SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Report: Global Collaboration & Fukuoka’s Potential

Photo Credit: SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Official Website (https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/)

From April 27 to 29, 2026, “SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026” was held at Tokyo Big Sight over three days. Bringing together numerous startups, investors, corporations, and ecosystem builders from both Japan and abroad, the event was filled with enthusiasm surrounding sustainable urban visions and cutting-edge technology. The Global Business Support (GBS) team also visited the venue to experience firsthand the evolving global startup trends.

The Excitement of “SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026” Shaping Next-Generation Cities

(Photo provided by GBS)

This year’s SusHi Tech Tokyo was developed around four core themes: AI, Robotics, Resilience, and Entertainment. At the venue, multifaceted discussions took place regarding industrial automation brought about by AI and building resilient cities capable of overcoming crises like climate change.

In addition, new initiatives drew significant attention as programs that allowed participants to experience the future of urban mobility firsthand, such as test rides on autonomous buses and “Cruising” via boats connecting Tokyo Big Sight with the Tennoz and Takeshiba areas. Simply walking around the venue provided a real sense of the emerging breath of innovation and tangible progress toward social implementation.

Side Event Panel: “Beyond Capitals – The Reality of France-Japan Tech Collaboration”

(Photo provided by CIC Fukuoka)

On April 27, during the event period, Jun Ono from GBS spoke at a side event titled “Beyond Capitals: How France and Japan Build Tech Together,” held at Ezohub Tennoz in Tennoz, Tokyo.

This event was designed to sincerely examine how France-Japan collaboration in regional cities like Fukuoka City—moving beyond the over-concentration of resources in Tokyo—creates practical benefits and what challenges it faces.

In France-Japan tech collaboration, focusing on regional ecosystems rather than just the connection between “capitals” like Tokyo and Paris felt very timely. From the standpoint of Global Business Support, our major goal this time was to present a concrete “another powerful alternative” to foreign entrepreneurs who hold the preconceived notion that entering Japan automatically means choosing Tokyo. Interacting with them on-site, I felt firsthand that expectations for the potential of Japanese regional cities, particularly Fukuoka City, are rising higher than imagined.

Keynote Speech Points: “Fukuoka’s Ecosystem and the Regional Perspective”

(Photo provided by CIC Fukuoka)

In the keynote speech titled “The Fukuoka Angle,” the following points were emphasized regarding why global entrepreneurs are choosing Fukuoka now:

– Overwhelming Sense of Speed and Superiority as a Testbed: As a compact city, Fukuoka City offers close proximity to decision-makers in local governments and companies, making it an optimal environment for quickly running Proof of Concept (PoC) trials.

– Powerful Support Utilizing Special Zones: The ease of acquiring a “Startup Visa” through the National Strategic Special Zone, combined with extensive, unified public-private soft-landing support.

– Strategic Location Eyeing Asian Expansion: Positioned not merely as a “regional city in Japan,” but as a geographical and business gateway to East Asian markets such as South Korea and Taiwan.

Participant Feedback and Networking Highlights

– Surprise and Resonance from Overseas Entrepreneurs: After the presentation, comments such as “I thought Japan only had Tokyo and Kyoto” and “I want to know the specific requirements for the Startup Visa” were received. Many French entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners showed strong interest, particularly in how the city balances a low cost of living with a robust business environment.

– Enthusiastic Networking: Many questions were raised during the networking session, leading to dialogues that connected directly to concrete next steps (such as site visits and business consultations), with participants saying, “I want to visit Fukuoka City on my next trip to Japan” or “I’d like to bounce ideas off you to see if our solution fits Fukuoka.” It was a highly fruitful time.

Fukuoka City’s “Power to Connect”: To Tokyo, the World, and Regions

(Photo provided by Fukuoka City)

The significance of participating in a global conference like SusHi Tech Tokyo goes beyond simply absorbing the latest trends. It serves as an excellent opportunity to directly pitch the appeal of Fukuoka City as a “second gateway” and a practical testbed for overseas entrepreneurs and investors looking to enter the Japanese market.

From initial support via the Startup Visa to consistent, hands-on accompaniment by GBS, Fukuoka City possesses the fertile ground to welcome international talent and cultivate businesses together. Through this event, we reaffirmed how Fukuoka City’s unique “compactness” and “ease of connection”—while collaborating with the massive ecosystem of Tokyo—serve as a powerful weapon for global expansion.

Fukuoka City’s “Power to Connect”: To Tokyo, the World, and Regions

(Photo provided by CIC Fukuoka)

While Tokyo in the spring gathers global innovation energy with “SusHi Tech Tokyo,” Fukuoka City in the autumn hosts “RAMEN TECH (Revolutionizing Asia: Merging Ecosystems & Networks),” one of Asia’s largest international startup festivals, held every October. Truly operating as “SusHi in the East, RAMEN in the West,” Tokyo and Fukuoka City serve as powerful, complementary twin engines in Japan’s global startup strategy. The connections and latest trends born in the massive global hub of Tokyo are further deepened in the compact, agile city of Fukuoka, and expanded into Asia and the rest of the world.

Serving as the stage for that excitement and collaborative practice, “RAMEN TECH” will be held for 5 days from October 7 to 11. Please stay tuned.

RAMEN TECH Website
https://www.ramentech.jp/en

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.