Japan Small and Medium Business Owners Association to Hold 2026 Subsidy and Grant Utilization Seminar in Yokohama

The Japan Small and Medium Business Owners Association, a general incorporated association based in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo and represented by Director Tetsuaki Ishiguro, will hold the “Subsidy and Grant Utilization Seminar 2026 in Yokohama” on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Kanagawa Kenmin Center. The seminar will explain the subsidies and grants that small and medium-sized corporations should know about amid rising labor and raw material costs, covering everything from how to identify programs applicable to one’s company to practical know-how for improving application success. In recent years, a growing number of companies have faced pressure from rising costs, including labor and raw materials. National and local governments have prepared many support programs to encourage hiring, wage increases, capital investment, and other initiatives by small and medium-sized enterprises. However, many companies have been unable to make use of these systems because they cannot determine which programs apply to them, feel that applications are too difficult, or do not know whom to consult. In fact, only 5.5% of companies are making use of subsidies and grants, creating a serious information gap in which many SMEs miss support they could otherwise receive. To help reduce this gap, the seminar will introduce carefully selected subsidies and grants for small and medium-sized corporations. Over the past year, the association held more than 100 lectures nationwide, with participation from more than 9,000 companies. This session will be held in Yokohama and will provide concrete measures that participants can put into practice immediately after the seminar, based on future trends and regional information from Kanagawa Prefecture. Event outline: Date and time: Wednesday, June 17, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., doors open at 1:30 p.m. Venue: Kanagawa Kenmin Center, 2-24-2 Tsuruya-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 221-0835, five minutes on foot from Yokohama Station, paid parking available. Fee: Free. URL: https://smb-japan.or.jp/2026-06-17/. Program topics include: new FY2026 systems that can steadily increase a company’s available funds; how hiring costs can become effectively free; how to cover wage increase costs through subsidies; grants of up to 4.5 million yen to dramatically improve operational efficiency through digitalization and AI implementation; a highly anticipated program that subsidizes more than 75% of vehicle and computer purchase costs; how to receive up to 2.5 million yen for creating flyers and websites; and subsidy measures that enable new capital investment with only a 20% company burden. The Japan Small and Medium Business Owners Association is a nonprofit organization that regularly provides information nationwide to small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan in order to correct information disparities. Its activities center on lecture-style conferences conducted as pro bono initiatives, where specialists in various fields provide their social, public, and professional skills and knowledge free of charge. The association’s pro bono activities are supported by many individuals and organizations that share its philosophy through donations, sponsorships, and support. As a result, it supports SMEs entirely free of charge, from participation in conferences across various fields to individual consultations on management matters. Organization name: Japan Small and Medium Business Owners Association. Representative: Director Tetsuaki Ishiguro. Website: https://smb-japan.or.jp/. Contact: Conference Operations Secretariat, 03-6698-4230, info@smb-japan.or.jp.