👑 4 Celebrity Stocks | Japanese Companies with Brand, Financial Strength, and Competitiveness
👑 Introduction
When you hear the term "celebrity stock," many people might think of luxury brands or companies with high stock prices.
However, the celebrity stocks I have in mind are a bit different.
💰 Companies with strong brand power,
🛡️ rock-solid financial foundations,
🌍 high global competitiveness,
📈 and the ability to continuously increase corporate value over the long term.
I believe that companies that are "wealthy in their own right" are the true celebrity stocks.
When I look at stocks, I focus not only on dividend yield but also on equity ratio, ROE, interest-bearing debt, BPS, and dividend payout ratio.
The equity ratio, in particular, is an important indicator for understanding a company's financial health. Companies with low dependence on debt that can maintain stable management even during economic downturns or rising interest rates provide peace of mind for long-term investment.
Of course, a high equity ratio alone does not make a company excellent. However, there are only a limited number of companies in Japan that possess brand power, profitability, and competitiveness in addition to a rock-solid financial foundation.
📖 In this article, I will introduce 4 "celebrity stocks" that I am currently paying attention to.
Let's take a look at the appeal of these leading Japanese companies, which cannot be measured by high dividends alone.
👑 Nintendo (7974)
🎮 "I will create the future of play."
The king of entertainment, possessing a gaming brand loved around the world.
👑 Why it's a celebrity stock
Nintendo is a leading Japanese game manufacturer that owns numerous IPs (intellectual properties) loved around the world, such as "Mario," "The Legend of Zelda," and "Pokémon."
Beyond its high brand power, it boasts one of the best financial foundations among Japanese companies, with an equity ratio of 77.6%, zero interest-bearing debt, and approximately 1.3 trillion yen in cash and cash equivalents. It is truly a "celebrity stock" that hits the trifecta of brand, finance, and competitiveness.
🎮 Company Overview
Nintendo is a company engaged in the development and sale of home video game consoles and software. It develops game software, digital downloads, and licensing businesses, centered around the Nintendo Switch series.
In recent years, it has also been advancing initiatives to expand its IP beyond games, such as into movies and theme parks.
📊 Basic Data
🎁 Shareholder Perks: None
💰 Dividend Yield: Approx. 2.3%
💰 Dividend Payout Ratio: Approx. 60.1% (FY ending March 2026)
📈 Continuous Dividend Growth: Not a consecutive dividend increase every year due to performance-linked dividends.
📉 Number of Dividend Cuts: Has a history of dividend cuts (due to performance-linked dividends)
⭐ Dividend Rating: ★★★☆☆
💹 Stock Price: Approx. 7,000 yen (Year-to-date low: 6,544)
🏢 Market Cap: Approx. 9 trillion yen
🛡️ Equity Ratio: 77.6% (Previous year: 80.2%)
💳 Interest-bearing Debt: None
📊 ROE: 14.9%
📐 PBR: Approx. 2.7x
💼 BPS: 2,562 yen (Previous year: 2,339 yen)
🌍 Overseas Sales Ratio: Approx. 78%
💴 Exchange Rate: Weak yen is a tailwind
Because of the high overseas sales ratio, this company tends to see an increase in yen-denominated overseas sales during periods of a weak yen.
✨ Celebrity Points
👑 Owns numerous globally popular IPs
🛡️ Equity ratio of 77.6%
🏦 Zero interest-bearing debt
💰 Cash and cash equivalents of approx. 1.3 trillion yen
🌍 Approx. 80% of sales from overseas markets
🎮 Expanding IP business beyond games into movies, theme parks, etc.
📝 General Review
Nintendo's greatest appeal is its business model of owning IPs that are loved around the world for a long time and connecting them to continuous revenue. Furthermore, it boasts top-class financial health among Japanese companies, with an equity ratio of 77.6%, zero interest-bearing debt, and approximately 1.3 trillion yen in cash and cash equivalents.
It is not a stock to hold solely for dividend yield, but when evaluating its brand power, profitability, and financial foundation comprehensively, it can be said to be one of Japan's representative celebrity stocks.
🦊 What I would do
🎮 By the way, the average dividend yield for Japanese game-related stocks (classified as "Information and Communication" in the 33 TSE industry sectors) is generally in the 1-2% range. Among them, Nintendo's dividend yield is by no means exceptionally high.
However, Nintendo's appeal is not in high dividends, but in world-class IP, high profitability, and an ironclad financial foundation. It is a representative Japanese celebrity stock that I want to focus on for the "value of the company itself" rather than evaluating it based on dividends alone.
However, no matter how excellent a company is, the purchase price is important. I would not rush to jump in; I would consider investing while playing Pokémon and waiting for the PBR to drop to near 2.
🤖 Keyence (6861)
⚡ "I create the mechanism that generates profit."
A super high-profit company that supports global manufacturing sites with high-value-added products and proposal capabilities.
👑 Why is it a celebrity stock?
Keyence is a representative Japanese high-profit company that handles sensors for FA (Factory Automation), measuring instruments, and more.
With an operating profit margin of over 50% and an equity ratio of 94.6%, it is top-class even domestically. It is a celebrity stock that can be called "the company itself is wealthy," possessing a solid financial foundation that does not rely on interest-bearing debt.
🤖 Company Overview
Keyence develops and sells products essential for factory automation, such as sensors, image processing systems, measuring instruments, microscopes, and PLCs.
It provides products to a wide range of industries, including not only manufacturing but also automotive, semiconductor, food, pharmaceutical, and logistics, and operates in approximately 250 locations across 46 countries worldwide.
📊 Basic Data
🎁 Shareholder Benefits: None
💰 Dividend Yield: Approx. 0.8%
💰 Dividend Payout Ratio: Approx. 30% (Results for the fiscal year ending March 2026)
📈 Continued Dividend Increases: Recent trend of dividend increases
📉 Number of Dividend Cuts: No dividend cuts in the recent period as far as I have confirmed
⭐ Dividend Rating: ★★★☆☆
💹 Stock Price: Approx. 71,500 yen (Year-to-date low: 51,550)
🏢 Market Cap: Approx. 17.5 trillion yen
🛡️ Equity Ratio: 94.6% (Previous year: 94.5%)
💳 Interest-bearing Debt: No significant interest-bearing debt
📊 ROE: 13.5%
📐 PBR: Approx. 4.9x
💼 BPS: 14,313 yen (Previous year: 12,781 yen)
🌍 Overseas Sales Ratio: 66.6%
💴 Exchange Rate: Weak yen is a tailwind
Since overseas sales account for about two-thirds of total sales, this is a company where the yen-denominated value of overseas sales tends to increase during periods of a weak yen.
✨ Celebrity Points
👑 Operating Profit Margin 51.0%
🛡️ Equity Ratio 94.6%
🏦 Financial structure not dependent on interest-bearing debt
💰 Holds approx. 597 billion yen in cash/deposits and 896.9 billion yen in securities
🌍 Overseas Sales Ratio 66.6%
🤖 Business operations in 46 countries and approx. 250 locations worldwide
📝 General Review
Keyence is a company that combines world-class profitability and financial soundness. Its operating profit margin of over 50% and equity ratio of 94.6% stand out even among Japanese companies. Furthermore, it maintains a management style that relies on abundant cash on hand rather than interest-bearing debt.
While it is not a high-dividend stock, it can be considered one of Japan's representative celebrity stocks for long-term investors who prioritize "profitability, financials, and competitiveness."
🦊 What I would do
🤖 FA and industrial machinery companies are not sectors held for the purpose of high dividends. The appeal of Keyence lies not in its dividends, but in its world-class profitability, overwhelming financial foundation, and high competitiveness.
On the other hand, because it is an excellent company, it is highly valued by the market, and it is not a stock that is often available at a bargain price.
I would consider market-wide downturns or crash scenarios—not company-specific issues—as active buying opportunities.
The stronger the company, the more it may be temporarily sold off during a sharp decline in the overall market. It is a stock I would like to invest in little by little, assuming long-term holding, while assessing the company's value in such situations.
🚲 Shimano (7309) 🎣
🚲 "No compromises allowed."🎣
A global company with a craftsman's spirit that supports cyclists around the world with precise technical capabilities.
👑 Why it's a celebrity stock
Shimano is a world-class bicycle parts manufacturer. It is highly regarded by manufacturers around the world for its bicycle components such as derailleurs and brakes, and it also boasts global recognition as a fishing tackle brand.
In addition to its high brand power, it is one of Japan's representative "celebrity stocks" due to its solid financial foundation with an equity ratio of over 80% and no reliance on interest-bearing debt.
🚲 Company Overview
Shimano is a company that manufactures and sells bicycle parts and fishing tackle. In its core bicycle parts business, it supplies derailleurs, brakes, and more for road bikes, mountain bikes, and electric-assist bicycles to the world.
In its fishing tackle business, it offers reels, rods, and other products, garnering strong support from anglers worldwide.
📊 Basic Data
🎁 Shareholder Benefits: None
💰 Dividend Yield: Approx. 2.0%
💰 Dividend Payout Ratio: Approx. 30%
📈 Dividend Growth: Long-term dividend growth trend
📉 Dividend Cuts: History of dividend cuts
⭐ Dividend Rating: ★★★☆☆
💹 Stock Price: Approx. 18,500 yen (Year-to-date low: 15,320)
🏢 Market Cap: Approx. 1.6 trillion yen
🛡️ Equity Ratio: Approx. 87% (Previous year: approx. 87%)
💳 Interest-bearing Debt: No significant interest-bearing debt
📊 ROE: Approx. 4.0%
📐 PBR: Approx. 1.84x
💼 BPS: Approx. 10,073 yen
🌍 Overseas Sales Ratio: Approx. 90%
💴 Exchange Rate: Weak yen is a tailwind
The company has a very high overseas sales ratio, making it easy for the yen-denominated value of overseas sales to increase during periods of a weak yen.
✨ Celebrity Points
🚲 World-class bicycle component manufacturer
🎣 Globally recognized fishing gear brand
🛡️ Equity ratio of approximately 87%
🏦 Financial structure not dependent on interest-bearing debt
🌍 Overseas sales ratio of approximately 90%
⭐ High brand reputation among professionals and general users worldwide
📝 General Review
Shimano is not a company swayed by temporary trends; its greatest strength is its brand power, which has been supported for many years by bicycle manufacturers and cyclists around the world. Furthermore, its financial position is rock-solid, with an equity ratio of approximately 87% and low dependence on interest-bearing debt.
While the dividend yield is not high, it can be called a representative Japanese celebrity stock that combines brand power, profitability, and financial soundness.
🦊 What I would do
🚲 Bicycle-related companies can be affected by the global economy and consumer trends. However, as a world-class bicycle component manufacturer, Shimano is a company with high brand power and technical capabilities.
Rather than investing solely for dividend yield, this is a stock to focus on for its long-cultivated competitiveness, globally recognized brand power, and financial strength with an equity ratio of approximately 87%. While it is a company that is usually highly valued by the market, it is one I would actively consider from a long-term investment perspective during market-wide downturns or crashes.
By the way, I initially had a strong impression of them as a "fishing gear manufacturer," but upon researching, I learned they are a world-class company in bicycle components.
🏥 Terumo (4543)
❤️ "Technology that supports life, that is my job."
A global company supporting medical sites worldwide through medical devices.
👑 Why is it a celebrity stock?
Terumo is a leading Japanese medical device manufacturer with the high technical capabilities and brand power required in medical settings around the world.
Medical devices are a field where new entry is difficult because safety and reliability are prioritized. Leveraging its long-cultivated technical capabilities, Terumo operates in over 160 countries worldwide. Being a global company that covers about 80% of the world's countries and provides products used in medical settings globally leads to significant competitive and brand power.
* "Over 160 countries" refers to the number of countries where Terumo operates; it does not mean that sales or production are conducted on the same scale in each country.
Nevertheless, the ability to expand into such a wide range of regions in a field that requires high reliability like medicine is one of the reasons Terumo is valued globally.
Founded in Japan and continuously needed around the world, that is Terumo's celebrity point.
🧴 Company Overview
Terumo is a medical device manufacturer that develops, manufactures, and sells medical equipment. It offers a wide range of products used in medical settings worldwide, such as syringes, catheters, stents, and blood bags.
It has high competitiveness, especially in the cardiovascular field, and is a company growing in the global market by leveraging its long-cultivated technical capabilities and brand power.
📊 Basic Data
💰 Dividend Yield: Approx. 1.66%
💰 Dividend Payout Ratio: Approx. 32.6% (Previous year: approx. 30.8%)
📈 Continuous Dividend Increases: Long-term upward trend in dividends
📉 Number of Dividend Cuts: None within the recent confirmed range
⭐ Dividend Rating: ★★★☆☆
💹 Stock Price: Approx. 2,150 yen (Year-to-date low: 1,900)
🏢 Market Capitalization: Approx. 3.2 trillion yen
🛡️ Equity Ratio: Approx. 68.5% (Previous year: approx. 74.8%)
💳 Interest-bearing Debt: Approx. 379.8 billion yen
📊 ROE: Approx. 9.2% (Previous year: approx. 8.6%)
📐 PBR: Approx. 2.0x
💼 BPS: Approx. 1,074 yen (Previous year: approx. 928 yen)
🌍 Overseas Sales Ratio: High level
💴 Exchange Rate: A weaker yen is a tailwind factor
Because overseas sales are significant, a weaker yen can have a positive effect when converting profits earned abroad into yen.
✨ Celebrity Points
🏥 World-class medical device manufacturer
🌍 A global company operating in over 160 countries worldwide
🧬 Product lines with high expertise in areas such as catheters and cardiovascular fields
💰 Revenue scale of 1 trillion yen and operating profit exceeding 170 billion yen
💵 Cash-generating power producing over 200 billion yen in operating CF
⭐ Reliability and brand power used in medical settings for many years
📝 General Review
The appeal of Terumo lies in its ability to build world-class brand power in a field with high barriers to entry: medical devices.
Sales have expanded from approx. 310 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2008
↓
to approx. 1.13 trillion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2026.
(Period: 18 years: ➡️ Sales increased by an average of approx. 46 billion yen per year)
Operating profit has also grown from 66.9 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2008
↓
to 176.3 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2026.
(Period: 18 years: ➡️ Operating profit increased by an average of approx. 6 billion yen per year)
Furthermore, operating CF reached 230.9 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2026, demonstrating the power to stably generate cash from its core business. On the other hand, the equity ratio is approximately 68%, which is different from ultra-high financial companies like Keyence or Shimano. Also, since the dividend yield is about 1.7%, this is a stock to watch for the growth of a global medical brand rather than for high dividends.
🦊 What I would do
Among the four companies this time, I chose Terumo from a slightly different perspective. Looking only at the high equity ratio like Nintendo, Keyence, or Shimano, Terumo is not the same type of company. However, Terumo has products used in medical settings around the world, brand power built over many years, and the earning power that has grown to a 1 trillion yen revenue scale.
Although there is interest-bearing debt, it has 230.9 billion yen in operating CF and 280.5 billion yen in cash and equivalents, balancing growth investment and financial stability with the cash generated from its core business.For the theme of celebrity stocks, I wanted to include not just "companies with high equity ratios," but also "companies with competitiveness that continues to be needed globally."That is why I introduced Terumo with a little twist this time.
For me, because it is an excellent company, I prioritize the purchase price. It is a stock I would like to consider when the stock price falls due to adjustments in the medical sector as a whole or market deterioration, even though there are no problems with its performance.
🌸 Conclusion
This time, I introduced 4 Japanese companies that are highly regarded globally: Nintendo, Keyence, Shimano, and Terumo.
While their business contents and strengths differ, what they have in common is the brand power, technical capabilities, and competitive advantage that cannot be easily broken that they have built over many years.
Nintendo has IP loved around the world, Keyence has overwhelming earning power, Shimano has world-class technical capabilities, and Terumo has brand power that continues to be needed in the medical field.
Of course, no matter how excellent a company is, the price you buy at is important in investing. While excellent companies are easily highly valued by the market, there are also times when stock prices fall due to market deterioration or temporary factors.
This is a stock I would like to consider investing in from a long-term perspective while carefully assessing the company's value.
