Business Plan Contest for Okinawa Students "Entrepreneur Koshien Okinawa Tournament 2026" Decided - Pre-event to be Held

The Okinawa Startup Support Association (Location: Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Shunichiro Kaneshiro, hereinafter "Okinawa Startup Support Association"), Sakura Internet Inc. (hereinafter "Sakura Internet"), and The Okinawa Kaiho Bank, Ltd. (hereinafter "Okinawa Kaiho Bank"), with the support of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and the Okinawa General Bureau of Communications, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (hereinafter "Okinawa General Bureau"), will hold the "Entrepreneur Koshien Okinawa Tournament 2026," a business plan contest for students, on October 31, 2026 (Sat.). Applications for the pre-event, which serves as an entry point to the main tournament, will open today (to be held on July 21, 2026 (Tue.), August 8, 2026 (Sat.), and August 28, 2026 (Fri.)).

This tournament is a business plan contest for students aimed at discovering talent who can become the future leaders of Okinawa. The NICT Award winning team will be given the opportunity to participate in the "Entrepreneur Koshien" DEMO DAY national tournament to be held in Tokyo in March 2027, after receiving refinement from VC mentors from outside the prefecture.

Background of the Event

Due to its nature as an island prefecture, Okinawa faces disparities in various aspects compared to the mainland, and the barriers to new challenges are high. However, in interacting with students within the prefecture, we have heard many voices from students saying, "We want to achieve new challenges right here in Okinawa." To embody these aspirations of young challengers and foster the next generation of leaders, we have decided to hold this tournament.

Concept: Creating the Future from a Radius of 3 Meters

"A radius of 3 meters" is about the distance two people can reach with their arms extended. This event will serve as a place for challenges, where students can solve the problems faced by themselves and Okinawa, turning their firsthand experiences of daily life within reach into concrete ideas.

To Students and Teachers - First, Attend the Pre-event

We encourage students who feel "I want to challenge myself, but I don't know where to start" or "I have passion, but I can't articulate it," as well as teachers with students interested in entrepreneurship, to first attend the pre-events on July 21 (Tue.), August 8 (Sat.), and August 28 (Fri.).

Through talk sessions with senior entrepreneurs and workshops themed "Challenges from a Radius of 3 Meters," please use this as a place to first "learn → find motivation → give shape to your ideas."

* Participation in the pre-event is not required to enter the main tournament.

https://startup.okinawa/koushien

"Entrepreneur Koshien Okinawa Tournament 2026" Event Overview

Date and Time: October 31, 2026 (Sat.) Starting at 1:00 PM (scheduled)

Venue: SAKURA innobase Okinawa (Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture) / Online streaming also planned

Organizer: Okinawa Startup Support Association

Co-organizers: Sakura Internet Inc., The Okinawa Kaiho Bank, Ltd.

Sponsors: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Okinawa General Bureau of Communications, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, University of the Ryukyus Research and Co-creation Organization, Okinawa Prefecture

Target Audience: Student teams enrolled in educational institutions (junior high school, high school, technical college, vocational school, university, graduate school students, etc., generally under 30 years old)

Participation Fee: Free

Prizes for Winners

Recommendation to National Tournament: The NICT Award winning team will participate in the DEMO DAY of the "Entrepreneur Koshien" national tournament (co-hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and NICT) to be held in Tokyo in March 2027.

VC Mentoring: Business plan refinement by VC mentors from outside the prefecture.

Travel Expense Subsidy: For the NICT Award winning team, travel expenses will be subsidized for up to 3 representatives when participating in the national tournament.

Schedule

[Entry Start] July 2026

[Pre-event 1] July 21, 2026 (Tue.) Entrepreneur Koshien Okinawa Tournament Information Session @ Ryubo Lab

[Pre-event 2] August 8, 2026 (Sat.) Business Concept Building Workshop ~Let's Find My Guiding Star~

[Pre-event 3] August 28, 2026 (Fri.) "The First Step to Shaping Your Desires" ~The Forms of "Challenges" Expanding from Entrepreneur Koshien~

[Pitch & Refinement Seminar] October 16, 2026 (Fri.) For teams that pass the document screening.

[Entrepreneur Koshien Okinawa Tournament 2026] October 31, 2026 (Sat.)

[VC Mentoring] November 2026 onwards (for NICT Award winning teams)

[National Tournament DEMO DAY] March 2027 (Tokyo, co-hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications/NICT)

Company Overviews

Okinawa Startup Support Association

Representative: Representative Director Shunichiro Kaneshiro

Location: 1-7-8 Chuo, Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture

Established: December 2021

URL: https://startup.okinawa/

Business Activities: Building and promoting the startup ecosystem "Coral Valley"

Inquiries Regarding This Press Release

Okinawa Startup Support Association Secretariat

E-mail: office@startup.okinawa

* The information in this release is current as of the time of announcement. It is subject to change without prior notice.