Revisiting 2025 – A year of overseas expansion missions – Bottoms Up

Starting a business and making it successful is one of the hardest things you can do. Now, imagine if you had to do it all over again, but in a different country, with a different language. This is quite a daunting prospect for anyone, despite these many hurdles there are more than a few that chose to do it and were willing to share their experiences during the Bottoms Up: Volume 5, Global Mission Meet-Up event hosted by Fukuoka City and Global Business Support at Fukuoka Growth Next on the 19th of January, 2026.

Fukuoka to the World: Mapping the 2025 Journey

Over the past year of 2025, Fukuoka City had together with Global Business Support organized and supported a number of overseas delegations and conference visits in order to help entrepreneurs from Fukuoka City to challenge new markets and find international partners, customers and more.
The events spanned across the globe, but with most of them taking place in Asia. On the list of conferences were InnoVEX (Taiwan), TECHSAUCE (Thailand), Auckland Techweek (New Zealand), SLUSH (Finland) and many more.
The theme these missions had in common was to bring Fukuoka-based companies to the world, to gain experience and grow as companies and business leaders in the local community.
As business leaders they are also in a valuable position to share their knowledge, experience and insights with other entrepreneurs. The event Global Mission Meet-Up was just such an event. And what an event it was. With more than 60 people signed up and a seating area filled to capacity, the anticipation in the venue was high.

Hard-Earned Lessons from the Global Frontlines

The program, expertly managed by Mr. Ono from Global Business Support consisted of three company speakers; Mr. Takimoto from Coastal Link, Mr. Kouno from Yokuto and Mr. Sonoda from Eletus.
They all shared a wealth of information from their numerous trips abroad. For instance the difficulties of adapting to new business environments and cultures, how to arrange meetings and pitch to investors from different parts of the world.
But also sharing strategies for how to deal with said difficulties and how to find new opportunities and adapt to how things are done overseas.
For instance, Mr. Konou from Yokuto, shared that his perspective had changed from trying to “sell” to “learn” as with learning comes new opportunities and chances to move forward in both business and as an individual.
Furthermore, Mr. Sonoda from Eletus shared the importance of not only meeting with many people during the event, but actually follow-up with those that you met and have meaningful conversations afterwards. This is because everyone at the event is busy and will not remember you, but if you reach out afterwards, the chances are high that they will respond.
Mr. Takimoto from Coastal Link added to the above points by stating that overseas, decisions can be made fast and in a way that is different from Japan, so in order to be successful you have to be well prepared with; elevator pitches, be ready to both prepare and close in the meeting there and then as well as be ready to network.

Global Business Support: Bridging the Gap for Fukuoka’s Startups

Following the learnings from the start-ups and their overseas experiences Global Business Support presented their organization as well as the services and support they offered to the companies that participated in the missions as well as what can be asked of the Global Business Support from here on out. The team exists as a support-function that works on behalf of Fukuoka City to facilitate and help the Fukuoka based start-ups to reach new heights by helping out with networking, matchmaking, promotion, administration and planning for overseas missions, coordinating with partners and more.

The Real Talk: Unfiltered Insights from Our Founders

Following GBSs presentation a panel discussion hosted by Mr. Ono, representatives from the start-ups Mr. Yamano from Hitokoko, Mr Konou from Yokuto, and from the ecosystem support structure, Mr Homare from CIC Fukuoka had a discussion about the “realities and difficulties of challenging a new market” with very frank, honest discussion and insights.
The general thread of the discussion was concerned with the differences between Japan and various global markets in ways of how to do business, structuring relationships and how to approach various business and professional situations. Despite the many differences, all panelists were in agreement that many foreign markets also value “relationships first” rather than business first. However, it is HOW these relationships are built that matter most.

High Spirits and High Stakes: A Networking Buzz That Wouldn’t Quit

The second half of the event transitioned into a networking session, complete with refreshments for all participants. The venue was instantly charged with energy as attendees crowded around the speakers to dive deeper into their overseas experiences and discuss how to apply those lessons to their own ventures.
The momentum was so great that the official toast was nearly drowned out by the vibrant sea of conversation. It was also encouraging to see a significant presence of international entrepreneurs who have long called Fukuoka home—a clear sign that our local startup ecosystem is becoming increasingly global. With very few guests departing early, the session was extended to accommodate the ongoing discussions, with participants engaging in such active discussions that it led to numerous high-quality matches and new, insightful perspectives. As the night at the venue finally drew to a close, the conversation simply migrated to the traditional “second location” for further networking.

Ready to Take the Leap? It’s Your Turn.

From Fukuoka to the global stage—if you are a business owner considering international expansion, we encourage you to reach out to Fukuoka City and Global Business Support (GBS). We are here to provide the resources and connections necessary to help your business reach new heights. We look forward to seeing you join us on our next mission!

There is no I in Fukuoka but there is a U!

Feel free to drop by anytime or shoot us a message. We look forward to hearing from you and supporting you on this exciting and wonderful journey.

Global Business Support

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00-17:00 (Days closed : Sundays and Holidays)

Location:

Fukuoka Growth Next (FGN)

Fukuoka Growth Next 1F, 2 Chome-6-11 Daimyo, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka 810-0041

As there is no on-site parking or bicycle parking available, we kindly ask that you utilize nearby parking facilities or bicycle parking areas.

Cambridge Innovation Center（CIC）

ONE FUKUOKA BLDG. 7F, 1-11-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0001

Please use the contact form on our website to make an inquiry.