Nintendo thinks long-term about its businesses

The Nintendo heirs family office says patience is a superpower.

The investment firm that manages nearly $1.5 billion (about ¥204 billion) of assets for members of Nintendo’s founding family is willing to play the long game when it comes to portfolio companies and can expect more than one decade to see a change.

The long-term perspective gives the Yamauchi family office rare flexibility and risk appetite as it searches for public and private companies with technology that can revitalize Japan.

About half of its assets are being invested in some two dozen projects focused on next-generation technologies, including space debris cleanup company Astroscale and AI-powered healthcare.

Japan has the largest number of century-old corporations in the world with at least 37,550 companies, far more than any other country. Experts say this is probably due to the enthusiasm of Japanese entrepreneurs to work with regional communities and pass business on to their descendants, rather than just looking for profit .