Fukuoka Growth Next — Japan's First Startup Special Zone

In December 2014, Fukuoka City became Japan's first city designated under the National Strategic Special Zone Act specifically for global startup and job creation, unlocking Japan's pioneering Startup Visa and a package of deregulations for company formation — a departure from Japan's traditionally restrictive immigration policy.

The initiative aimed to attract foreign entrepreneurs and grow a local startup ecosystem by combining regulatory deregulation with a dedicated physical hub and support services.

Fukuoka Growth Next, a 3,000 m² co-working and event venue opened in 2017 in Chuo Ward, became the ecosystem's physical hub, housing early-stage startups alongside venture capital firms and the Fukuoka City Startup Café consultation service. The city runs events, demo days and investor matchmaking in partnership with Fukuoka University, Kyushu University, JETRO and local venture funds.

As of early 2024, the hub accommodated 94 resident startups and 12 venture capital offices. By September 2024, 247 foreign entrepreneurs had been admitted under the Startup Visa programme, representing over 60% of all startup visa holders among Japanese municipalities. In 2023, Japan's Ministry of Justice extended a comparable startup residency pathway to all prefectures, based on Fukuoka's Special Zone pilot.

Fukuoka's clearest evidence of impact is the documented national policy transfer of its startup visa model. However, absolute startup numbers remain modest next to Tokyo's ecosystem, and part of Fukuoka's appeal to foreign founders may reflect its lower cost of living rather than deep structural ecosystem advantages; no independent economic-impact evaluation is yet available.