Tokyo aims to become world's most startup-friendly city under Gov. Yuriko Koike's leadership

Gov. Yuriko Koike, who has run Tokyo since 2016, is betting the city's future on entrepreneurs and startups as part of an effort to reinvent Tokyo as a global startup hub.

Tokyo previously led in hardware innovation (exemplified by advanced flip phones in the 2000s) but fell behind Silicon Valley during the smartphone and internet era as Japan struggled through its lost decades and lagged in the shift from hardware to software.

The initiative leverages Tokyo's stability, AI potential, and government-backed support to position the city as more startup-friendly than anywhere else in the world.