Disrupting Japan
Tim Romero
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Why Japanese Femtech is so different
Things don't always go as planned. In fact, they usually don't. Four years ago, femtech was both a rapidly-growing product category and a nationwide movement vocally championed by politicians,…
The real Luddites would have loved AI
Welcome to Disrupting Japan, straight talk from Japan’s most innovative founders and VCs. This is our 250th episode, and I wanted to give you something special; something I have been thinking about…
What’s next for Physical AI in Japan?
I have a short in-between edition for you today. Last month at Venture Cafe's big global gathering in Tokyo, I had a chance to sit down on stage with two old friends of the podcast, and we talked…
Why its hard for startups to use technology for good
New technology is always introduced with the promise of the good it can do for humanity. Most of the time the promised good never come to be. This is largely a structural problem ib how startups are…
S1E248 Corporate venturing as a path to innovation in Japan
You might think that large Japanese companies have trouble innovating. Unfortunately if you believe that, you would be correct. Recently, however, there are a few reasons for hope. The first step…
S1E247 How to sell vegan foods to meat lovers
It's tough to be a vegetarian in a world full of carnivores. It's even tougher to be a startup selling a vegan egg-substitute into a world full of carnivore-dominated market, but that's exactly what…
S1E246 What everyone gets wrong about branding in Japan
Japan market entry is hard. Consumer tastes are different, business culture is different, and market needs can be radically different from those anywhere else. Entering the Japanese market is a…
What role can startups really play in human longevity?
Japan has one of the longest lived and healthiest populations in the world, and let Japanese startups are playing a relatively small role in the recent longevity-tech boom. The longevity market…
Will Japan ever regain its lead in robotics?
In the popular imagination, Japan is almost synonymous with robots. While Japan once dominated cutting-edge robotics, over the past decade she has fallen further and further behind Japan and…
Why so many Japanese VCs won’t invest in Japan
Japanese startups is hot right now, and more and more foreign money is flowing in. But many Japanese VCs remain stubbornly outward-looking. Today we sit down with Shri Dodani, who after a series…
Can startups save Japan’s logistics industry?
According to Taro, Japan's logistics industry is on the brink of collapse, and it's hard to argue that he's wrong. Taro Sasaki founded Hacobu with the goal of modernizing Japan's logistics industry.…
How to start an AI Startup in early 2026
Last month I gave lecture at Globis University on what it takes to build an AI startup today. It's no longer early days for AI, and most founders don't have the connections and resources that drive…
Japanese technology to supercharge human fertility
Japan's declining birth rate makes global headlines. But most of the developed world will soon be facing the same problem. The real solution involves a lot of social and economic changes, and as…
What’s next for climate tech startups & innovation
Last month I spoke on a panel about the future of climate tech. I was joined by Emi Naganuma, the founder and General Partner of Apprecia Capital and Richard Youngman, the CEO Cleantech Group, with…
Foreign founders are changing how Japanese start startups
For the last 150 years, Japan has made a science of borrowing the best ideas from the West and transforming them into her own. The startup world is no exception. Japanese startup culture is heavily…
What it’s really like to be a female VC in Japan
Progress is not only slower in Japan, it is often different. Looking at the numbers, it's clear that venture capital is even more male-dominated in Japan than it is in the West. Our guest today…
Startup success hinges on enterprise innovation
American startups dominate this innovation cycle not as a result of startup innovation, but of enterprise innovation. Today we sit down with Dai Watanabe and dive into the dynamics of industry…
Senpai culture is killing innovation in Japan
Fifteen years ago, University-run venture funds were all illegal here in Japan, but today a higher percentage of major Japanese universities have VC funds than in the US or Europe. Today we sit down…
How to build a successful startup community
Today we are going to sit down with an old friend. It was over seven years ago when I first had Tim Rowe on the podcast and we mapped out what we saw as the future of startup innovation in Japan. In…
Software alone can’t make us work together
Today we are going to break down some startup stereotypes. I sit down with Kunio Hara, co-founder and CEO of Beatrust and break apart the stereotypes of the uncreative Japanese enterprise and the…
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Disrupting Japan has published 262 episodes since September 2014, covering topics in Business, Entrepreneurship.
Disrupting Japan is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 36m.
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