Before trading with a new partner, a Japanese company can order a kigyō shin’yō chōsa, a corporate credit investigation. Tokyo Shoko Research, one of the country’s credit agencies, says the investigation is made for new transactions, for raising or lowering a partner’s credit limit, and for deciding whether to keep trading.
In the agency’s words, it gathers material for judging “how far to proceed with the transaction.” Tokyo Shoko Research dates its founding to 1892.