Takahiro Kazahaya Deutsche Securities The buy side says: “He has strong connections to top management of major retailers.”

Takahiro Kazahaya rockets from third place, where he debuted last year, to the No. 1 spot. “His research is based not only on quarterly earnings forecasts but also on longer-­term structural views,” declares one money manager. One example: Way back in February 2009 the Deutsche Securities analyst urged clients to buy Don ­Quijote Co., a discount retailer headquartered in Shinjuku, and he has reiterated his recommendation repeatedly since, citing the company’s strong growth prospects and improving profitability, among other factors. In the 12 months through February 2011, the stock surged 26.6 percent, from ¥2,250 to ¥2,849, and beat the sector by an impressive 21.5 percentage points. ­Kazahaya, 35, earned an MBA at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business in 2007; he joined Deutsche in 2009 from Nomura Securities, where he worked as a retailing analyst.

Polling and tabulation of data as well as reporting on the sector profiles were completed before the March 11 Tohoku earthquake.