“Japan is a challenging market — but one worth the challenge.”
And you don’t have to take that challenge alone.
Over the past years, I’ve had the privilege of working with founders from Israel, Silicon Valley, and across Asia who sought to bring their innovation to Japan.
Despite their vision and talent, many faced the same barriers — language, regulation, and trust.
Finding the right local partner often became the biggest challenge of all.
KANAI&CO was founded to bridge that gap.
Through strategic access to subsidies, startup loans, and business planning, we help foreign entrepreneurs take confident, practical steps toward success in Japan.
We’ve supported clients in securing ¥48 million in startup financing from the Japan Finance Corporation and ¥40 million in subsidies from METI, enabling ambitious founders to scale faster without giving up equity.
Before founding KANAI&CO, I spent over two decades in cross-border finance and strategy —
from Goldman Sachs to Arthur Andersen and Deloitte — working with executives on both sides of the Pacific.
That experience, combining finance, taxation, and management, now forms the foundation of our mission:
to connect global innovation with Japan’s evolving startup ecosystem.
If you can clearly answer the question,
“Why Japan?”
then we are ready to stand beside you — to make that vision real.
Together, let’s make Tokyo the most open and dynamic city for global entrepreneurs in Asia.
A place where innovation meets opportunity — and where your next chapter begins.
Nobuji Kanai
Founder & Principal Advisor
KANAI&CO Inc.