![people walking on street during night time](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1617869884925-f8f0a51b2374?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1000&q=80)
 
With a proven record of innovation, Japan is a tech pioneer. Apart from its historic success in building global companies such as Sony and Panasonic, the country also recognizes the importance of startups. However, the shift from building massive industrial consumer electronics and automobile companies towards startups is a difficult one. Like other economies in the region, a risk averse mindset is a challenge for the growth of Japan’s startup economy, in addition to a need for improved English skills to allow entrepreneurs to target international markets. The abundance of high-quality corporate jobs and a tight job market are creating a scarcity of talented and motivated entrepreneurs. With an aging population, Japan could benefit from attracting more foreign talent. ==read-more==

 The low number of unicorns could signal a lack of investment in the startup ecosystem. Yet interestingly, a daring and revolutionary VC venture is based in Japan. Softbank, led by Masayoshi Son, has had its ups and downs but made a massive impact on the landscape of global investment. Japan is gradually advancing its startup ecosystem with more investment and a mindset change of encouraging entrepreneurship, mainly boosted by a government that understands the importance of successful and innovative entrepreneurs. Japan also needs to develop structures that would allow businesses the flexibility to compete in the global economy among rapidly changing industries. T[he Integrated Innovation Strategy 2022: Making Great Strides Toward Society 5.0](https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/06/integrated_innovation_strategy.html) includes focus areas on the promotion of advanced and emerging technology, and offers 120 trillion yen in R&D investment to create Society 5.0. 
 With support from the government, the [J-Startup Program](https://www.j-startup.go.jp/en/about/) has set out to promote Japanese startups to the global market and help create 20 unicorns by 2023, which will be difficult considering current market conditions. Japan boasts a rich network of support organizations in multiple hubs in the country. One of them is the [Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)](https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/), which helps startups go global through the [Startup City Acceleration Program](https://j-startup-city.go.jp/). In addition, the T[okyo Metropolitan Government](https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/english/), [Startup Fukuoka City](https://startup.fukuoka.jp/), [Startup City Sapporo,](https://www.google.com/search?q=Startup+City+Sapporo&rlz=1C5CHFA_enRO1031RO1032&oq=Startup+City+Sapporo&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l3.382j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) and [Shibuya Startup Support](https://shibuya-startup-support.jp/) are all committed to boosting their startup ecosystems. Japan’s clear [strategy](https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/openinnovation/ecosystem/beyondlimits_en.pdf) of creating competitive startup ecosystems shows that the country is moving in the right direction. Japan’s [Startup Visa](https://www.meti.go.jp/english/policy/economy/startup_nbp/startup_visa.html) is already being implemented in a number of locations, such as Fukuoka City and Kobe City. 
 The Japanese government has been active in Japan’s startup economy development with the promotion of Tokyo, Yokohama, Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Kansai as leading startup cities, in addition to state-sponsored funding and accelerator programs for startups. Moreover, the country's strong relations with the US has produced a partnership that could boost Japan's startup scene through initiatives such as the [U.S.-Japan Competitiveness and Resilience (CoRe) Partnership](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/23/fact-sheet-the-u-s-japan-competitiveness-and-resilience-core-partnership/#:~:text=May%2023%2C%202022-,FACT%20SHEET%3A%20The%20U.S.%2DJapan,Competitiveness%20and%20Resilience%20(CoRe)%20Partnership&text=The%20United%20States%20and%20Japan,Pacific%20region%20and%20the%20world.). With fintech and healthtech showing a lot of promise in Japan, we hope to see the country’s startup ecosystems attract more global recognition.

Japan

JETRO Kyoto is the Kyoto branch of JETRO, or the Japan External Trade Organization. It is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world.

JETRO Kyoto

Kyoto

Additional information on JETRO Kyoto startup organization in Kyoto on StartupBlink. 

As the innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan is renowned for its outstanding high-tech R&D capacity, highly-trained professionals, and thriving networks of entrepreneurs which enable our  startup ecosystem to achieve steady continuous growth.

Director General, Department of Academia-Industry Collaboration and Science Park Affairs

The Moscow Agency of Innovations was established to create a truly favorable environment for the advancement of technology in Moscow.

2016

The Skolkovo Innovation Center and Skolkovo Foundation was signed into law with a goal to goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation.

2010

Avito, a classified ads website and now a unicorn, first went online.

2007

The Moscow Seed Fund, a VC which invests in see and pre-seed startups, was established.

2005

Yandex search engine was launched!!!!

1997

Kyoto Research Park (KRP) the first privately operated Research Park in Japan is established

1989

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyoto University, is founded

2014

Plug and Play Kyoto center is established

2019

JETRO Kyoto Startup Organization | StartupBlink