When we first agreed to attend the Zero Project Technology Forum Tokyo as part of the TechBIZKON X programme, we knew Japan would be an interesting market for assistive technology. What we didn't fully anticipate at the time, was just how ready the Japanese ecosystem is for inclusive technology.
Before the Flight: A Meeting with the Japanese Ambassador in Vienna
Our journey actually began in Vienna. Ahead of the trip, we had the honour of meeting with His Excellency Iwama Kiminori, Ambassador of Japan to Austria, who introduced us to representatives of JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization.
We discussed the practical realities of European start-ups launching in Japan, and something bigger: how inclusive business cases fit into the 17 strategic fields the Japanese government has identified to prioritize over the next 15 years.
Osaka’s Innovation Labs
The GO TOKYO 2026 programme, organised by the Global Incubator Network (GIN) together with ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Tokyo, brought eight Austrian bio-tech and life-science start-ups to Japan. We kicked off in Osaka, getting to know the city's life science and biotech innovation hubs.
One place stood out in particular was the Knowledge Capital. Located in the heart of Osaka, it combines coworking spaces with something we've rarely seen: the Lab, a space where the general public can walk in and interact directly with the products developed there. For building assistive technology, this was a powerful idea: innovation that invites the public in to touch, test, and question it. It's exactly the kind of engagement which shaped Sixth Sense from day one.
Okayama: Home of Peaches, Denim, and Tactile Paving
From Osaka, the tour continued to Okayama, the home of peaches, Japanese denim, and, fittingly for us, tactile flooring blocks! The invention that transformed how blind and visually impaired people navigate streets worldwide.
At Okayama University, we joined a networking event hosted for the delegation to meet local innovators. It was humbling to be in the city where the “tenji block” was born, sharing Sixth Sense, a technology that builds on exactly this type of physical infrastructure. Conversations ranged from inclusive employment to accessible tourism.
Tokyo: Listening to Users First
Arriving in Tokyo, we did what we always do before entering a new market: We met with local users to collect feedback on Sixth Sense and its suitability for the Japanese market.
Our sincere thanks go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Association for the Blind for taking the time to meet with us. Their insights on language, on navigation norms, on what independence means in Tokyo's dense urban landscape, will shape our roadmap far beyond this trip. Building assistive technology for a country you're visiting for a week is impossible without experienced partners like these.
The week also included a reception at the residence of Her Excellency Sigrid Berka, Ambassador of Austria to Japan, where our delegation connected with Japanese innovators, corporations, and disability organisations. Diplomacy and inclusion travel hand in hand!
The Grand Finale: TechBIZKON X and the Zero Project Technology Forum Tokyo
The grand finale came at TechBIZKON X, where our Product Manager, Laura Wissiak, presented Sixth Sense to stakeholders from across the Japanese assistive technology ecosystem. The pitch was met with genuine interest from users and institutions alike, and we left with conversations we're eager to continue. Being part of the inaugural edition of Zero Project Technology Forum Tokyo felt historic.
What We Take Home
Three things stayed with us:
Japan plans inclusion structurally. With extensive infrastructure everywhere, accessibility is embedded in national strategy, not bolted on.
The user voice is universal. Whether in Vienna, London, or Tokyo, blind and visually impaired people tell us the same thing: navigation tools must be reliable, dignified, and simple.
Bridges need both shores. From Ambassador Iwama's matchmaking in Vienna to JETRO's guidance, to ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA and the GIN GO TOKYO programme opening doors in Osaka and Tokyo, none of this happens alone.
ありがとうございます, thank you to everyone who made this week unforgettable: the Zero Project, GIN and the GO TOKYO 2026 cohort, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Tokyo, Okayama University, the Tokyo Metropolitan Association for the Blind, and every innovator and user who shared their time and insight.
Japan showed us what society looks like when it treats accessibility as an opportunity. And with that, Sixth Sense's journey to the ASian market has officially begun.