Yoshihiro Ujihara Mizuho Securities Group

Unranked last year, Yoshihiro Ujihara zooms into second place, thanks largely to his “nonconsensus approach” and “bottom-up research” style, as one money manager puts it. The Mizuho Securities Group analyst says the small-cap world affords him the opportunity to do some crossover research, focusing on companies and sectors that are “appealing to me, rather than being bound to a single industry.” Among the names he’s currently recommending is Maruwa Co., an Aichi-based maker of components used in the manufacture of smartphones, tablet PCs and other devices. Ujihara believes Maruwa’s profits will continue to grow “as higher depreciation is offset by the impact of expanded sales of products with high marginal-profit margins.”  — Carolyn Koo