The 2026 edition of RAMEN TECH will be organized as a distributed event spanning Fukuoka City, delivering a broad mix of offerings — including content tailored for startups, venture capitalists, and investors, as well as art, culture, food, and the local Fukuoka community.
Registration for free attendance at RAMEN TECH 2026 is now open, along with applications from Co-Create Partners who wish to host events during the week.
For its third edition, Asia’s international startup week returns to Fukuoka with more than 100 events — free sign-ups for attendees and collaborators are now available
FUKUOKA, JAPAN, July 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — RAMEN TECH 2026, a five-day international startup week, will be held across central Fukuoka from Wednesday, October 7 through Sunday, October 11, 2026. Now entering its third year, the week is co‑created by Fukuoka City and co‑creation partners from across Japan and the global startup ecosystem — a citywide co‑creation week comprising over 100 events. The acronym RAMEN TECH stands for Revolutionizing Asia: Merging Ecosystems & Networks – Tech. The week brings together startups, investors, corporations, government bodies, and students in Fukuoka — Japan’s nearest gateway to the Asian continent.
Background:
– Fukuoka’s Startup Strategy
Ever since declaring itself “Startup City Fukuoka” in 2012, the city has methodically built a policy framework that includes startup visas, tax incentives, and international memorandums of understanding with partner cities. RAMEN TECH, launched in 2024, serves as the flagship event of that strategy. The week is positioned not as a rival to Tokyo, but as a symbol of a city intentionally oriented outward — toward the rest of Asia.
– Geographic and Historical Advantage
Fukuoka lies 1 hour 20 minutes from Shanghai and 1 hour 40 minutes from Seoul by air. With 2,000 years of cross‑strait exchange with the Asian continent, Fukuoka is Japan’s closest hub city to the rest of Asia — in distance, time zone, and cultural affinity.
– Momentum from 2025
The 2025 edition attracted more than 12,000 attendees (including over 1,200 from abroad) across more than 70 events citywide. The week demonstrated its role as a platform for tangible international business outcomes, such as MoU signings between Fukuoka‑based startups and overseas counterparts. The 2026 edition aims to turn those isolated wins into a broader, sustained pattern of cross‑border collaboration.
Program Overview:
– Dates
October 7 (Wed) – 11 (Sun), 2026 (5 days)
– Venue
The Tenjin and Daimyo districts of central Fukuoka form the core, but the entire city becomes the stage. Anchored by startup hubs including Fukuoka Growth Next and CIC Fukuoka, more than 100 events take place simultaneously in parks, shopping arcades, cafés, and clubhouses across the city. Rather than concentrating attendees in a single venue, RAMEN TECH encourages participants to move through the city — layering encounters and co‑creation at every turn.
Flagship Events:
Opening Party (Oct 7)
An opening party for all attendees, planned for Wednesday, October 7. This is expected to be the largest meetup event of RAMEN TECH 2026 (registration required; venue capacity is limited).
Global Summit 2026 (tentative) (Oct 7–8)
Pitches from Japan‑based and international startups, along with talk sessions and booth exhibitions involving diverse stakeholders from industry, government, and academia.
StartupGo!Go! The Pitch / FFG Mirai Conference (co‑held) (Oct 9)
“StartupGo!Go!,” Kyushu’s flagship startup event running since 2014, holds its seed‑stage pitch contest “The Pitch” alongside “FFG Mirai no Kaigi,” organized by Fukuoka Financial Group. Startups from Japan and abroad will take the stage.
Additional Flagship Events will be announced on a rolling basis.
RAMEN TECH Committee:
Fukuoka City, Zero‑Ten Inc., Zero‑Ten Park Inc., and yugyo inc.
Open Calls:
– For Attendees
Target: International and domestic startups, investors, corporations, students, and ecosystem partners.
Register via the official website.
– For Event Collaborators
RAMEN TECH 2026 welcomes proposals from organizations wishing to host independent events during the Week (October 7–11). Registered “Official Events” receive:
– Listing on the official website and SNS channels
– Integration with EntryTickets — a single QR code grants access to all Official Events
– Use of the “OFFICIAL EVENT” logo
– Loan of banners, posters, and on‑site signage
Application details are available on this page.
– For Co‑Create Partners
RAMEN TECH 2026 welcomes companies, educational and research institutions, government bodies, and ecosystem support organizations that share the Week’s vision and want to co‑create the gateway between Fukuoka and the rest of Asia.
Application details are available on this page.
About RAMEN TECH:
RAMEN TECH (Revolutionizing Asia: Merging Ecosystems & Networks – Tech) is an international startup week co‑created by Fukuoka City and its ecosystem partners, launched in 2024 and now in its third year. The Week positions Fukuoka as Asia’s Gateway — offering startups and investors the shortest path between Japan and the rest of Asia. The 2025 edition brought together over 12,000 attendees (including 1,200+ international) across more than 70 events citywide. https://www.ramentech.jp/
Ryoya Sonoda
RAMEN TECH Committee
info@ramentech.jp
