Digital Business Mission Selected Participants Details

The Digital Business Mission, organised by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, is centered around the CEATEC 2024 trade fair taking place 15-18 October 2024 in Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture (near Tokyo).

1. Schedule

2. Cost

The EU-Japan Centre covers all expenses related to matchmaking, exhibition booth fees and interpretation services.

Flight costs, accommodation, and miscellaneous expenses related to your stay, such as lunch, dinner, and local transportation, are not covered by the Centre.

3. Travel Planning

3.1. Border Entry Regulations for Japan

Japan has lifted all covid-related entry restrictions, and this means that visiting Japan without a visa is possible again*. In case you have questions concerning the border entry regulations, please contact the Embassy of Japan in your country.

*In case of visa-exempted nationalities. Please check the visa agreements of your nationality with your local Japanese Embassy.

3.2. Flight

The Digital Mission will take place in area of Chiba city and the greater Tokyo area. It is recommended to arrive at one of the two international airports in Tokyo area. Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda (HND) are recommended. Travel time to the exhibition venue is comparable from either airport. Due to the long distance from the airports, we also recommend not to take a taxi from the airport, but to use other public transport instead.

Please note that travel times to Japan are longer than before due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the resulting restrictions on Russian airspace.

3.3. Hotel

The venue for the CEATEC 2024 exhibition will be Makuhari Messe. For easy access to the venue, please refer here to a map of hotels in the area. Please note that the venue is located away from the city center, and that there may not be many facilities in the area open in the evening. For those wishing to enjoy Tokyo, the venue is reachable from JR Keiyo train line through a (short) commute.

(Source: Makuhari Messe Inc.)

4. Networking and receptions

Participants are invited to several networking sessions and receptions during the Business Mission.

15 October – All participants (max. 1 per company) are invited to the Opening Reception from the CEATEC exhibition organisers from 18:30-20:30 at Palace Hotel Tokyo.

16 October – All participants are invited to CEATEC exhibition for Startups and University research institutes from 17:30-18:30. (optional)

17 October – All participants are invited to the Venture Café’s Thursday Gathering at CIC Toranomon Hills from 17:00-19:00, which includes a seminar session (17:00-18:00), pitching session (18:00-19:00), and simultaneously organised networking.

During CEATEC, all participants will have the opportunity to make a pitch at a dedicated pitch stage (date and time TBC).

Kindly note that the networking sessions and receptions on 15 and 17 October are part of the official Business Mission schedule. Participation in the networking session on 16 October is not mandatory

5. Information for your space in the Centre’s joint booth at CEATEC 2024

5.1. Company space

The EU-Japan Centre has reserved a 90 sqm shared booth at CEATEC 2024, where all participating companies will have their own space consisting of:

1)    A company name board

2)    A Poster in A1 size

3)    A small display space to place brochures, business cards etc.

4)    A simple (non-locked) sliding door cabinet to place personal items.

5)    A box for client’s business cards

In addition, there will be a small joint space with a few tables and chairs, a water server with cold and hot water, tea, and instant coffee. Centre staff at the joint booth can take care of inquiries about your company should you be absent from the stand. Three interpreters will be in the EU-Japan Centre booth. You can request their services in case you face serious language barriers at the venue.

5.2. Company slogan / 40 character description

This slogan or short description will be listed on your company/cluster name board which is going to be placed above your poster.

5.3. Company introduction

Your company introduction may be longer, between 100-200 words. This introduction will be used to introduce you as a participant of the Business Mission to the EEN Japan network and exhibition visitors.

5.4. Poster

Your poster could highlight your company’s brand, products and services or recent research findings.

All posters shall be vertically arranged and will be printed in A1 size.

We offer you to translate your poster from English to Japanese with costs borne by the EU-Japan Centre. The number of words in the poster should not exceed 200.

For the poster to be translated into Japanese, there are two options:

1) If you already have a Poster in Illustrator or other professional graphic design formats:

You send us an image of an existing English poster and a text file with the text it contains. After the translation of the text by the Centre, we return the Japanese text to you and you (or your graphic designer) place the Japanese text in the original poster file.

You convert the file to PDF in A1 format and send it back to us for printing in Japan.

2) If you do not use professional graphic design software

You submit your poster to us as a ppt or pptx file in A1 format (You can download a template here or set the size yourself under Design >> Slide Size >> Custom Slide Size >> W594mm x H841mm).  The Centre will translate and edit the text in the data and send a PDF back to you for confirmation. After you have checked the contents we will print the file in Japan.

In either case, please make sure that you send us a document where the translators can directly work in (word, ppt, etc). We will always ask for your final confirmation after the translation.

5.5. Company logo data (high quality data for large prints)

On the Fascia board of the Centre’s joint booth, we include the logos of all organisations participating in the Mission. 

6. Individual Company Meetings

Individual Company Meetings (ICMs) involve pre-arranged business meetings with companies in Japan, as closely aligned with the participants' preferences as possible, providing opportunities for future business growth. You will be contacted individually regarding how to proceed.

7. Practical Information 

Electricity and Power Plugs

The voltage used throughout Japan is 100 volts, and there are two kinds of frequencies in use. Japan uses US-type 2-flat-pin plugs (see left side).

We recommend buying an adapter before your departure. The frequency in Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, and Hokkaido) is 50 Hz, and the one in Western Japan (including Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Shikoku, and Kyushu) is 60 Hz. This frequency difference affects only sensitive equipment.

How to move around

The below search engine for train connections is available in an English version. Google Maps also works quite well to search for train connections.

Please note that ticket machines at many train stations will only accept cash payments, and payments by credit or debit card for public transport are rare.

Japan Transit Planner (Jorudan) on the web
App for IOS
APP for Android