What is it like to help founders turn their ideas into companies? For Mason, a second-year student in the Programs in English at Komaba (PEAK) at the University of Tokyo, it means helping manage a 10-week live-in startup accelerator in Tokyo, supporting eight startup teams through workshops, mentorship, and daily collaboration.
The Todai Shimbun spoke with Mason about his experiences at UTokyo, the realities of working in Japan’s startup ecosystem, and the skills and mindset needed to thrive in it. (Interview by Minoru Kitayama)
──Please introduce yourself and your background.
My name is Mason and I was born in Shanghai, China. I came to Japan in September 2024 to study in the PEAK Program. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Shanghai before starting university at UTokyo. I started an internship at a venture capital firm last October and also serve as treasurer of the PEAK Student Council, where I oversee the finance team.
──What motivated you to come to Japan?
When I was applying for colleges, I applied to different colleges in multiple countries worldwide. I applied to colleges in America, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. Japan was the most cost-effective option among the universities that admitted me, as tuition and living expenses are very affordable. It is also very close to my hometown, just a two-hour flight away. I fly back once per month.
Another reason I chose Japan was my mild obsession with Japanese culture. I say “mild” because I’m not a huge fan of stereotypical aspects such as anime, manga, or games; rather, I am interested in Japan’s aviation industry and public transportation. I like researching trains and planes in Japan, mostly in the commercial sector.
──How has your experience at PEAK been so far?
I really love UTokyo. However, I don’t really like classes. Nowadays, you can just learn everything you want to learn on your own. It is not that attending classes is bad or unnecessary, but personally, if I want to learn something, I’ll learn it on my own. I also want time to pursue my ambitions outside the classroom, whether that’s my hobbies, my venture capital internship, or the startup accelerator.
──What does a typical day look like when running a 10-week startup accelerator?
The 10-week accelerator is a program that houses eight startup teams in a big apartment in Tokyo. So within 10 weeks, each team will build and grow together, living in the same apartment. During the 10 weeks we will provide workshops, mentorship sessions, feedback meetings, group retreats, and other activities designed to support the growth of the eight startup teams. Finally, because we are a venture capital firm, after the 10 weeks, we may invest in some of the teams.
──How do you select startups for the program?
Every batch, we receive on average 100 applications and select eight teams. So we have an approximate 10% acceptance rate.
First, we want to make sure that our incoming cohort has a balance of different stages of business, allowing all the teams to learn from each other.
Second, we look closely at candidates’ previous experiences, because they may indicate whether they are likely to succeed. For example, we may look more favorably upon people with previous experience because this may indicate that they have a higher likelihood of success in building another startup. In addition to experienced founders, we also want our cohorts to have new graduates or college dropouts. For example, in this batch we have a UTokyo student who is pursuing a PhD but does not have previous startup experience. We also welcome these kinds of founders with little to no experience. I think the key word is “balance”.
Finally, we value diversity among our founders’ nationalities. For example, we may aim for two Japanese, two Korean, two Chinese, and two American teams.
──What have been the biggest challenges in managing the accelerator?
The first challenge that comes to mind is that our accelerator is international, so maintaining the official language is difficult. We recruit worldwide, with teams from the US, Korea, China, Singapore, and other countries — this time we also have an application from an African team.
While our official language is English, we also have Japanese teams who obviously would prefer to use Japanese over English. As a result, one challenge is fostering an English-speaking culture in the residency. When different teams can all communicate with each other, it fosters inclusivity.
──What differences have you noticed between startup ecosystems in Japan and other regions?
I think the Japanese market is overall pretty slow and stable. Things do not change rapidly. Compared to the States or China—which I believe are moving the fastest—Japan is usually not the first choice for talented founders if they’re not Japanese.
But Japan also has its own role in this overall market. For example, if you want to build something in a less crowded market, San Francisco may be exciting, but there are just so many teams and things going on that it can feel stressful and noisy. In Japan, you can find a way to escape from this. For example, Notion’s founders moved to Kyoto when the company was struggling financially, where they focused on rebuilding the product. Eventually, the company grew into what Notion is today. From my perspective, Japan is a really nice place to concentrate on the product that you are building.
──What skills are most important for founders?
Number one is resilience. 10 weeks is not long but it is also not short — many things can happen. Maybe your entire product could evolve in a completely different direction within 48 hours, or maybe you suddenly find some insights from other founders living in the residency. These are all real things that can and have happened. Being resilient means having the mental strength to persevere throughout those 10 weeks.
The second quality is proactivity. Proactivity means founders need to be actively seeking help, resources, and assistance from the startup accelerator. For example, an American team may not know much about Japanese markets and want to learn more. They may also not be very familiar with Japanese customers and their preferences. These answers do not come automatically. You have to act. You have to investigate. That all requires founders to be proactive.
──What advice would you give to students who want to work in startups in Japan?
Startups do not really have an application process. They do not really have a round of interviews before you get in. There are no rules. There is no system. It’s about relationships between people.
If you really want to work in a startup, I recommend going to startup conferences. In those conferences, startup founders will present their products and then you can take a look and approach the founder directly if you are interested. From there, you can ask the founder to meet for coffee, discuss your interests, and potentially receive an internship offer. Being proactive, approachable, and socially capable is important.
This interview was conducted in English and has been edited and condensed for clarity.
The post An International Student’s Perspective on Japan’s Startup Ecosystem first appeared on 東大新聞オンライン.
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