Japanese Acquisition Activity At All-Time High

There has been a big increase in Japanese outbound M&A activity, much of it targeting U.S. companies. Unlike in the 1980s, when  many people bristled at the thought of Japan buying up U.S. icons, the more recent iteration of the trend has received little attention. Why is it happening, what are the future prospects, and what should U.S. companies keep in mind when fielding a potential Japanese buyer?