How Japan is Rethinking Global Talent and Tech
The event venue is Google for Startups Campus Tokyo at Stream.
---
As Japan aims to revitalize its innovation ecosystem and address demographic challenges, the country is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation in how it attracts, retains, and empowers global talent.
This timely conversation brings together leading voices across media, government, entrepreneurship and venture capital to explore how Japan is opening its doors to international entrepreneurs and technologists and what that means for the future of startups, policy and investment in the region.
A dynamic panel featuring:
Noah Smith – Renowned economist and writer behind Noahpinion, one of Substack’s most widely read publications. He’s also an angel investor and a sharp commentator on Japan’s economic and societal shifts.
Justin Waldron – Co-founder of Zynga and PlayCo, a globally successful entrepreneur and investor. Based in Japan, he’s building his next unicorn and leading a distributed team across markets.
Noriya Tarutani – Head of JETRO Startup, Japanese government's flagship initiative to help Japan startups expand overseas and to attract international startups, investors and talent to Japan.
Moderator: Yuki Shirato – Managing Director of Techstars Tokyo, angel investor (founder of Yakumi), and co-founder of 3 VC-backed startups. A New York-qualified lawyer with deep experience across borders and ecosystems.
Whether you're an investor, founder, policymaker or Japan-watcher, this event offers a rare look at the evolving role of Japan in the global startup ecosystem and how international collaboration is reshaping the country's technological future.
Please join us!