Tokyo and Regional Startup Support Programs, and the National Startup Visa

Shibuya Startup Support is a free government program in Tokyo's Shibuya ward offering help with paperwork, office space, networking, consultations and startup-visa support; it is one of the best-known programs but also the most demanding in terms of business "innovativeness" and has high competition. Invest Tokyo (ビジネスコンシェルジュ東京) is a Tokyo bureau supporting startups and businesses that reviews applications faster than Shibuya Startup Support and does not require an explicitly innovative business plan; its FAQ covers the requirement that each co-applicant hold a 51% stake. Tokyo Startup One-Stop (TOSBEC) offers free online consultations with lawyers for startups, X-Hub Tokyo supports innovative businesses, and the Tokyo SME Support Center serves small and medium businesses generally. Regionally, Osaka Innovation Hub and the Osaka Business Development Agency support startups and startup visas in Osaka (participants were unsure whether these are fully distinct organizations); Kyoto runs startup visas under the METI and NSSZ programs, with the Phoenixi incubator providing free housing and food for program residents. Fukuoka offers a collection of accelerator/support information, a reduced tax rate for startups, and help with the Fukuoka startup visa; the Grow Next incubator in Fukuoka was considered for a startup-visa application but ultimately not pursued because of slow email response times (roughly three weeks), despite being responsive in person. Sapporo offers free 45-minute consultations with accountants, lawyers and fund representatives through sih-d.jp. Since January 2025, a national startup visa run jointly by METI and the Cabinet Office has applied across the whole country; JETRO's official reports and several overview articles cover both the launch and the distinction between the METI and Cabinet Office program types. Source: https://shibuya-startup-support.jp — Shibuya Startup Support — free startup support program in Tokyo. Source: https://www.investtokyo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/oursupports/bdc-tokyo/fhr-faq.html — Invest Tokyo FAQ, including the 51% co-applicant stake requirement. Source: https://www.x-hub-tokyo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp — X-Hub Tokyo — Tokyo's program supporting innovative businesses. Source: https://www.tokyo-kosha.or.jp/TTC/en/about/ — Tokyo SME Support Center. Source: https://www.kyoto-obc.jp/startupvisa/ — Kyoto startup visa under the METI and NSSZ programs. Source: https://www.phoenixi.co.jp/en/about/project/ — Phoenixi incubator, free housing/food for Kyoto startup-visa program residents. Source: https://fukuoka.startup-city.jp/ — collection of accelerator and support information for Fukuoka. Source: https://www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/soki/kikaku/business/startuphoujingenzei_en.html — reduced tax rate for startups in Fukuoka. Source: https://expact.jp/fukuokastartupvisa/ — help with the Fukuoka startup visa. Source: https://sih-d.jp/ — free 45-minute consultations with accountants/lawyers/funds for startups in Sapporo. Source: https://expact.jp/japans-startup-visa/ — overview article on the launch of the national startup visa. Source: https://www.jetro.go.jp/biz/areareports/2024/e1c37db26244ddb8.html — JETRO article on the METI and Cabinet Office startup-visa program types.