Kirkland advised The Carlyle Group on the final closing of its fifth Japanese buyout fund, Carlyle Japan Partners V (CJP V). At ¥430 billion (approximately $2.8 billion), which is inclusive of commitments from CJP V’s general partner and its affiliates, CJP V hit its hard cap on limited partner commitments. According to data from Preqin, this represents the largest fundraise for a buyout strategy focused on the Japanese market. CJP V received strong demand and backing from both Japanese and global investors, raising nearly 70% more than the size of its predecessor fund. The Carlyle Group plans to invest CJP V primarily in upper middle-market opportunities in Japan across Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT), Consumer, Retail and Healthcare (CRH), and General Industries (GIG), focusing on succession transactions, carve-outs, and strategic take-privates. Read Carlyle's press release The team was led by investment funds partners David Sherman and Kaitlyn Haggerty and associates Ethan Green, Ariela Rivkin and Eric Duncan, with assistance from investment funds regulatory partners Nabil Sabki and Jina Yun and associate Paige Tapp, and tax partners Tim Campany and Steve Butler and associate Brooke Schafer.