Taxes and Incentives

• The city of Yokohama offers tax incentives for office leasing up to 500 million JPY to rent space for a major HQ or R&D base, up 5 billion JPY subsidy for office purchase/construction.

• The city government offers location subsidies for specific industries up to 2.5 million JPY.

• Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC) in Yokohama by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) supports foreign and foreign-affiliated companies to enter the Japanese market.

• For foreign-affiliated companies moving to Yokohama, the city of Yokohama provides support related to establishing new businesses in the city, such as corporate registration, searching for an office, securing personnel, subsidies for office rent and more through cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

Investor Landscape

• The most notable investments are in these areas: robotics, automotive, R&D and e-commerce.

• Over the first half of 2021, Japanese startups raised approximately JPY 324.5 billion (USD 3.01 billion) in investments.

• According to CB Insights, startups in Yokohama have received a total of $304.6M in funding as of 2022.

• The University of Tokyo in 2021 launched a $536 million fund to invest in startups, the largest university-backed fund in Japan.

Incubators and Accelerators:

IDEC Yokohama (Yokohama Industrial Development Corporation): IDEC Yokohama supports SMEs and startups stabilize and strengthen their business bases through business matching, offers solutions for corporate management and other consulting services, operates incubation facilities, and promotes the launch of businesses and the development of overseas business.

CROSSBIE JAPAN: CROSSBIE is an organization/accelerator with a focus on bringing Japan and the global startup ecosystem together. CROSSBIE creates a tech marketplace for both companies and startups, promotes the development of new innovations, and drives business and societal impact.

The Drivery Japan: A German-Japan accelerator that supports global mobility startups entering the Japanese market, free of charge.

Connect’s International Springboard Program with Yokohama: Connect, a San Diego-based accelerator, has partnered with Yokohama City to create a mentoring program held every year that supports life science startups based in Yokohama prepare for entering global markets.

Notable events

• BioJapan conference: Asia’s largest bio business and partnering event is held in Pacifico Yokohama, a premier convention center in Yokohama.
• The Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC): is an international conference hosted in Yokohama that brings together representatives from Asian cities, national governments, international organizations, academic institutions, and private companies, aiming at establishing a knowledge hub for Smart Cities.