A futuristic view of the Tokyo Big Sight convention center, the designated hub for the upcoming SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 global innovation event.
TOKYO · April 7, 2026 : In exactly 20 days, the doors will open at Tokyo Big Sight for SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, a massive startup summit that has become the centerpiece of the city's economic evolution. With over 700 startups and 20 country pavilions confirmed, the event is far more than a corporate trade show. Launched in 2024 as a pillar of the Tokyo 2050 Strategy, SusHi Tech: standing for Sustainable High City Tech: is the physical manifestation of Governor Yuriko Koike’s bet that innovation can solve the structural challenges of a modern megacity.
A 10x Vision for Growth
The conference serves as a critical milestone for the city’s "10x10x10" innovation vision. Launched in 2022, this strategy aims to achieve a tenfold growth in the number of Tokyo-based startups, unicorns, and collaborative public-private projects over five years. To support this, Tokyo is investing up to $126 million in 2026 to establish new funds focused on scaling startups in strategic growth sectors. This capital feeds into the SusHi Tech Global Funds, a platform designed to blend public and private resources into transformative investments.
Urban Policy Made Visible
Tokyo is no longer just a backdrop for business; the city government is now a primary partner. Since the inception of the SusHi Tech initiative, practical public-private partnership initiatives have increased 28-fold, reaching over 250 active cases. By shifting procurement practices to source directly from startups and opening the Tokyo Innovation Base: which has seen 380,000 visitors since late 2023: the administration is proving that urban policy can be a proactive driver of market creation rather than a reactive regulatory hurdle.
The Global Hub Ambition
As the April 27–29 opening approaches, the focus is on international integration. By hosting 700 exhibitors and thousands of global investors, Tokyo is positioning itself as Asia’s leading innovation hub. The goal is to move beyond domestic success and create a porous ecosystem where global talent solves urban problems. For Governor Koike, the success of this event is a litmus test for the "Tokyo 2050" roadmap, signaling whether the city can truly pivot from a legacy industrial giant to a nimble, tech-driven metropolis.
Source: Asia Biz Today : March 2026
