General Registration Open for TICAD Business Expo & Conference

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO; Chairman and CEO: ISHIGURO Norihiko; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) (www.JETRO.go.jp) is pleased to announce that the official website of the TICAD Business Expo & Conference has opened for registration of participants. TICAD Business Expo & Conference will be held from 20 to 22 August 2025, as one of the Thematic Events of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). This event will comprise four areas—Japan Fair, Africa Lounge, Event Stage, and Thematic Exhibitions—aiming to further invigorate Japan-Africa business exchanges on multiple levels.

At Japan Fair, 195 Japanese companies and organisations will be introducing their latest initiatives, products and services for the African market. Exhibits will be focused on responding to the social issues facing contemporary African society, including Transforming Infrastructure, Advancing Health Care and Sanitation Standards, and Food Value Chains, with participating exhibitors showcasing solutions based on their particular strengths. Exhibitors include many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and Japan Fair promises to bring together a diverse range of Japanese business operators, making it an attractive opportunity for any visitor.

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At Africa Lounge, government entities from more than 40 African countries will be presenting information on the investment environment and business opportunities in their countries. Through the event visitors will be able to learn about the diverse attractions and potential of African countries, and for Japanese businesspersons in particular, it will be an opportunity to find new contacts within African markets.

At the Event Stage a total of 68 events are planned over the course of the three-day programme. The theme of the JETRO-hosted plenary session will be “Forging a new era for Japan-Africa relations,” which will explore the latest developments at the cutting edge of rapidly changing African markets. In addition, panel discussions featuring key figures from the African financial and business sectors and a variety of other programmes on the themes of innovation, pop culture, hydrogen and renewable energy, and space are also planned, providing an opportunity to deepen dialogue and co-creation between Japan and Africa.

In addition to JETRO’s own programme of events, more than 40 companies and organizations are planning events where they will introduce specific case studies and initiatives through practical business sessions. 

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At the Thematic Exhibitions JETRO will be putting the spotlight on the two themes of “Pop Culture” and “Innovation.” At the Innovation exhibition, Japanese companies will be introducing advanced technologies and ideas designed to transform social issues into drivers for economic growth. In particular, based on the three key phrases “Value chain development,” “Youth empowerment,” and “Urban development,” models for sustainable growth based on Japan-Africa collaboration will be proposed to visitors from Africa. In addition, companies involved in Japan Tech Africa Challenge (JTAC), a programme that supports globally successful Japanese startups in opening up the African market, will also be exhibiting, showcasing their innovative technologies and business models. These include solutions that are directly relevant to local challenges, including drone and AI-powered infectious disease countermeasures, initiatives to boost agricultural productivity, plant-based leather made from discarded plant leaves, and biodegradable water retaining hydrogels for agricultural land.

Through TICAD Business Expo & Conference JETRO aims to create new opportunities for partnership between Japan and Africa, and support medium- to long-term business development for Japanese companies engaged in African markets.

Overview 

TICAD9

1. Name: Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) 

2. Date: Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 August 2025

3. Organiser: Led by the Government of Japan, and co-hosted by the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Union Commission, and the World Bank

4. Location: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture

TICAD Business Expo & Conference 

1. Date: Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 August 2025

2. Organiser/Co-Organiser: JETRO, Japan Business Council for Africa (JBCA)

3. Supported by: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

4. Venue: Pacific Yokohama, Hall B & C

5. Total area: 10,000 m2 

6. Zones: Japan Fair, Africa Lounge, Event Stage, Thematic Exhibitions

7. Visitor registration / Official website: (English) https://apo-opa.co/46rfp58

8. Target visitors: Government leaders, including Ministers and other senior officials from Japan and African nations, representatives from business communities and industry professionals, members of the press, etc. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

Inquiries about this press release:

Business Frontier Development Division

Overseas Business Development Department, JETRO

(Yamada, Ishikawa)

Ark Mori Building, 6F 12-32, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6006 Japan