Pemberton opens Tokyo office to tap demand for European private credit

European private credit manager Pemberton Asset Management has opened an office in Tokyo as it seeks to deepen relationships with Japanese institutional investors and expand its presence in Asia. The London-based firm has served Japanese investors since 2018. The new office will be led by Shintaro Mori, who is relocating to Tokyo from his business development role, Pemberton said in a statement on Tuesday. Pemberton has also appointed Shotaro Sese as executive director of business development and Naoko Nozaki as head of compliance in Japan. Sese will focus on institutional investor relationships, while Nozaki will oversee the firm's compliance and regulatory matters in the country. The expansion comes as Japanese institutional investors increasingly look beyond domestic markets to diversify their private credit allocations, according to Pemberton. The firm plans to open another office in Asia in the near future but did not disclose the location. 'Japan is an important market for us,' said Symon Drake-Brockman, Pemberton's co-founder and managing partner. 'With a permanent presence in Tokyo, we will be able to work even more closely with our clients in the market.' Jun Narui, Pemberton's head of Asia Pacific, said Japanese investors were broadening their interest beyond direct lending into other private credit strategies. 'Geographic diversification is becoming an increasingly important consideration, driving interest in European private credit given the depth, scale and maturity of the region's lending markets,' Narui said. Global allocations to European private credit are expected to nearly double to more than €800 billion by 2030, according to research cited by Pemberton from Preqin. The Tokyo office adds to Pemberton's regional business development and investor relations team, which includes Narui and investor relations professional Ayu Kurauchi. The firm said the expansion would strengthen its ability to serve Japanese investors and provide access to its European private credit strategies. Pemberton's move comes as asset managers seek to build closer relationships with institutional investors in Asia, where demand for overseas private market strategies is creating opportunities for managers to raise capital beyond their home markets.