Shibuya Startup Support is an initiative led by the Shibuya City Office to support the launch and growth of startups in Japan. It acts as a concierge for founders who want to set up and expand a business in Shibuya, Tokyo. It runs an English-language startup visa programme for foreign founders, the Testbed City programme for trials with residents and city departments, and events for the startup community. Related city efforts include the S-Startups certification and the Shibuya Startup Deck consortium of industry, government and academia.
Open to
Market entry partners
Legal, tax or visa help
Co-marketing & events
The events page invites people who want to organise an event through Shibuya Startup Support to send a request through its contact form. Applications for the startup visa and Testbed City are taken through the website.
Services
Service
Startup Visa
Who it's for: International entrepreneurs entering Japan
✓Visa pathway for founders establishing a business in Shibuya
Service
S-Startups Program
Who it's for: International startups
✓Support program currently in its 4th term of recruitment
ServiceOpen for applications
Testbed City
A project, launched in June 2020, that sources new technologies and ideas to solve local social issues and tests them in Shibuya.
Who it's for: Startups, universities and research institutes with technology for community problems
✓Access to a resident monitor programme with more than 2,500 participants.
✓Coordination with Shibuya City departments for demonstration experiments.
✓Mentoring from venture capital firms and investors.
Service4th term; support from Jan 2027
S-Startups certification
A Shibuya City certification that lets startups use Shibuya as a testing ground, with a one-year support period.
Who it's for: Pre-seed to early-stage startups based in Japan
✓24/7 access to a community hub.
✓Introductions to local businesses, networking events and mentoring from advisors.
✓Chances to speak and exhibit at events, and the right to use the S-Startups logo.
Customers
Foreign founders moving to Japan to start a scalable business in Shibuya, pre-seed to early-stage startups based in Japan, and startups, universities and research institutes that want to test new technology with residents. Its site says the startup visa holders it has supported range from solo founders to foreign startups, across various stages and industries.
“Shibuya city gives you a great opportunity to enter Japanese market thanks to their hands-on support regarding startup visa, investments, business partnerships, as well as settling down in Japan with your family.”
Fariza Abidova · Co-Founder, Trusted Corporation
“Shibuya City, where Stripe's office is currently located, brings excitement as well as a cosmopolitan, young energy.”
Daniel Heffernan · Representative Director, Stripe Japan
Traction
100+companies taking part in Testbed City as of March 2025
~400applicants to Testbed City from Japan and abroad
2,500+residents in the monitor programme that tests new services
4thS-Startups certification term, with support starting January 2027
