---
title: "Startup Support Programs, Investors, Coworking and Commercial Real Estate — Overview"
url: https://memocore.ai/memos/6a5f639963d783ad68709468
project: "Doing Business in Japan"
tags: "japan-business, links-and-contacts, subsidies-and-grants, visa-startup"
updated_at: "2026-07-21T12:18:33.838Z"
---

# Startup Support Programs, Investors, Coworking and Commercial Real Estate — Overview

Government support for small businesses and startups in Japan operates at several levels: nationwide portals for grants and IT support, Tokyo-specific programs, regional programs in Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Sapporo, and the national startup visa run jointly by METI and the Cabinet Office since January 2025. This group also covers accelerators, VC funds and investor-networking tools, free or low-cost coworking spaces and labs, and platforms for finding commercial office space. Requirements around a business's "innovativeness" and the level of competition vary significantly between programs.