Why Tokyo is the most important place for technology in 2026

Every major technical conference has themes. Many are so vague that they mean everything and nothing at the same time. SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 it’s doing something different – four prominent technology areas, each supported by exhibitions, galleries, and sessions with the people who are building and funding these technologies around the world.

TechCrunch is partnering with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 as a media partner, and our Startup Battlefield team will sit down and select the winner of the SusHi Tech Challenge to advance to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200 – one of the most prominent startup programs in tech. Here’s what’s below.

AI – beyond the hype, into the architecture

Panels featuring Howard Wright (Nvidia), Rob Chu (AWS), and Eric Benhamou (Benhamou Global Ventures) cut through the noise to explore where AI is honestly placed at scale and where the real risks are. Downstairs, AI-themed university startups walk alongside international players, and the AI ​​Film Festival Japan, a collaborative event at the Tokyo Innovation Base in Yurakucho, explores how artificial intelligence is changing culture in real time.

Robotics – physical AI has arrived

SusHi Tech robots are not behind glass – they are on the ground and interacting. Onstage, Nissan, Isuzu, and Applied Intuition’s Qasar Younis examine how smart cars and software are changing transportation. Physical AI is not a phenomenon of the future. It is in Tokyo on April 27.

Resilience – cities that survive what’s coming

Eva Chen (Trend Micro) and Noboru Nakatani of NEC tackle cyber security, while top climate experts and VCs from Breakthrough Energy and Cleantech Group examine where global investment is heading. VR disaster simulators and tours of Tokyo’s flood control facilities make the experience a reality.

Fun – Traditional Japanese engine meets AI

Sessions and the CEOs of Production IG, MAPPA, and CoMix Wave Films tackle what it takes to make Tokyo the Hollywood of animated films. On the ground, startups are using AI to translate manga around the world, create music from audio, and bring Japanese IP to life as anime – delivered worldwide.

I can’t go to Tokyo? You can stay there

Missing SusHi Tech Tokyo doesn’t mean missing out. Remote attendees get more than just walking – venue staff will walk the floor for you, carrying a device that shows your face so you can interact with attendees and presenters in real-time, face-to-face. It’s the closest thing there is.

Note: Please note that some sections may not be available for viewing.

Sign up for remote participation and support from the site’s staff here.

Can’t you change that? Ticket holders can follow the sessions online and join the program from wherever they are. Browse the full list here.

In conjunction with this event, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also holds a meeting of leaders from 55 cities on five continents. He will discuss the topic “A New Urban Future Built for Climate and Disaster Resilience.” The meeting of city leaders is part of the G-NETS (Global City Network for Sustainability), organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government from 2022 as a multi-disciplinary meeting to discuss how to deal with the challenges that ordinary people are now facing in dealing with urban disasters and the well-being of citizens. The meeting can be viewed by the public on YouTube in real time and afterwards.

Official site of G-NETS

G-NETS YouTube channel

SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 runs from April 27-29 at Tokyo Big Sight. Business days are April 27-28; public day (free admission) is April 29. Write here.