SINGAPORE/SEOUL/HONG KONG -- Seth Fischer lives in hope.
For years, the founder and chief investment officer of Oasis Management has been putting pressure on Japanese companies to radically change the way they operate. His goals have been the same as those pioneered decades ago by "activist" investors in the U.S.: to shake up complacent boards, push companies to shed underperforming businesses and to make them more transparent about the way they operate.
