Tokyo's Biggest Tech Conference Bridges Japan's Startup Scene and Silicon Valley

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and TechCrunch have announced an official partnership for SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, an April 27-29 conference designed to connect Japan's growing startup ecosystem directly to Silicon Valley's investment and media machinery. One key part of the deal: TechCrunch Disrupt, the company's flagship startup competition, will invite one semifinalist from Tokyo's SusHi Tech Challenge to compete in its Startup Battlefield 200.

The conference runs across four technology domains with exhibit floors and live demos at Tokyo Big Sight. The first two days (April 27-28) focus on business and investors. April 29 opens the doors free to the general public.

What the Tech Tracks Cover

AI and How Companies Use It

The AI sessions focus on the practical side of artificial intelligence — how companies actually deploy it. Speakers include Howard Wright from Nvidia (who will discuss the chips and software that power AI) and Rob Chu from AWS (who covers running AI systems in cloud environments). Eric Benhamou from Benhamou Global Ventures rounds out the panel with a venture capital perspective.

Beyond the main conference, there's also an AI Film Festival Japan at Tokyo Innovation Base, which suggests the conference isn't only interested in AI for business. Japan has a strong global presence in animation and creative content, so this programming signals interest in how AI applies to that industry too.

Self-Driving Vehicles and Robots

The robotics section centers on self-driving vehicle technology, with participation from major Japanese automakers Nissan and Isuzu, as well as Qasar Younis from Applied Intuition (a company that builds simulation software for testing autonomous vehicles). This mix signals that the focus is on commercial trucks and delivery vehicles rather than consumer cars — a practical choice given Japan's need to automate logistics and transportation as its population ages.

Cybersecurity and Keeping Infrastructure Safe

The cybersecurity sessions feature Eva Chen from Trend Micro and Noboru Nakatani from NEC, both companies with large enterprise security business across Asia. Their involvement suggests the content will focus on zero-trust security (the idea that no user or system is trusted by default, and access must be constantly verified) and protecting critical infrastructure like power grids and water systems.

The conference also includes hands-on tours of Tokyo's underground flood-control systems and a VR disaster simulator, giving attendees a look at how Japan has engineered its way through climate and natural disaster challenges.

Climate Technology and Investment

Climate tech sessions bring in venture capital firms like Breakthrough Energy and Cleantech Group to discuss where global investment is flowing. This signals that the conference views climate technology not just as an engineering problem but as an investment and policy question — because even the best technology doesn't scale without money and support from governments.

Entertainment and Animation

Three major Japanese animation studios — Production I.G, MAPPA, and CoMix Wave Films — are sending representatives to speak about technology in content creation. Japan exports a lot of anime and animation globally, and these studios are adopting new tools (including AI-assisted animation) to stay competitive and reach international audiences.

How the Conference Works

The conference includes both in-person and remote participation. Attendees on-site can join livestreamed sessions, and remote participants can appear on screens at the venue so they can interact with people there in real time. This hybrid model became common after 2020, when event organizers learned that purely online conferences don't work as well for the deal-making and relationship-building that happen at conferences.

A Bigger Picture: Cities Learning from Tech

At the same time as the conference, Tokyo is hosting leaders from 55 cities around the world to discuss how cities can use technology to handle climate change and disaster risk. This is part of a network Tokyo started in 2022 called G-NETS (Global City Network for Sustainability). It's a reminder that SusHi Tech isn't just a business conference — it's also a place where city governments can see what technology is available and connect directly with the companies building it.

Looking at the conference as a whole, it reflects a shift that happens when technology matures. When the commercial internet was new, the big question was just "how do we build the pipes?" Once that was solved, the real innovation moved to specific industries — banking, retail, entertainment — using those pipes for their own purposes. We're seeing something similar here, where the question isn't "should we use AI?" but "how do we use AI in animation, vehicle design, or disaster management?"

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's approach suggests recognition that technology doesn't just happen in startups and labs. It scales when city governments, large companies, investors, and entrepreneurs all work together — and that's what this conference is trying to bring into one room. For anyone interested in how technology adoption actually works beyond Silicon Valley, or curious about how Asian markets lead in certain technologies, this event offers a window into how that works in practice.