J-Stories launches Chinese content to support international startup collaborations

Entering its third year of service, J-Stories has begun publishing articles in Chinese, in addition to English and Japanese. The platform is also enhancing its matching functionality with overseas venture capitalists. Currently, it is in a pilot version that includes automatic translation, but we plan to officially start distributing articles translated by human translators by the end of the year.

Operated by Tokyo-based multilingual media agency Pacific Bridge Media and Consulting (PBMC), J-Stories is a solutions-focused news outlet that introduces Japanese innovations contributing to solving global issues such as environmental problems, disasters, and food shortages. In addition to its content distribution in English and Japanese, J-Stories' distribution of its content in Chinese is expected to greatly help connect startups and their stakeholders across Asia.

Since its launch in April 2002, J-Stories has published over 500 articles, sharing a wide range of ambitious innovations and ideas from Japanese startups, corporations, NGOs and research institutions with an international audience. This March, in addition to publishing articles and video content, J-Stories co-hosted a global pitch event that was held in English in Tokyo to support the expansion of Japanese startups overseas.

The idea of starting to distribute articles in Chinese was designed to share information about Japanese startups with investors and startup communities in Chinese-speaking countries and regions, such as mainland China, Taiwan region and Hong Kong SAR, alongside its English-speaking audience.

Additionally, J-Stories plans to increase the number of articles in its "Across Asia" section, which introduces notable trends and startup information from neighboring countries. It also aims to deepen collaborations with startups in Taiwan region and South Korea, supporting inbound foreign startups aiming to enter the Japanese market.

Besides enriching its article content, J-Stories is taking action to bridge Japan's startup community with neighboring countries' startups, overseas investors, and venture capitalists by hosting matching events and creating a global startup support ecosystem. The platform is building a network of official partner VCs and media organizations, further evolving as a startup hub across Japan and Asia, connecting startups in the Asian region with global investors and media professionals.

Toshi Maeda, Executive Editor, J-Stories and CEO, PBMC: "Thanks to everyone's support, J-Stories has entered its third year of service. Our initiative to disseminate information on world-class innovations from Japan in multiple languages has been well-received by readers both domestically and internationally. Information about Japanese startups is readily available in Japanese through various domestic media outlets, but there are very few sources providing such information in English or other languages due to a decline in foreign media operating in Japan. When I speak with overseas investors and VCs, they often express a desire to invest in Japan but mention a lack of information as a barrier. At J-Stories, we not only disseminate information in English but also ensure the quality of our content by having detailed articles written by our reporters and proofread by native speakers. Moving forward, we aim to strengthen our role as a bridge in business connecting Japan's startup community with global investors, media and potential business partners by leveraging and enhancing J-Stories' overseas outreach capabilities."

www.jstories.media

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