Fascinated by his beloved sea, Kimura founded his company after a "terrible" first sailing experience. We spoke with him about his challenges in developing the autonomous navigation platform "Eight Knot AI CAPTAIN" to make maritime navigation safer worldwide, how he overcame those obstacles, and his message for future entrepreneurs.

Nagoya, Japan's manufacturing heartland, is building a new startup ecosystem. We interviewed Toshio Sumi, the first director of the Startup Support Division established five years ago, about initiatives to foster regional innovation.

Deep Dive in Aichi Prefecture - This area, known around the world as the home of Toyota, is a fascinating area where the history of the Warring States period and cutting-edge industry intersect. The fusion of the atmosphere of a traditional castle town and the world-leading automobile and aerospace industries creates a unique vitality.

Using smartphone apps to match private car owners with passengers ushered in the gig economy, changing not just how people think about taxis and transportation but a slew of other industries as well. Major platform providers like Uber and Lyft from the U.S. and Didi from China are poster children of the tech unicorn — but how have they fared in Japan?