Japan Post Insurance has acquired a minority stake in Hoken Minaoshi Hompo Group, the Japanese insurance distributor owned by KKR, for an undisclosed sum, according to an announcement.
The deal adds a new strategic investor to Hoken Minaoshi Hompo less than a year after KKR acquired the company in 2025. KKR remains the majority shareholder, the companies said.
As part of the tie-up, Japan Post Insurance, Hoken Minaoshi Hompo, and KKR said they will explore collaboration opportunities that combine the distributor’s retail and call centre platform with the insurer’s expertise in insurance and customer service.
That includes the launch of a new outbound call centre business for Japan Post Insurance from April 2026, supported by Hoken Minaoshi Hompo.
“The opportunity to invest in such a growing and innovative business is highly compelling and will enhance the value of our core distribution channel, the post office network, and contribute to our sustainable growth,” said Tanigaki Kunio, director and president, CEO, Japan Post Insurance.
Hiro Hirano, deputy executive chairman of KKR Asia Pacific and CEO of KKR Japan, said the investment reflects the firms’ shared confidence in Hoken Minaoshi Hompo Group’s differentiated platform and growth potential.
“Japan Post Insurance’s support and strategic collaboration will contribute to Hoken Minaoshi Hompo Group’s scaling of its platform across the country,” Hirano said.
The deal comes as Hoken Minaoshi Hompo is also expanding through acquisitions.
The company said separately that it had agreed to buy all shares of ETERNAL from Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings, making ETERNAL a wholly owned subsidiary. Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Taken together, the investment and acquisition underscore KKR’s strategy of scaling Hoken Minaoshi Hompo’s insurance distribution network in Japan through both organic growth and acquisitions while bringing in Japan Post Insurance as a strategic partner.
Last year, Japan Post Insurance agreed to invest $2 billion in a new vehicle that will be managed by Global Atlantic, a US-based provider of retirement and reinsurance solutions owned by private equity firm KKR.
Japan Post said the investment, which represents more than 50% of the total capital commitment for the new vehicle, will be deployed over time and is expected to commence operations in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
