Stories

Masaya Endo (FENNEL)

The esports scene now boasts worldwide popularity. Masaya Endo, who runs the esports company FENNEL in Japan, talks about the background to the launch of FENNEL, the differences between the esports scene in Japan and the rest of the world, and offers advice on how to start a business.

Moeko Suzuki (Startup Lady)

Moeko Suzuki, who went to high school in London and college in the U.S., established Tailor Innovations Inc. after working for an overseas market development consulting company, and also founded Startup Lady Association, a community of global female entrepreneurs. She discussed the features of the startup scene in Japan from her global point of view.

Exploring Oita, the Onsen Country

While in Japan I kept up my #remotework lifestyle, traveling to Oita Prefecture on the Southernmost of Japan’s ‘main islands,’ Kyushu. Here are some of my biggest takeaways for those of you considering a visit.

City_Tech. Tokyo 2023 Day2

This report continues from Day 1, introducing the latest technology exhibits at the venue, the Startup Demo Day on Day 2, and the Pitch Contest.

City_Tech. Tokyo 2023 Day1

City-Tech.Tokyo 2023, Tokyo's first and largest startup event in Japan, was held at the Tokyo International Forum on February 27 and 28, 2023.

Eric Turner & Manami (Japan Dev）

Eric Turner, Founder of Japan Dev K.K., which operates Japan Dev, a platform for IT professionals to find companies and development teams that match their values, and his wife, Manami, a designer, talked extensively about their path to starting a business and their expectations for Japan's startup scene and support.

BJ Fox (Tokyo Comedy Bar / Stand-Up Tokyo)

BJ Fox, a British who worked for a major videogame publisher before starting Tokyo’s only stand-up comedy club "Tokyo Comedy Bar" in Shibuya, talks about why he started his business, the uniqueness of the Japanese market, tips for startups and more.

AgriTech startups shaping the future of Japanese agriculture

Agriculture has been a big part in Japan’s economy since ancient times. Agriculture in Japan will have a bright future and is preparing Japan to move into Society 5.0.

Japan will be the leader of next-generation therapeutics in cancer treatment with these startups

Japan - being among the leading countries in cancer research - has contributed tremendously in humanity’s quest to conquer cancer.

The Japanese government's massive startup support begins in earnest in 2023.

The Kishida Cabinet's centerpiece policy, the "Five-Year Startup Development Plan," is in full swing, and the budget proposal approved in December 2022 included an additional budget of about 1 trillion yen for startup support.

Bartek Kolacz & Mehdi Hamadi (KALKUL)

KALKUL is a future tech startup trying to integrate technology and human with the love for music and art. Co-founders Bartek Kolacz and Mehdi Hamadi talked about their journey, projects, and findings.

These SportsTech Startups will propel Japan into a sports nation

Although Japan has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, it is surprising to know that about 37% of adults do not actively participate in any sort of exercise.

Bringing Abandoned Houses Back to Life

A gloomy house with a messy garden ——— the increase of abandoned houses is making a headache to the neighbours and governments. Here, we will introduce 3 amazing startups tackling those issues.

Yumiko Uchishiba (HERG1)

Interview with Yumiko Uchishiba, designer of the golf brand HERG1. Having studied fashion in Italy for 10 years and worked as a designer, we asked her what motivated her to come back to Japan to launch a new brand and the differences of her work and lifestyle between in Japan and Italy.

E-sports in Japan will have a bright future with these startups

What's great about Japan SaaS firms?

Japanese SaaS firms are growing, what is the secret behind their steady growth?

Marty Roberts & Elena Calderon Alaez (TOTEMO)

Mary and Elena who lead TOTEMO, a Japan-based NFT auction platform specialized in street art talked about the process of their startup, the challenges they have faced, and the current status of Japanese startup scene.

CBD startups on the rise in Japan

CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the most notable components of hemp. Throughout Japanese history, hemp has been widely cultivated and played an important role in society.

Unboxing Japan’s Startup Ecosystem

Blackbox was launched in December 2022 with one goal: to build an open and fair online platform to demystify the Japanese startup ecosystem.

Jun Iinuma (alphaspace inc.)

We interviewed with Blackbox's first Japanese entrepreneur, Mr. Jun Iinuma, co-founder & CEO of alphaspace inc, who has been a leader in SaaS business for 15 years since the establishment of salesforce Japan and co-founded Cogent Labs Inc. He then co-founded alphaspace inc. We asked him about his vision of solving social issues through XR creations and his thoughts on the future of startups in Japan.

Wei Chai (MaWaRoute)

Wei Chai, who was born in China and studied in England, France, and Japan before starting a startup to promote local charms in Japan, talked about his path, challenges, and findings.

Bilal Kharouni (ekei labs)

Bilal Kharouni could have been a professional kickboxer or a screen writer but instead he lives in Tokyo and works as co-founder of wellbeing startup ekei labs. Bilal tells us how he ended up founding a startup, what he has found out along the way, and about life in Japan in general.

5 Emerging Meditech startups in Japan

Meditech fields are on the rise. Japan is hoping to create more business opportunities for its already-advanced medical research field with the help of new government policies, VCs, accelerators, and research centers to establish a more robust and dynamic startup ecosystem.

How Japanese mental health startups approach wellbeing

Japan has a high number of suicides and the lowest rate of psychiatric consultations among developed countries in the world. There are a great number of startups in Japan tackling these issues with technology.