The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced that SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 will take place from April 27 to April 29 at Tokyo Big Sight, positioning this year’s edition as its most ambitious yet. Now in its fourth year, the conference has grown into Asia’s largest global innovation gathering, and organisers are aiming to further elevate it as a worldwide platform where innovators converge to design the cities of tomorrow.
Short for “Sustainable High City Tech,” SusHi Tech Tokyo was conceived as a forum to envision, debate and implement future societies shaped by advanced technologies. Over the years, it has evolved into a comprehensive program of intensive sessions, live demonstrations and startup showcases. In 2026, the event will expand both in scale and global reach, welcoming participants from across industries and geographies to experience not only frontier technologies but also Tokyo’s unique cultural and urban strengths.
This year’s programme centres on four key areas: AI, Robotics, Resilience and Entertainment.
AI takes centre stage as a transformative force reshaping industries, work styles and the nature of innovation itself. Leaders from pioneering companies and renowned research institutions will explore how humans and AI can collaborate to build more inclusive and productive societies. The event will feature an AI-focused startup exhibition highlighting university and research spin-offs from across Japan, alongside a pitch contest and partner screenings of award-winning works from an international AI film festival.
Robotics will showcase the rise of “physical AI,” as intelligent machines become more deeply integrated into daily life. Demonstrations will spotlight robots performing a range of tasks designed to enhance convenience, productivity and quality of life, signalling how automation could address labour shortages and demographic shifts.
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Under the resilience theme, SusHi Tech will present technologies to strengthen cities against natural disasters and climate-related risks. Exhibits will focus on earthquake preparedness, flood mitigation and rapid recovery systems.
Attendees can also join site tours of Tokyo’s critical infrastructure, including vast underground flood-control reservoirs that protect the metropolis from river overflows.
In entertainment, the event will explore how technology is reshaping creative industries spanning anime, manga, music and sports. Beyond the main venue, partner events across the city will invite global visitors to engage with Tokyo’s cultural landscape, including a walking event along the KK Line, an elevated expressway undergoing a transformation into a pedestrian space.
SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 is also set to attract a record number of startups. More than 700 companies from around the world will exhibit, up from 607 last year. The global pitch contest, SusHi Tech Challenge 2026, will see 20 finalists selected from 820 applicants across 60 countries and regions.
A new initiative, “SusHi Tech Global Startups,” will provide intensive support to growth-stage companies through collaboration between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and ecosystem partners.
Global investors will take the stage to share insights into Japan’s startup landscape and evolving investment strategies, with open meetups designed to facilitate direct engagement.
The conference will also spotlight Japan’s top university startups, innovative SMEs from across the country and student-led initiatives such as “ITAMAE,” where students independently plan sessions and support overseas founders.
With tickets now on sale, including discounted early-bird passes until February 28, SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 is shaping up not only to be a showcase of emerging technologies but also a statement of Tokyo’s ambition to lead in building sustainable, human-centric cities for the future.
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Image Credit: SusHi Tech 2026
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