{"id":417585,"date":"2026-04-25T22:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T22:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/417585\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T22:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T22:58:16","slug":"why-tokyo-is-the-most-important-tech-destination-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/417585\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Tokyo is the most important tech destination of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every major tech conference has themes. Most are vague enough to mean everything and nothing at the same time. <a href=\"https:\/\/sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp\/?utm_source=techcrunch&amp;utm_medium=articlepost3&amp;utm_campaign=stt2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026<\/a> is doing something different \u2014 four tightly defined technology domains, each backed by live demonstrations, dedicated exhibit floors, and sessions featuring the people actually building and funding these technologies globally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TechCrunch is partnering with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 as an official media partner, and our Startup Battlefield team will be on the ground selecting one standout semifinalist from the SusHi Tech Challenge to advance to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200 \u2014 one of the most prestigious launchpads in tech. Here\u2019s what\u2019s on the floor.<\/p>\n<p>AI \u2014 beyond the hype, into the infrastructure<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sessions featuring Howard Wright (Nvidia), Rob Chu (AWS), and Eric Benhamou (Benhamou Global Ventures) cut through the noise to examine where AI is genuinely deployed at scale and where the real risks lie. On the floor, AI-themed university startups pitch alongside global players, and the AI Film Festival Japan, a partner event at Tokyo Innovation Base in\u00a0Yurakucho,\u00a0explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping culture in real time.<\/p>\n<p>Robotics \u2014 physical AI has arrived<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The robots at SusHi Tech aren\u2019t behind glass \u2014 they\u2019re on the floor and interactive. Onstage, Nissan, Isuzu, and Applied Intuition\u2019s Qasar Younis examine how software-defined vehicles are reshaping transportation. Physical AI isn\u2019t a future trend. It\u2019s in Tokyo on April 27.<\/p>\n<p>Resilience \u2014 the cities that survive what\u2019s coming<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eva Chen (Trend Micro) and NEC\u2019s Noboru Nakatani tackle cyber defense, while top climate tech VCs from Breakthrough Energy and Cleantech Group examine where global investment is flowing. A VR disaster simulator and site-visit tours of Tokyo\u2019s underground flood-control infrastructure make the stakes viscerally real.<\/p>\n<p>Entertainment \u2014 Japan\u2019s cultural engine meets AI<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sessions with the CEOs of Production I.G, MAPPA, and CoMix Wave Films tackle what it takes for Tokyo to become the Hollywood of animation. On the floor, startups are using AI to translate manga globally, generate music from text prompts, and bring Japanese IP to life as anime \u2014 delivered worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Can\u2019t make it to Tokyo? You can still be there<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missing SusHi Tech Tokyo doesn\u2019t have to mean missing out. Remote participants get more than a livestream \u2014 on-site staff will walk the floor on your behalf, carrying a device that displays your face so you can interact with attendees and exhibitors in real time, face-to-face. It\u2019s the closest thing to actually being there.<\/p>\n<p>Techcrunch event<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note: Please note that some sessions may not be available for viewing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sushitech.tokyo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Apply for remote participation with on-site staff support here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Can\u2019t swing that either? Ticket holders can stream sessions online and tap into the programming from wherever they are. <a href=\"https:\/\/sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp\/session\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Browse the full session list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In conjunction with the startup event, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also hosts a meeting of leaders from 55 cities across five continents. They will discuss the theme of \u201cA New Urban Future Built on Climate and Disaster Resilience.\u201d The city leaders\u2019 summit is part of G-NETS (Global City Network for Sustainability), organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government since 2022 as a multicity forum to discuss how to solve\u00a0common challenges\u00a0with a focus now on resilience to urban climate disasters and the well-being of citizens. The summit can be\u00a0observed\u00a0by general audiences on YouTube in real time and after the event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.g-nets.metro.tokyo.lg.jp\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\">G-NETS official website<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@G-NETS_TOKYO-SEADS\" target=\"_blank\">G-NETS YouTube Channel<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 runs April 27\u201329 at Tokyo Big Sight. Business days are April 27\u201328; public day (free admission) is April 29. <a href=\"https:\/\/sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp\/?utm_source=techcrunch&amp;utm_medium=articlepost3&amp;utm_campaign=stt2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">Register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When you purchase through links in our articles, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every major tech conference has themes. Most are vague enough to mean everything and nothing at the same&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":417586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[220,218,219,61,60,80141,180985,80],"class_list":{"0":"post-417585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-startup-battlefield-200","14":"tag-sushi-tech-tokyo","15":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/417586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=417585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=417585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}