SusHi Tech Tokyo 배후의 새로운 얼굴들 — 일본의 기업가적 전환을 주도하는 학생들

A student group is pushing to reshape how young Japanese people think about success, risk and entrepreneurship.

Tokyo is readying for its annual startup convention, SusHi Tech Tokyo — starting Monday — to bring together entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers from across the globe. But Asia’s largest startup event also highlights a quiet shift taking place among Japan’s younger generation, where in a country long associated with preference for stability and traditional career paths, an increasing number of students are turning toward entrepreneurship.

At the center of the shift is ITAMAE, a student-led initiative working alongside SusHi Tech Tokyo, which brings together students across Japan to organize events around the convention to inspire other young people in Japan about entrepreneurial possibilities. 

Short for Innovative Technology Academic Maestro and in line with the sushi-themed naming of the convention — with SusHi Tech standing for Sustainable High City Tech and itamae referring to a sushi chef — the group is united in its goal of building a community of young innovators, working to disrupt the “anti-failure” culture in the country.