INTERVIEW | Tokyo Forward: Governor Koike on the City's Next Phase

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike says the Japanese capital is entering a particularly important moment in its global development. It is strengthening its role as a major business center and hub for innovation, startups, and international collaboration.

Ahead of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Koike sat down with JAPAN Forward to discuss her city's evolving role as a global hub for business and innovation.

Taking on the Global Market

Koike frames the city's ambitions in broad terms. "Building on the momentum generated by startups, we will cultivate a globally competitive industry that enriches both Tokyo and Japan," she said, adding that support will be concentrated on strategic fields seeking significant growth.

The governor says the city will provide generous funding to carefully selected promising startups, alongside long-term programs developed in collaboration with overseas institutions. This includes an investment of up to $126 million in 2026 to establish two new public-private partnership funds focused on scale-up in strategic growth sectors.

That investment, she explains, will serve as seed capital for SusHi Tech Global Funds — a new platform worth several hundred million US dollars that will bring together public and private funds to provide what she called "bold, transformative investment."

"Through in-depth dialogue and close collaboration with the national government, we will support numerous scale-up companies ready to compete on the global stage," she says. This, the governor declares, will make "Tokyo and Japan shine."

A Business Hub

Koike points to the city's sheer scale as a starting point. "It is home to approximately 14 million people," making it a true "megacity," she says, with a GDP of around $700 billion, roughly 20% of Japan's total. She also notes that Tokyo ranks among the world's largest concentrations of Fortune Global 500 headquarters.

Beyond business, she highlights the quality of life as a key draw. Tokyo is very safe, she says, with a public transportation system that is "consistently reliable." Its food and culture are highly regarded worldwide, a point underscored by the city's 19 consecutive years holding the world's largest number of Michelin-starred restaurants.

She notes Tokyo's cleanliness and its affordable cost of living "compared with other global cities." In addition, she highlights advanced technologies such as perovskite solar panels as examples of its strengths. Developed in Japan, these are next-generation solar panel technology, just one millimeter thick, lightweight, flexible, and supported by Japan's abundant iodine supply.

*A lightweight, flexible, film-like perovskite solar cell (©JAPAN Forward by Hidemitsu Kaito)*

"By accelerating the creation of new industries through cutting-edge technologies and bold new ideas, we can inject fresh vitality into the economy," she says. Tokyo, she adds, aims to proactively attract investment from both Japan and overseas to strengthen its position as a leading business and startup hub.

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Achievements and Goals

Koike traces the strategy's origins to 2022, when Tokyo introduced the "10x10x10" innovation vision. This is an ambitious plan to achieve tenfold growth over five years in the number of Tokyo-based startups, unicorns, and collaborative projects with the metropolitan government.

Since then, she says, progress has moved quickly. The number of practical public-private partnership initiatives has increased 28-fold in just two years, reaching a total of 252 cases — a figure she describes as evidence that collaboration with startups "at the front line of Tokyo's administration has significantly accelerated."

She points to the emergence of globally competitive startups as a sign that the platforms are working. "In only three years," she notes, "SusHi Tech Tokyo has grown into Asia's largest global innovation conference."

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has updated its startup strategy to focus on scale-up and global expansion. In addition, it is accelerating initiatives and comprehensive efforts to unite startups, large corporations, and SMEs for global innovation.

*Attendees at the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Pre-Event Gathering Day (©Tokyo Metropolitan Government)*

Tokyo Innovation Base: A Hub for Startups

Since opening in November 2023, startup support hub Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB) has welcomed over 380,000 visitors and has become a key center for both domestic and overseas investors.

"TIB will continue to evolve into a place where boundary-transcending innovations are born," she says. By expanding into areas such as entertainment and music, she adds, the hub aims to support a wider and more diverse range of participants, including children.

In addition, TIB is expanding its presence across Tokyo as a node that connects a wide range of stakeholders. Through partnerships with local governments, universities, and companies, it hosts events such as pitch competitions aimed at solving social challenges within local communities.

Furthermore, to generate momentum for a nationwide ecosystem involving both national and local governments, she says TIB will collaborate with regional events across Japan. "Through joint exhibitions overseas, we will also powerfully showcase the unique technologies and services of each region to the world."

SusHi Tech Tokyo: Past Success and What's Ahead

Koike cites 2025's numbers as a measure of the event's growing reach. A record 57,000 people from 100 countries and regions took part, including startups, investors, and support organizations. More than 6,136 business meetings were also held.

All of that, she says, helps sow "the seeds for new innovation and build relationships that will drive startup growth."

The fourth edition will be even larger, with AI as its central focus and four key areas. These include AI, robotics, resilience, and entertainment, all delivered through a comprehensive package of sessions, exhibits, and demonstrations.

*Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (©JAPAN Forward)*

Through SusHi Tech Tokyo, she adds, the goal is to bring together domestic and international players "to spark the next wave of innovation."

Looking ahead, Koike says the aim is to develop SusHi Tech Tokyo into "a truly distinctive conference that attracts ecosystems from around the world, a must-attend event for all." SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 will be held from April 27 to 29.

But for Governor Koike, SusHi Tech is only one part of a much broader effort to shape Tokyo's future. "We will also promote a comprehensive approach to global innovation that brings together start-ups, but also large corporations and SMEs," she says. In that vision, Tokyo is positioning itself as a city where innovation, investment, and urban vitality reinforce one another on a global scale.

Author: Daniel Manning