In this episode, I sit down with Ryusuke Komura, Executive Director of Venture Café Tokyo and head of all Venture Café locations across Japan. We go deep into the origins, expansion, and philosophy behind one of Japan’s most iconic and influential startup events — the Thursday Gathering.From Venture Café’s Boston roots to its nationwide impact across seven cities in Japan, Ryusuke shares the story behind building an ecosystem that brings Japanese and international founders together every week.We cover community building, global collaboration, the rise of Japan’s innovators, and what the future holds for the Japanese startup landscape.If you’ve ever wondered why Venture Café is the go-to place for founders, innovators, and ecosystem builders in Japan, this episode is your inside look.🔹 What We CoverHow Venture Café came from Boston to TokyoWhy the Thursday Gathering became Japan’s flagship startup eventThe challenge of connecting Japanese and international communitiesThe Venture Café model: ecosystem + community + accessibilitySuccess stories, global events, Rocket Pitch, and "Pitch to Tokyo"Insights on Japan’s deep tech strength and global competitivenessWhat to expect for the 2026 Global GatheringRyosuke’s perspective on the future of Japan’s startup ecosystem🔹 Guest LinksVenture Café Tokyo: https://venturecafetokyo.org/CIC Japan: https://cic.com/japanConnect with Ryusuke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryusuke-komura-87a5955b/?locale=en_US🔹 Follow the Produck PodcastWe interview founders, product builders, and ecosystem leaders across Japan and Asia.Subscribe for more conversations like this.#JapanStartups #VentureCafeTokyo #StartupEcosystem #InnovationJapan #EntrepreneurshipJapan #GlobalStartups #TokyoTech #FoundersJapan #CICJapan #StartupEvents #EcosystemBuilding #produckpodcast