JStories — SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia’s largest international innovation convention hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Authorities, has opened its doorways. Now in its fourth yr, the occasion — constructed across the mission of “realizing Sustainable cities by way of Hellogh Technology” — is being held at its largest scale ever. Enterprise Days run on April 27 and 28, adopted by Public Day on April 29 (Wednesday, a nationwide vacation), for a complete of three days.
Particular Keynote: Governor Koike and Prime Minister Takaichi Share the Stage — Hopes Pinned on Startups Driving Transformation and Progress
Governor Yuriko Koike of Tokyo and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on stage. Picture: SusHi Tech Tokyo
Probably the most carefully watched second of opening day on April 27 was the session titled “Particular Keynote — Expectations for Startups Driving Transformation and Progress.” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike took the stage, joined by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as a particular visitor. Below the theme of expectations positioned on startups main the subsequent period of change, the 2 delivered highly effective messages to the challengers shaping a brand new period. The shared look underscored — to each home and worldwide members — that the nationwide authorities and Tokyo are aligned of their startup coverage path.
PM Takaichi opened by welcoming the greater than 60,000 members who had gathered in Tokyo, drawn by the convention’s imaginative and prescient of realizing sustainable cities by way of excessive expertise. She then highlighted the broader financial significance of the sector: “GDP generated by startups now accounts for 4 p.c of Japan’s nominal GDP, and it has grown by 32 p.c over the previous two years — a considerable affect on financial development.”
Governor Koike, for her half, reaffirmed Tokyo’s startup coverage often called the “10×10×10 Innovation Imaginative and prescient” — a dedication to develop the variety of startups, unicorns, and public-private collaboration initiatives tenfold every. As new measures towards that purpose, she introduced the launch of “SusHi Tech World,” a program offering concentrated help for promising growth-stage startups, and an accompanying grant program, “SusHi Tech World Grants.” She additionally reiterated the town’s plan to create a $1 billion funding movement for startups by way of public-private partnerships by subsequent fiscal yr, declaring her resolve to develop Tokyo right into a gateway to the worldwide innovation ecosystem.
Voices from Abroad Individuals — Tokyo because the “Entry Level to the Japanese Market”
supply:SusHi Tech Tokyo
Throughout the venue, exhibitors from around the globe shared their expectations for getting into the Japanese market and their evaluation of SusHi Tech Tokyo as a convention in its personal proper.
Vivian Jones, Chief Income Officer of Colombia-based fintech firm MonaBit, selected Tokyo because the launchpad for the corporate’s subsequent chapter — Asia — after constructing a basis within the Americas and Europe.
“Japan has the strongest monetary companies business within the Asia-Pacific area, and it’s our place to begin for Asia. What shocked me is that everybody in Japan already makes use of digital funds fluently. Different international locations are nonetheless cash-heavy, however for us, Japan is a market we are able to combine into very naturally,” she mentioned. By the tip of day one alone, she had spoken with greater than 20 traders and described the response as encouraging.
For Vittorio D’Alfonso, a full-stack engineer at Italian distributed-energy firm Koala, this was his first go to to Japan. He sees Koala’s mannequin — enabling native communities to generate, share, and handle renewable power — as one that may journey to Japan. “Individuals in Japan are very dependable. It’s straightforward to begin a dialog, and it’s straightforward to grasp what we are able to construct collectively,” he mentioned.
Enda Peoples, Director of Enterprise Improvement at Druid, an Irish non-public mobile core community expertise firm, provided a perspective formed by repeat attendance: “Reaching Japanese companions and traders from overseas — particularly in additional conventional sectors — isn’t all the time straightforward. However occasions like SusHi Tech have performed a decisive position in breaking down these partitions. This isn’t my first yr right here, and what I’ve discovered is that continued participation builds real familiarity, fosters actual relationships, and creates significant alternatives for collaboration.”
Taken collectively, these voices recommend that Tokyo is starting to operate as a real gateway to the worldwide innovation ecosystem in Asia — and that SusHi Tech Tokyo is maturing into way over an exhibition. It’s turning into, in sensible phrases, a spot for cross-border dialogue and collaboration.
File-Breaking Scale — 770 Startups, 60 Nations, 10,000 Enterprise Conferences Anticipated
Picture: SusHi Tech Tokyo
By the numbers, this yr’s SusHi Tech Tokyo marks a milestone. Exhibiting startups have grown 27 p.c yr on yr to 770 (390 worldwide, 380 home), with members drawn from 60 international locations and areas. The “SusHi Tech Problem” pitch contest obtained 820 purposes from 60 international locations and areas, with 18 semifinalists chosen.
Complete attendance, together with on-line, is projected at 60,000, with round 10,000 enterprise conferences anticipated on the present ground. Company Companions have grown to 68 (up from 47 final yr), and Metropolis Companions to 22 pavilions representing 25 international locations, areas, and cities. A file 48 Japanese native governments are exhibiting, alongside 40 media companions — additionally a brand new excessive.
Notable New Developments — SusHi Tech World and Open Innovation
A significant new spotlight this yr is the debut pavilion of “SusHi Tech World Startups,” a gaggle of 45 growth-stage corporations given precedence help by the Tokyo Metropolitan Authorities. Aiming for international scale-up, these startups will maintain pitch occasions alongside their exhibitions.
The Open Innovation Space, designed to spark co-creation between massive enterprises and startups, has additionally been considerably expanded. The 68 Company Companions are exhibiting collectively with their startup collaborators. As well as, twelve newly taking part innovation clusters below “TIB CATAPULT” — masking metropolis tech, agritech and meals tech, area, life sciences, leisure, and extra — are showcasing cross-sector enterprise creation initiatives.
Public Day on April 29 — The place the Subsequent Era and Residents Take Half
Picture: SusHi Tech Tokyo
The third day, April 29 (Wednesday, a nationwide vacation), is Public Day — designed as a free admission day for Tokyo residents and the broader public to expertise cutting-edge expertise firsthand. The lineup consists of interactive periods with robots, VR catastrophe preparedness experiences, photograph alternatives with monuments constructed by 3D printers for housing building, and a session with QuizKnock’s Takushi Izawa exploring “a sustainable future” by way of quizzes — programming that spans kids to adults. The “ITAMAE” scholar volunteer crew, comprising greater than 400 members, helps all the venue with reception, steerage, and pitch operations, making the occasion itself a coaching floor for the subsequent technology of innovators.
Public Day may also characteristic “SusHi Tech Teen Problem 2026,” through which center and highschool college students chosen from throughout Japan compete with their concepts. Younger proposals for fixing the city challenges of the long run can be on show earlier than worldwide and home guests alike.
Throughout three days at Tokyo Massive Sight, SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 is anticipated to additional cement its place as Asia’s largest international innovation convention — and, with its expanded scale and content material, to function the launchpad for the actions startups will take to handle the world’s challenges.
Article: Randy Wagenheim Edited by: Takanori Isshiki High photograph: JStories (Moritz Brinkhoff)
