[For Educators: Observer Registration] FY2026 SMRJ Entrepreneurship Education Program: Mid-Program Exchange Session

This is the mid-program exchange session of the entrepreneurship education program run by the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan (SMRJ). High school students and teachers taking part in the program gather from across the country to meet student founders and young entrepreneurs and to work through the business problems those founders are currently facing. It runs on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, 13:00 to 17:30 (doors 12:30) on the first floor of Tokyo Innovation Base (TiB) in Marunouchi, Chiyoda Ward. The program has two planned parts. First, five student and early-career founders give a "challenge pitch" covering the business they are building, what pushed them to start, the walls they hit, and the future they are aiming at. Second, a problem-solving workshop called "Help!" puts a real management problem from one of those founders in front of mixed-school ad hoc teams, with the founders themselves circulating as mentors. This listing is the observer slot, aimed at school teachers and administrators from bodies such as boards of education who work on entrepreneurship education, inquiry-based learning, or careers education. Capacity is about 10 people, attendance is free, and applications close on Monday 17 August. Observers watch from the back of the room, and photography of students, social media posting, and audio or video recording are not permitted.