Your Gateway to Osaka: Startup Visas

Transcript

Hi, good morning everyone. The talk on bet was amazing. Did you enjoy it? Thank you. Thank you. Amazing. Thank you. My name is Mayo Zaki, the leader of startup support unit at Osaka innovation hub, an external external organization created by both Osaka Prefecture and Osaka city government. Theon 2025 is being held with the support of Osaka Prefecture and OIH.

Therefore, in this session, we want to run a little bit about Osaka and hope that some of you start business in Osaka. Osaka Japan's second largest city is traditional famous as a business hub and produce major Japanese company such as Panasonic and Sentry. We want to know more about Osaka and its support by you with might but want to create we want to know create blockchain business in Osaka.

We have a great team to support your business. Not only Osaka innovation hub. We have a many company and organization here to support business from abroad. More importantly, Osaka people are the best. You will love living and working here. So today we have a great panelist you the great some taste of Osaka. First, Chikoxam from Future Works.

Chikaman, please introduce yourself. Hello uh everyone. So, I'm Chiko from Hanki Hansin Properties Corporation and I'm always thinking about how we can improve this UMDA area as a global uh innovation hub and also how I can improve my dance. Actually, I love dancing. I'm doing Tahesian dance. Let's dance together. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, Uria Sam from OI. My colleague Yuri, can you introduce yourself?

>> Sure. I'm Uria, a coordinator from Osaka Innovation Hub and I'm excited to share the startup ecosystem in Osaka today and well, I'm very glad if you will be interested in expand your business in Osaka after our session. >> Thank you. Okay. Finally, Danny. So, actually decide to live here. Danny, can you tell us about yourself? >> Sure. Uh, so I'm Daniel. Uh, I am one of the people that I guess bringing business here to Osaka from in my case Seattle. And so I'm I'm new here, but I love it. It's great.

>> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Danny. So now let's hear from Chikosam from future works about your support to those who want to want to try Osaka for the short time. Okay. Yeah. Again I'm Chiko and uh I'm uh total coordinator of Future Works. Today I would like to introduce to you Future Works uh Osaka's premier 247 co-working hub for professional and startup and nomad. So whether you are exploring uh opportunity in Japan or just traveling through so we can offer uh comfortable and in uh comfortable space in the heart of

so we are focusing on three core pillars. Uh one is supporting startups. So we are providing the resources and physical assets to help them. Then supporting global digital nomad. So we are offering a comfortable and productive space for remote worker from around the world. Uh and fostering community uh we are nurturing a strong network where diverse talent can connect and collaborate through these initiatives. So uh our goal is to promote Osaka as a leading global innovation hub.

So one of our biggest advantages is prime location. So uh within five minutes work from Umemeda station which is on the Hanku and Hansing and uh subway line and also JR Osaka station. So facilities spans is approximately 1,400 square meters and is open 247. It's fully equipped uh for to support for wide range of work style with 120 co-working seat, five private office uh 26 looms and foam boos, meeting looms and also a ping pong table and shower

loom and even karaoke loom. So if you like it so if you want to use this space uh we can offer a minimum day pass and if you could convert to weekly monthly pass so you can use 247 and the view from here is amazing actually I had experience to accept the etherium related hackathon here for one month so they gathered uh about 30 people here. That was good experience for me too.

The future works is more than uh just co-working space. It's vibrant community. So we host regularly event uh such as uh yoga class, a kickboxing class and circuit tasting and tea ceremony. And also we have the uh big uh promotion event called the future fest. Actually it's it will start uh from end of this month then for nine days so which brings together digital nomad and startups then uh yeah official deadline is passed but I kept a few seat for this participants. So if you are curious

about this event please stop by the future works booth. So we have booth. Yeah. And uh around the entrance. So yeah, future works is uh operated by Hanku Hansin properties corporation of one of core company of Hankuhin holdings group. So this slide shows our uh group's significant presence in Osaka area uh uh including uh innovation related facilities and event space.

So yeah that's why uh we want to make great startup ecosystem here. Yeah that's it. Thank you. Thank you Chakosan. So those of those of you who want to use future works so please talk to her later today. So next you listen so tell you about OI and Osaka startup ecosystem. So what Osaka can do those who want to start business here in Osaka.

Sure. So let me introduce about the startup ecosystem in Osaka and Kai region. I'm from Osaka business development agency OBDA and it is a public organization created by Osaka city and prefecture government and our role is to contribute to business growth in Osaka. Today I picked up three point what makes unique Osaka in tech. First reason is a deep tech infrastructure.

Osaka and Ka region are home to worldclass university and research institutions. We operate Kesakai startup academia coalition a platform is over 19 organization including top universities, major banks, venture capital and local government. It means Osaka offer a one-stop ecosystem that connect technology development, funding and real world implementation. Additionally, platform for international startup. We have a strong support. IBPC Osaka provides free incubation space for up to six months and consultation for market entry. OPIC is introducing

foundaries with legal and tax expert experience in crossber business and Osaka international house foundation support their daily life. This organization were also established by the government same as OBDA. So we have a strong relationship. Second strong point of Osaka is the aspect of fluffing test bed. While power facility at text startup can run PC experiment and collaborate with local corporation to scale their business and these are initiative in mobility, robotics and healthcare.

Furthermore, Osaka offers diverse test bed facilities such as smart cities, sports, meotech, labos. This environment allows startup to quickly test and scale their technology in real world setting. And the last unique feature of Osaka is a strong commitment from government and corporation to work with startups. As my son mentioned, Osaka is the home of leading company and over 100 company joined the declaration of startup friendly kansai and they pledged to respond sincerely to startup proposal.

In fact, I connected the US blockchain company and the Japanese major bank and they started collaboration to launch new service. As you see, Osaka innovation hub has a role connecting startup and corporation together. We are located very center of Osaka and 10 minutes walk from here and as a hub O coordinator connected them every day depends on each startup needs.

Our membership program links startup with partners interested in co-creation and we run variety of activities all year round and today I just pick up the in international startup support. This is Osaka springboard. It set up the business matching with international startups and the local cooperation and also individual support like business consulting, legal advice and startup visa support. And lastly, let me mention web three is slinging in Osaka this year. After rising a web three accelerator program that run it here in Osaka and NT and Hank Hansen property and Osaka

innovation have supported with them and we gave them the venue and the co-working space and connecting government and supporters. Another exciting milestone is the official digital wallet of expo 2025 powered by hashboard over 500,000 account and 4.3 million transaction show the blockchain is reaching every day users and the last reason is definitely edom following the last year edition in Tokyo I'm truly delegated that this year it will be happen in Osaka and we had a meeting with Edoonon team every week for

six months. So I'm very glad to have today with everyone and the official partner event of Edokon the Kido global conference will take place here tomorrow just next room on the same floor. You will see cutting edge AI IoT web3 startups from Japan and we are excited to share the experience with you and create innovation together. Thank you. Thank you, Juliaan. So, OIH and its affiliated organization can support you from zero to growth your business in Osaka.

So, let's talk more if you are interested in doing business here. So, next Danny come to Osaka as a nomad. So, and now you've decided to live live and do business here. So, what brought you to Osaka and why did you want to live here? Could you tell us how Osaka attracted you? >> There's no place like home. There just isn't. And um I I lived in Seattle 15 years. Had a career, great career there. half that

owning a business, running working with different companies. Um, that company is still there. We're still running it. GM on that side. We do all that and um and uh but but it it it wasn't home. It didn't feel like home. It's like work. Going to do the job. I'm going to sell, do things, whatever, everything that businesses do. But um yeah, it's sort of this point in in in life that we eventually all get to and it's like well we need to we need to feel like this is this is the place because you can be

working on your business and doing all the jobs and that can that can carry you for a while but um eventually it's you know life is a little bigger than that and so We um yeah, so I I uh went around different cities, wrote down a list of places to go and uh checked off a list. I don't know what we're going to do, what we to look at. And um Osaka was uh not on my map. I didn't know where it was. I knew where Tokyo was. that's pretty big and famous and all that. But um Osaka I kind of found by accident on the way to Nagasaki because the history the museums and all

that. So that was the point of going down there. But um natural stopover point here and I walked out and I'm like, "Yep, this is this is it. This is it." and um so called immigration went through the process and do all that. So now we're we've we've opened uh the second business here. Uh first one being the American one. The second so the first Japanese business is here now. And um and yeah, so now we're we're starting we're starting here and uh it'd be really really great to work with some of you. Um

and we're uh obviously happy to chat and support and all of that. But yeah, I mean Uh the point is we we can tell you it's like all the infer is here all the everything that you would you would want as support as a business that all of that's available. Um obviously with um the different incubators and support offices and things. It's like you know the the infra is here. It's it's there. Um so whatever you want to build um whether it's in this or an adjacent space or something completely different. It's it's available. There's there's ways to bring it here. The the question is is um just

desire and you know, do you want to be here? Um do you want to hang out with us? You know, do you want to go eat and grab a cup of coffee in the morning? Um, so really the the the I could tell you all the reasons why I'm here, but a lot of it is just the the people are awesome. So hanging out with my um that's I mean that's it. It's the people here are amazing. um super warm culture and really great and so yeah that's um no place like home. Just no place at

home. So this is home. All right. >> Okay. >> Anything else? >> Did we miss anything? >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So >> come chat with us. Mhm. Okay. What's the difference between Osaka people and the rest of the Japanese people? >> This question, >> we're cooler over here. >> Yeah. Um I mean, some of it you just have to kind of explore, right? like go up on the outside when when people talk in America it's like oh Japan is like this one thing and Japanese people are

one thing and and it's like you you come here and it's like no not not really um try go to the different cities like I mean I don't know how how many of you been to Kyoto a few a few yeah different So um there it same there same nada it's all all of these different places at different cultures even like the north side of the city and the south side of the city um you know completely different vibe and uh and and so just Tokyo same thing right it's another

Tokyo is like Tokyo is like a category I've been telling people that in the like no Tokyo the capital the city whatever it's like no no Tokyo is like like a category with like seven cities in it. And so it's it's wild. You have to um this place is is is a lot bigger than uh we are told. Um and uh and I I think I if you can, right, don't find it kind of by accident like I did. Uh you know, take take the train, go around, visit, you know, see uh see what you like, see where where the the energy is right for you, and um and give it a shot. And you know, it's like we've got

we've got these options like this if you you know, you guys want to come by and hang out in Osaka for a bit and just hang out. Um, you know, it's make some friends and see what happens and and maybe some business connections too and all of that. And we have we're at a conference, right? So, we can all chat. Um but yeah, you have to love it. You have to love it. Otherwise, it's like the paperwork and and in any country that you move to, you try to do the same thing in Europe or try to do the same thing, you know, or if you're coming from Europe and you're trying to do it in America or Canada or somewhere, the paperwork's hard. You have to do the the things with immigration, the visas, the companies, the legal stuff. Yours is another language. You have to try to half read

some of it. And it's, you know, it's not like it's easy. But if you have good friends and uh you're having a good time then right? So anyway, no place like home. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. So enough. Okay. >> Sorry. >> Okay. Thank you Danny for your great great insight on behalf of Osaka residents and I am very much happy to know that a person like you love Osaka and decide the living living and do business here.

So it seem like the time is up. Time is up. Okay. Again want to thank all for you here today. Hope some of you in the inter be interested in doing the blockchain business here in Osaka. So we have a booth outside in this conference room near the registration desk. So please stop by and ask question. So again thank you for listening to us. I hope you will will have the wonderful time in the rest of the Eloon 2025.

Thank you very much.