KKR & Co. has recently made a significant offer of nearly $4 billion for Fuji Soft Inc., a Japanese IT consulting firm. This move has drawn attention to the growing private equity landscape in Japan and has sparked interest in the country's buyout market.

In response, Bain Capital has publicly countered with an offer that exceeds KKR's bid by 7%. This unexpected development has been likened to a dramatic last-minute play in baseball, highlighting the rare and open competition between these two major private equity firms.

The rivalry between KKR and Bain Capital has captured the interest of investors and industry observers, signaling a notable shift in the Japanese private equity sector.