Sumire Daikai, staying in New York as an intern from Yokohama City University, contributed the following article about overseas internship efforts at Yokohama City University:Yokohama City...
Special Features
The “Far Shore” Concept – Using Proximity to your Advantage (Innovation Interviews, Ep. 6)
Shingo Potier is an expert on worldwide innovation and has been involved in creating a community in Japan based on “value”, and Tsuyoshi Aizawa is a former Yokohama real estate agent who is now...
Company Spotlight: Rising Startups
We spoke with Masa Okunishi, representative of Rising Startups. In 2015, Mr. Okunishi established Japan NYC Startups, a community for Japanese startups located in New York. The community grew...
Open Innovation is the Key to Survival (Innovation Interviews, Ep. 5)
(Right) Shingo Nagai, Executive Manager and Head of Area Management, Sotetsu Building Management Co., Ltd.(Left) Yuta Hashimoto, Assistant Section Chief, Keikyu Corporation Business Creation...
Company Spotlight: Airbuy Inc.
We interviewed Mr. Kentaro Ikemoto of Airbuy Inc., a startup that began at MIT and is now promoting sales in Yokohama, Japan. Please tell us about Airbuy. Airbuy is a B2B startup offering...
How Location is Shaping the Future of (Open) Innovation in Japan (Innovation Interviews, Ep. 4)
The Minato Mirai (MM) area of Yokohama is currently transforming into a central hub for the headquarters of Japan’s large companies and R&D centers. It is the home of businesses such as Fuji...
How “Real Local Issues” Create Business (Innovation Interviews, Ep. 3)
(Left) Ms. Ayako Amari, Business Strategy Section Engineer at the Application Management System Headquarters of Hitachi Solutions. (Center) Ms. Tanabe Keiko, Senior Staff of the Corporate Planning...
Initiatives to Educate Entrepreneurs (Innovation Interviews, Ep. 2)
Interview with Dr. Emi Tamechika, Professor at Yokohama National University’s Center for Economic Growth Strategy Becoming a launchpad for innovation, and establishing initiatives to educate...
Company Spotlight: mayunowa
Introducing mayunowa LLC, a startup company from Yokohama, Japan. Mayunowa provides makeup and skincare products made from silk, and runs an aesthetic salon in Yokohama. Introducing a new skincare...
Company Spotlight: CODE Meee
Interview with Kenji Ota, Founder and CEO of CODE Meee Inc., a startup from Yokohama that is exhibiting at Techday New York in May. Merging Aroma and Technology to present “Personalized...
Company Spotlight: M.I-Story
Interview with Ms. Hiromi Sakamoto, the founder and president of M.I-Story Co., Ltd., a Yokohama startup that will debut its first product, the “Hammock Pillow," internationally at TechDay New York...
Company Spotlight: ICON
This toy robot is teaching programming for kids through interactive and intuitive play. President and Representative Director Toshiko Tsuchiya introduced us to ICON, a Yokohama-based company...
Company Spotlight: Aperza Inc.
Makoto Ishihara, CEO, Aperza Inc. We interviewed Mr. Makoto Ishihara, the CEO of Aperza Inc., a Yokohama-based startup that participated in the startup convention “Slush Tokyo 2019” which took place...
“Creating the best products by utilizing the talent and technology that Yokohama has to offer” (Innovation Interviews, Ep. 1)
Interview with Mr. Hideyuki Fujisawa, Representative Director, NITTO CO.,LTD. NITTO is a global pioneer of state of the art technology. Founded in 1918 to produce electrical insulation...
Company Spotlight: TRIPLUS
We interviewed Mr. Tomohito Akiyama, the CEO of Yokohama startup TRIPLUS Inc. TRIPLUS exhibited at Tokyo Slush 2019, a startup convention held in February, and was selected as one of the top 40...
Company Spotlight: OPPO
OPPO, the 5th largest smartphone maker in the world, opened a research center in Yokohama one year ago. Interview with Mr. Cho, the head of OPPO’s Yokohama Research Center.Q. Can you give us an...
Company Spotlight: Leggett & Platt Automotive
Hayato Sugawara, Manager, L&P Automotive Japan KK (Left)Steve Henderson, Vice President, Leggett & Platt; President, Automotive Group (Middle)Barry Jones, President, North America, Chief...
Industry Deep Dive: Advanced Manufacturing
An advanced manufacturing hub ready for industry transformation The manufacturing industry is on the verge of a major transformation, with advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT),...