Shinzo Abe's "Japan-is-back" pledge was much in evidence in the corporate world in 2018 as the country dominated mergers and acquisitions in Asia.
Outbound M&A deals reached an all-time high of 777, up nearly 16% and a fifth straight record for Japan Inc. Executives spent roughly $175 billion last year tapping overseas growth to offset a shrinking and tepid domestic market, in a buying surge that was second only to the U.S.'s.
