Opinion: Japan won't become another Silicon Valley. It doesn't need to
Tokyo's venture ecosystem is maturing on its own terms
Nagisa Sakurai is a director at Silicon Foundry, a Kearney Company.
Japan's venture capital market reached about $23.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to keep growing, yet it is still much smaller than the American market. People in the U.S. often say Japanese venture capital lacks money, risk-taking and experienced operators. But when we consider differences, we should examine the assumptions behind these comparisons.