Marking 30 Years, a New Chapter, and Accelerated Growth in Membership, EO Launches Japan as its 11th Region

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Tokyo, Japan (25 November 2025) — Japan and its more than 1,400 members across 18 chapters are now their own distinct region in the structural construct of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). Membership has tripled in Japan over the past decade, and it will remain a strategic growth market for EO amid an ongoing surge of interest and investment in entrepreneurship in the country.

“Japan represents one of the most exciting frontiers for entrepreneurship today,” said Alan Cheung, EO Global Board Director, 17-year EO member, and Founding President of the EO Tokyo Metropolitan chapter. “More founders are taking bold risks, more investors are fueling innovation, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem is gaining real momentum. EO’s impact in Japan now extends well beyond the entrepreneurial community through partnerships with local governments, business leaders, and universities. Our continued investment in the region reflects EO’s deep belief in the nation’s tremendous growth potential to expand membership, foster innovation, and empower the next generation of business leaders shaping Japan’s future.”

More than 400 EO members gathered in Tokyo to celebrate
EO's 30th anniversary in Japan and the launch of the new region. 

The Japan Region was officially codified on 1 July, coinciding with the beginning of EO’s new fiscal year. To celebrate the new region and the 30th anniversary of EO’s presence in the country, which began with the founding of the EO Tokyo Central chapter in 1995, the region hosted an exclusive celebration event on 29 September in Tokyo at Meiji Kinenkan, an elegant event space set in a forest that surrounds a historic shrine. More than 400 EO members from around Japan and the world gathered to mark the occasion. The event was emceed by Ichiro Furutachi, one of Japan’s most renowned television hosts. Tokyo’s Governor Yuriko Koike delivered a speech, and EO Tokyo Central’s past presidents made an appearance on stage.

Entrepreneur and leader Jun Tarikino, a highly tenured and respected 18-year EO member through its chapter, EO Kyoto, was selected to serve as the new Japan Region’s Chair. Together with a regional council of eight functional leaders who are guiding EO’s strategy and member experience in Japan, Jun welcomed some of the organization’s top leaders to the launch event.  

“Japan’s elevation to become EO’s 11th global region is both a milestone and a testament to the incredible growth of entrepreneurship across the country,” Jun said. “Over the past decade, EO membership in Japan has tripled, driven by a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurial energy. This recognition reflects not only the strength and passion of our members in Japan, but EO’s ongoing commitment to strategically expand our global community in countries where entrepreneurship is thriving.”

EO member leaders, including EO Global Board Director Khuram Saleem (far left)
and Japan Regional Chair Jun Tarikino (center), at the anniversary event. 

Previously, chapters in Japan had been included in the EO’s North Asia region. The decision to name Japan EO’s 11th global region reflects a strategic opportunity for the organization: This year, EO’s Global Board made a US$600,000 investment to spur growth in the region over the next two years.

Nearly a decade ago, EO’s roughly 400 members in Japan enacted the “555 Plan” in hopes of reaching 500 members, five chapters, and having five members in global leadership roles. Having far surpassed those membership goals, the region today aims to reach 2,000 members by the end of 2027 and has plans to add three new chapters within the next three years. The number of women who are EO members in Japan has grown more than 500 percent since the 555 Plan was first put into motion. Additionally, the relatively new EO Beyond Japan chapter is focused on bridging the gender gap and bolstering membership among women, who have been traditionally underrepresented in the country’s business community.

EO member leaders in Japan credit the rapid growth over the past decade to strong member leader development pathways and a systematic plan for attracting new members. In Japan, EO has partnered with the local governments to create incubation programs for entrepreneurs and their nascent businesses and has worked to streamline the process of becoming an EO member. “We hope to attract even more members and drive more interest now that Japan is its own distinct region,” said Ikumi Parfait, Japan’s Regional Director. “Japan can play a key part in our 2030 ambitions through its precise, targeted efforts to grow membership and foster connections within the country’s growing community of entrepreneurs. Japanese entrepreneurs can also leverage EO to cultivate a more global mindset and learn from entrepreneurs around the world.”

Over the past decade, Japan has begun shifting from a risk-averse, corporate-centered economy toward a more active entrepreneurial scene — driven by government programs, growing venture activity, and rising investor interest — though the market remains smaller than U.S. and Chinese peers. Japan’s population of small-to-midsize businesses is estimated to be more than 3 million companies. Policymakers have launched an ambitious strategy, backed by ¥10 trillion (US$65 billion) of semiconductor and AI investment and a plan to create 100,000 new startups this decade.  

That strategy is designed to overcome persistent barriers, such as an aging population, talent shortages in certain sectors, and some lingering cultural aversion to risk. Still, Japan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has achieved visible momentum and gained substantial resources this decade.  

To accommodate the surge of interest in EO across greater Tokyo, with a metro area of more than 41 million people and an estimated 660,000 small-to-midsize businesses, the new EO Tokyo East chapter was founded in July. The 44-member chapter held its own launch celebration in August with more than 200 attendees. The chapter will be guided by a core philosophy of creating shared value among its members, businesses, and society. Hideki Matsubara, a 15-year EO entrepreneur, is the chapter’s founding president.  

EO Tokyo East members celebrate the new chapter. 

Looking ahead, Kyoto, Japan will serve as the awe-inspiring backdrop for EO’s 2027 Global Leadership Conference (GLC), the membership organization’s premier global event. Jun Tarikino will serve as GLC’s planning chair.

See here to learn more about EO’s new Japan Region.

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Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a global, not-for-profit membership community of nearly 20,000 leading business founders and owners representing more than 90 countries and 220 chapters worldwide. Founded in 1987, EO helps entrepreneurs move the world forward by unlocking their full potential through the power of trusted connections, leadership development, and premier learning opportunities that support the whole person. For more information or to get involved, follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook, and visit our website: www.eonetwork.org.