Twitter/X

Author @PAstynome links to @davideoks' article "Why Japanese companies do so many…

2026-08-07 · 19:55 UTC ·@PAstynome ·1 min read

Brief

Why Japanese conglomerates: the post cites @davideoks to argue investors systematically dislike conglomerates, helping produce a persistent discount on Japanese stocks. The thread uses TDK as a concrete case—founded in Tokyo in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, its varied businesses (audiotapes, power supplies, RF filters, HDD read heads) are presented as unified by that core material.

Why it matters

Author @PAstynome links to @davideoks' article "Why Japanese companies do so many different things" and asserts investors dislike conglomerates, which contributes to Japanese shares often trading at a discount.

Key details

  • Thread example: TDK’s diverse portfolio (audiotapes, power supplies, chip fabs making RF filters and HDD read heads) is explained as coherent in its integrated report—everything derives from ferrite; TDK was founded in Tokyo in 1935 to commercialize the material.
Source evidence

This is a typical Japanese thing. @davideoks wrote a fantastic article about it.

The problem is that investors don’t like it because investors don’t like conglomerates and for good reason. It’s why Japanese shares are often discounted.

davidoks.blog/p/why-japanese…

Link

Why Japanese companies do so many different things

The internal logic of the world’s strangest corporations
davidoks.blog

🌿 lithos (@lithos_graphein)

I've always been a bit confused about TDK's portfolio. They're famous for audiotapes, and power supplies. But they also run chip fabs that make RF filters and HDD read heads. Seems random, right? Well in their integrated report they explain how this all links together.

Everything they make is derived from ferrite. The company was founded in 1935 shortly after ferrite was invented in Tokyo. The initial goal of the company was to commercialize the new material, and this core mission continues to this day.

— https://nitter.net/lithos_graphein/status/2085755919338512393#m