How Japan’s Leading Corporations Are Transforming Legacy into Innovation

Learn More: https://venturecafeglobal.org/sessions/gg26-japan-leading-corporations/

Date: February 19th, 2026
Session Location: Toranomon Hills Forum Hall-B – Breakout Room A
Session Organizer: Venture Café Tokyo
Language: English
Reinventing the Giants: How Japan’s Leading Corporations Are Transforming Legacy into Innovation
Session Description:
Innovation is no longer the domain of startups alone. In this session, we explore how Japanese corporate giants such as Toyota and Fujitsu are reinventing themselves for a new era of innovation.
Through initiatives like Toyota’s Woven City, a real-world living laboratory, and Fujitsu’s Uvance Innovation Studio, an open collaboration hub connecting corporations with startups and partners, these companies demonstrate how legacy organizations can adapt, experiment, and co-create in a rapidly changing environment.
Drawing on tangible, ongoing case studies, the session will examine how Japan’s traditionally closed, internal development culture is shifting toward more open, experimental, and collaborative innovation models. Participants will gain practical insights into corporate transformation, open innovation, and real-world experimentation and how these approaches help long-established companies remain competitive and future-ready.