SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026: AI, Robotics, Resilience and Entertainment Highlights

Four Defined Technology Domains Take Center Stage at Tokyo Big Sight

Most technology conferences rely on broad themes that offer little operational clarity. SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 diverges from this pattern by anchoring its programming in four tightly defined technology domains supported by live demonstrations, dedicated exhibit floors, and targeted conference sessions. The event schedules business days for April 27 and 28, followed by a free public admission day on April 29.

TechCrunch serves as an official media partner for the 2026 gathering. The publication’s Startup Battlefield team will operate on the ground to select one standout semifinalist from the SusHi Tech Challenge, advancing that company directly to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200.

Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure and Deployment at Scale

The artificial intelligence programming moves past superficial industry hype to examine concrete infrastructure and deployment challenges. Sessions featuring Howard Wright of Nvidia, Rob Chu of AWS, and Eric Benhamou of Benhamou Global Ventures analyze where artificial intelligence operates at scale and where underlying risks persist.

Exhibition floors feature AI-themed university startups pitching alongside major international players. Supplementing the main venue, the AI Film Festival Japan operates as a partner event at the Tokyo Innovation Base in Yurakucho, investigating how artificial intelligence transforms culture in real time.

Physical AI and Robotics on the Exhibition Floor

Robotic systems at the 2026 exhibition remain unhindered by glass enclosures, allowing attendees direct interaction on the floor. Mainstage presentations feature representatives from Nissan, Isuzu, and Qasar Younis of Applied Intuition discussing software-defined vehicles and their transformation of modern transportation networks.

Urban Resilience and Disaster Mitigation Strategies

Urban survival strategies form a core pillar of the 2026 agenda. Eva Chen of Trend Micro and Noboru Nakatani of NEC address evolving cyber defense requirements, while venture capitalists from Breakthrough Energy and Cleantech Group examine flows of global climate technology investment.

Attendees experience the stakes directly through a virtual reality disaster simulator and organized site-visit tours examining Tokyo’s underground flood-control infrastructure.

Animation, Entertainment, and Global Intellectual Property

Japan’s cultural engine intersects with emerging technology through sessions examining the evolution of Tokyo into the Hollywood of animation. Chief executives from Production I.G, MAPPA, and CoMix Wave Films lead discussions on production requirements for global markets.

Exhibition booths showcase startups deploying artificial intelligence for automated manga translation, text-prompt music generation, and the adaptation of Japanese intellectual property into globally distributed anime series.

Global City Network for Sustainability Leadership Summit

Concurrently with the technology exhibition, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government hosts leaders from 55 cities across five continents under the Global City Network for Sustainability framework. Organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government since 2022, G-NETS centers its 2026 discussions on building a new urban future rooted in climate and disaster resilience alongside citizen well-being. General audiences can observe the municipal leaders’ summit in real time and via archives on the official G-NETS YouTube channel.

Remote Participation and Global Access Options

Participants unable to travel to Tokyo retain options for remote engagement. On-site staff walk the exhibition floor carrying devices displaying the remote participant's face, enabling real-time face-to-face interaction with attendees and exhibitors. Ticket holders can also access live and archived session programming online through the event's digital streaming portals.