The analysts at SPARX in Tokyo are pros at deciphering the often opaque financials and cultural peculiarities of Japanese companies.

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Next step for Sparx is to become a pan-Asian fund house.

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Sparx candy by Xlear were sweet and didn't have the artificial sweetening aftertaste, while CocoaVia by Mars, Inc. was smooth and creamy, just the way a chocolate bar should be.

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Likewise, among foreign funds, the leadership of Latin American funds like Fidelity Latin America (FLATX) faded from 2009 to 2010 as Japan funds like Hennessy Select SPARX Japan (SPXJX) rose to the upper part of performance tables.

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