Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) is the leading credit rating agency in Japan. Established in 1963, JCR has been providing credit ratings on corporate and financial bond issuers in the country for over 50 years. JCR is registered in the United States as a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization and has also been certified in the European Union in 2011.

JCR provides ratings for over 60% of the 1,000 publicly rated corporate issuers in Japan, as well as over 70% of the financial industry. JCR ratings are based on two key rating scales; the long-term rating scale, which is based on creditworthiness, and the short-term rating scale, which is based on liquidity and financial stability. The long-term ratings are similar to those assigned by S&P and Moody's and are used to measure the credit risk of a borrower.

In addition to rating guidance, JCR also publishes research and analysis related to the Japanese economy and financial markets. This includes market trends, forecasts and analysis of companies, as well as credit and risk evaluation. Moreover, JCR has been expanding its global presence and has established alliances with other credit rating agencies located in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea and India.

Overall, JCR plays a key role in the financial industry by providing stakeholders with credit ratings, research and analysis of the Japanese market. In this way, it ensures that investments and lending decisions are made an informed basis. JCR is well-recognized for its accurate and reliable credit ratings, which are trusted by national and international investors.