Russell Bedford adds second Japanese firm

September 2020

Global professional services network, Russell Bedford International, has announced the appointment of Hibiscus Audit Corporation as a member firm in Sapporo and Tokyo, Japan.

Hibiscus was established in 2005 in the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido. It opened its Tokyo office in 2007.

The firm is registered with the Japanese Institute of CPAs (JICPA) as a specialist audit practice and is a corporate member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). It focuses on statutory audits, mainly listed companies, special purpose audits, IPO preparation/consulting, internal control support and financial due diligence.

Hibiscus’s clients operate around the Asia-Pacific region, including China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar, in sectors including real estate, construction, manufacturing, retail, restaurants, metal refining, printing and IT.

Speaking about the appointment, Russell Bedford CEO Stephen Hamlet said: “The appointment of an experienced Japanese audit firm is a fantastic development for the network. Hibiscus’s specialist service range complements that of our existing Tokyo firm, Shinsei International Tax Co., who offers tax, accounting and consultancy. The firms together firmly secure Russell Bedford’s position in the country. We welcome the team at Hibiscus to the network and look forward to collaborating.”

Yoshitaka Horiguchi, partner at Hibiscus, added: “We are extremely pleased to join the Russell Bedford network. One of our firm’s immediate goals is to connect with global accounting firms to support group audit projects for our clients looking to expand internationally. We’re confident that our new membership of Russell Bedford International will help us to achieve this, while boosting our firm’s market position.”