Report：Chubu Region Innovation Creation Press Tour

OVERVIEW

Tour Dates: Thursday, November 20–Friday, November 21, 2025

Place: Chubu Region

Participants: 6 participants

Topics: Central Japan, the No. 1 Hub for the Manufacturing Industry in Japan—Becoming a Global Center Creating New Value

In June 2025, Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya, Hamamatsu, Gifu Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, and Shizuoka Prefecture, which form the Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium, were chosen for the second round of the Cabinet Office’s Global Hub Cities startup ecosystem. A press tour was held to cover innovation creation in the Chubu region and spread the news internationally about Central Japan being a global hub leading innovation in Japan and worldwide.

A total of six journalists participated in this press tour, from media outlets based out of Qatar, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
*This tour was sponsored by JETRO Nagoya, and planned and operated by the FPCJ.
*For more details on the tour, see the tour notice here.

Day 1

＜Central Japan Briefing＞

The tour went to STATION Ai, where Mr. Toshio Sumi, director of the Startup Support Division of the Innovation Promotion Department of the Economic Affairs Bureau of the City of Nagoya, gave an overview of the Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium and explained Nagoya’s appeal as a business city, Nagoya’s initiatives for supporting startups, and hopes for TechGALA Japan 2026. The journalists asked about the background behind the amount of startup creation in the Chubu region, a manufacturing hub, and about the number of startups operating in the region.

＜UBeing Co., Ltd.＞

Next, the tour heard from Dr. Taiki Fukushima, CEO of UBeing Co., Ltd., about the taste adjustment device umaiNa being developed by the company, which uses electricity to make low-salt food taste better. Dr. Fukushima explained about its applications in preventative medicine, collaborations with hospitals, nursing facilities, and the food industry, and the journalists were able to try using the device for themselves to see how the taste of low-salt food changed.

＜NAGARA Inc.＞

The tour also covered NAGARA Inc., a company established on July 1, 2025 which is registered with STATION Ai. NAGARA Inc. is developing Nagara Kaigo, an audio-based nursing care record keeping AI service. The journalists asked about what led to the development of this service, and the potential of expanding to industries other than nursing care.

＜STATION Ai Corp.＞

STATION Ai staff also gave the journalists a tour of the building.

＜Atsuta Gaien Project: Invigorating the Area Around Atsuta Shrine＞

Guided by Professor Akio Mizuno of the Nagoya Gakuin University Faculty of Contemporary Social Studies, who plays a central role in the Atsuta Shrine Area Platform public-private organization and is closely involved in initiatives to stimulate the Atsuta area, the tour saw the area around Atsuta Shrine and heard about the attractions of the area and hopes for future redevelopment.

＜Beginning of Regular e-Palette Route by Aichi Prefecture＞

At the end of the first day of the tour, the journalists covered the regular e-Palette route which began in November 2025 as part of Aichi Prefecture’s Aichi-Startup Strategy. The e-Palette is a next-generation mobility option developed by Toyota.

Day 2

＜Hamamatsu City Industrial Department Start-Up Promotion Division＞

On the second day, the tour visited Hamamatsu, part of the Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium since the first round and a pioneer in innovation creation in the Chubu region, and heard from Mr. Tatsuhiro Doi, director general of the city’s Start-Up Promotion Division, about startup support in the city and its system, as well as the latest trends for startups in the Hamamatsu. The journalists asked questions about the investment environment, attracting foreign companies, and the effects of stricter requirements for the business manager visa.

＜SILVACOMPASS INC.＞

Next, the tour visited SILVACOMPASS INC., a company which developed a unique AI video dialogue system to pass on experiences of the war and which has been adopted by the medical and service industries, and was given an overview of the company by CEO Haruhiko Yasuda. The journalists went to the Co-startup Space & Community FUSE where SILVACOMPASS’ office is located, and were given a tour of the facility by staff. The tour also visited the Hamamatsu Reconstruction Memorial Hall in Chuo, Hamamatsu, where the company’s system is a permanent exhibit, and heard about it’s system’s features, as well as having the opportunity to engage with the AI, which speaks about the air raids on Hamamatsu.

＜Pi PHOTONICS, INC.＞

The last stop on the tour was the head office of Pi PHOTONICS, INC., a company which manufactures and sells optical equipment in Hamamatsu, which is known for its optical technology industries. Dr. Takahiro Ikeda, CEO of Pi PHOTONICS, explained the HOLOLIGHT LED light developed by the company which can help prevent workplace accidents, among other uses. HOLOLIGHT CHECKERS, a portable LED light for preventing bird nuisances in urban areas such as noise and droppings, takes advantage of birds’ sensitivity to light to safely drive them away. The tour saw a proof of concept demonstration of HOLOLIGHT CHECKERS carried out to drive birds away from trees lining the street near Hamamatsu Station.

◆Below are some of the reports based on this tour.