Japan's JETRO positions Osaka as a technology investment hub, launching platforms to connect foreign companies with Japanese corporations and offering business support services.

JETRO, a government-backed trade and investment organization, is promoting Osaka and the Kansai region as an alternative gateway to the Japanese market, focusing on robotics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.

The organization operates J-Bridge, a platform connecting overseas startups and technology companies with Japanese corporations for partnerships and investment, with nearly 2,000 Japanese companies currently participating. JETRO also runs an Invest Japan Business Support Center in Osaka providing temporary office space, visa assistance, company registration support, and recruitment help to foreign companies.

A JETRO Osaka advisor reported the organization handles around 100 consultations from foreign companies each year. Osaka, located about 500 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, sits at the heart of the Kansai region, one of Japan's largest economic areas with significant concentrations of manufacturing and technology companies.