
Monthly
Quarterly
Calendar Year
As of 03/31/2025
Average Annual Total Returns
Name
1MO
3MO
YTD
1YR
3YR
5YR
10YR
Since Inception
Inception Date
Matthews Japan Fund - MJFOX
12/31/1998
MJFOX
0.20%
0.70%
0.70%
1.64%
5.97%
8.45%
5.81%
5.91%
MSCI Japan Index
0.31%
0.50%
0.50%
-1.74%
5.68%
9.20%
5.63%
4.05%
As of 03/31/2025
Average Annual Total Returns
Name
1MO
3MO
YTD
1YR
3YR
5YR
10YR
Since Inception
Inception Date
Matthews Japan Fund - MJFOX
12/31/1998
MJFOX
0.20%
0.70%
0.70%
1.64%
5.97%
8.45%
5.81%
5.91%
MSCI Japan Index
0.31%
0.50%
0.50%
-1.74%
5.68%
9.20%
5.63%
4.05%
For the years ended December 31st
Name
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Matthews Japan Fund - MJFOX
MJFOX
16.38%
17.99%
-27.85%
-1.92%
29.82%
26.08%
-20.18%
33.14%
0.40%
20.83%
MSCI Japan Index (USD)
8.68%
20.77%
-16.31%
2.04%
14.91%
20.07%
-12.58%
24.39%
2.73%
9.90%
Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. All performance is in US$.
Assumes reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions before taxes. All performance quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results.Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with market conditions so that when redeemed, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the return figures quoted. Returns would have been lower if certain of the Fund’s fees and expenses had not been waived. Performance differences between the Institutional class and the Investor class may arise due to differences in fees charged to each class.
Additional performance, attribution, liquidity, value at risk (VaR), security classification and holdings information is available on request for certain time periods.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment Since Inception
(as of 03/31/2025)
Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. All performance is in US$.
The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gain distributions or redemption of fund shares.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. High ratings and rankings does not assure favorable performance.
The Overall Morningstar® Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted-average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five- and (if applicable) ten-year ratings.
Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.
Shuntaro Takeuchi is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews and manages the firm’s Japan Strategy and co-manages the Asia Growth Strategy. Prior to joining Matthews in 2016, he was an Executive Director for Japan Equity Sales at UBS Securities LLC in New York. Beginning in 2003, he worked on both Japanese Equity and International Equity Sales at UBS Japan Securities, based in Tokyo, and held the position of Special Situations Analyst from 2006 to 2008, and Head of International Equity Sales from 2009 to 2013. Before that, he worked at Merrill Lynch Japan from 2001 to 2003 in U.S. Equity Sales. Shuntaro received a B.A. in Commerce and Management from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. He is fluent in Japanese.
Donghoon Han is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews and manages the firm’s Japan Strategy and co-manages the Asia Dividend Strategy. Prior to joining Matthews in 2020, Donghoon was Vice President and portfolio manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management in Tokyo, responsible for investments in technology, automotive and transportation sectors in Japan. From 2014 to 2016, he was a senior associate at Citadel Global Equities researching technology and industrial sectors in Japan. From 2010 to 2014, Donghoon worked at Dodge & Cox as an equity research associate covering global technology sector with a focus on semiconductors and electronic components. He received B.A. in International Liberal Arts from Waseda University in Tokyo. Donghoon is fluent in Japanese and Korean. He is a Chartered Member of the Securities Analysts Association of Japan.
Portfolio Characteristics
(as of 03/31/2025)
Fund
Benchmark
Number of Positions
47
183
Weighted Average Market Cap
$61.9 billion
$63.2 billion
Active Share
58.5
n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates
15.7x
14.1x
P/E using FY2 estimates
14.4x
13.2x
Price/Cash Flow
11.6
9.4
Price/Book
1.7
1.4
Return On Equity
12.6
11.6
EPS Growth (3 Yr)
10.3%
8.7%
Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.
Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)
(as of 03/31/2025)
Category
3YR Return Metric
Alpha
0.44%
Beta
1.1
Upside Capture
118.2%
Downside Capture
113.1%
Sharpe Ratio
0.08
Information Ratio
0.05
Tracking Error
5.81%
R²
90.63
0.44%
Alpha
1.10
Beta
118.20%
Upside Capture
113.10%
Downside Capture
0.08
Sharpe Ratio
0.05
Information Ratio
5.81%
Tracking Error
90.63
R²
Fund Risk Metrics are reflective of Investor share class.
Top 10 holdings may combine more than one security from the same issuer and related depositary receipts.
Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
Portfolio Breakdown (%)
(as of 03/31/2025)
Sector Allocation
Market Cap Exposure
Sector
Fund
Benchmark
Difference
Industrials
20.9
22.9
-2.0
Consumer Discretionary
19.2
18.3
0.9
Financials
17.3
17.3
0.0
Information Technology
14.2
13.0
1.2
Health Care
7.9
7.6
0.3
Consumer Staples
6.7
5.4
1.3
Materials
5.1
3.6
1.5
Communication Services
3.2
7.7
-4.5
Real Estate
3.0
2.4
0.6
Utilities
0.0
1.0
-1.0
Energy
0.0
0.9
-0.9
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities
2.4
0.0
2.4
Sector data based on MSCI’s revised Global Industry Classification Standards. For more details, visit www.msci.com.
Equity market cap of issuer
Fund
Benchmark
Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B)
57.4
66.3
-8.9
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)
24.8
23.5
1.3
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B)
8.3
10.3
-2.0
Small Cap (under $3B)
7.1
0.0
7.1
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities
2.4
0.0
2.4
Source: FactSet Research Systems.
Percentage values in data are rounded to the nearest tenth of one percent, so the values may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.
There is no guarantee that the Fund will pay or continue to pay distributions.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with changing market conditions so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Sentiment toward Japanese equities was impacted by concerns that a stronger Japanese yen, along with rising interest rates, may dampen export demand. We are mindful, however, that Japan is less dependent on exports than it was in the past. More and more, Japanese companies conducting business abroad are doing so through direct investment in subsidiaries or in international partnerships.
Japanese companies’ earnings were generally robust in the quarter; stock buybacks and increasing dividend yields eased but continued to support total returns. Equity valuations have retracted back to long-term averages, which also helped support stock prices.
During the period, we found opportunities in quality domestic businesses shielded from negative tariff sentiment in areas like communication services, consumer discretionary, health care, industrials and real estate.
Contributors and Detractors
For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the Matthews Japan Fund returned 0.70%, (Investor Class) and 0.70% (Institutional Class) while its benchmark, the MSCI Japan Index, returned 0.50% over the same period.
On a sector basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were consumer discretionary, information technology (IT) and communication services due to stock selection. The top three detractors were consumer staples due to stock selection, utilities and energy due to zero allocation.
The largest contributors to absolute performance included Sony, an electronics company, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, a leading financial firm, and NEC, an IT company. The top three detractors included Recruit Holdings, a human resources (HR) company, Tokyo Electron, an electronics and semiconductor company, and Shin-Etsu Chemical, a chemicals company.
Outlook
Japan’s macro and external outlook is mixed. As a global cyclical economy, Japan depends on sectors such as autos and consumer electronics. Many Japanese companies also have production hubs in Southeast Asia. Thus, U.S. tariffs, whether directly and indirectly impacting Japan, could be a significant influence on market sentiment.
That said, Japan’s history of direct investing in the U.S., particularly in autos, and its capacity to reduce its trade surplus through increased spending in areas like defense, may render it less exposed to U.S. tariffs than other major global economies.
Japan also has a large and diverse domestic economy with robust levels of demand that is not exposed to global headwinds. Ongoing Japanese wage negotiations could serve as a potential tailwind for demand, supporting domestic consumption and corporate earnings.
In our view, selective stock picking remains key—to identify companies with strong earnings outlooks and good dividend yields, supported by stock buybacks and attractive valuations.
View the Fund’s Top 10 holdings as of March 31, 2025. Current and future holdings are subject to change and risk.
Average Annual Total Returns - MJFOX as of 03/31/2025
1YR
3YR
5YR
10YR
Since Inception
Inception Date
1.64%
5.97%
8.45%
5.81%
5.91%
12/31/1998
All performance quoted is past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with changing market conditions so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the return figures quoted. Returns would have been lower if certain of the Fund's fees and expenses had not been waived. For the Fund's most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com
Fees & Expenses
Gross Expense Ratio
1.09%
Investments in Asian securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation. In addition, investments in a single-country fund, which is considered a non-diversified fund, may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of concentration in a specific country.
The MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of the stock markets of Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI China Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Chinese equities that includes H shares listed on the Hong Kong exchange, B shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges, Hong Kong-listed securities known as Red chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China) and P Chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China) and foreign listings (e.g. ADRs).
The MSCI China All Shares Index captures large and mid-cap representation across China A shares, B shares, H shares, Red chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China), P chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China), and foreign listings (e.g. ADRs). The index aims to reflect the opportunity set of China share classes listed in Hong Kong,Shanghai, Shenzhen and outside of China.
The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Asia Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index of the stock markets of China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that captures large and mid cap representation across 23 of the 24 Emerging Markets (EM) countries excluding China: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted small cap index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungry, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 100 (S&P BSE 100) Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of 100 stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The MSCI Japan Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of Japanese equities listed in Japan.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is a market capitalization–weighted index of all common stocks listed on the Korea Stock Exchange.
The MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted small cap index of the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI China Small Cap Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted small cap index of the Chinese equity securities markets, including H shares listed on the Hong Kong exchange, B shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges,Hong Kong-listed securities known as Red Chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China) and P Chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China), and foreign listings (e.g., ADRs).
The MSCI India Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Indian equities listed in India.
The MSCI Korea Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Korean equities listed in Korea.
The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid cap segments of the Korean market. It applies certain investment limits that are imposed on regulated investment companies, or RICs, under the current US Internal Revenue Code.
Indexes are for comparative purposes only and it is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The information contained herein has been derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation, but no representation or warranty (express or implied) is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any of this information. Neither the funds nor the Investment Advisor accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.
The views and opinions in the commentary were as of the report date, subject to change and may not reflect current views. They are not guarantees of performance or investment results and should not be taken as investment advice. Investment decisions reflect a variety of factors, and the managers reserve the right to change their views about individual stocks, sectors, and the markets at any time. As a result, the views expressed should not be relied upon as a forecast of the Fund's future investment intent. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any securities mentioned.
Commentary
Period ended March 31, 2025
Market Environment
Contributors and Detractors
Outlook
View the Fund’s Top 10 holdings as of March 31, 2025. Current and future holdings are subject to change and risk.
Average Annual Total Returns - MJFOX as of 03/31/2025
All performance quoted is past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with changing market conditions so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the return figures quoted. Returns would have been lower if certain of the Fund's fees and expenses had not been waived. For the Fund's most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com
Fees & Expenses
Investments in Asian securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation. In addition, investments in a single-country fund, which is considered a non-diversified fund, may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of concentration in a specific country.