The Code for Japan Summit is our annual celebration of civic tech: a place to learn about activities in other regions, connect with peers and take the next step. From 2014 to 2019 it was held in different cities across Japan, then moved online and to hybrid formats from 2020. In 2024 it was held in Kusatsu, Shiga, together with Code for Kusatsu, and in 2025 at the United Nations University.
The 2026 Summit, themed "Public and AI", was held on October 3 at Bellesalle Kudan in Chiyoda, Tokyo, with about 300 participants.
Summit 2026 Overview
For the program and speakers, see the Code for Japan Summit 2026 website (in Japanese).
- Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026, 10:30-17:00
- Venue: Bellesalle Kudan, Chiyoda, Tokyo
- Organizer: Code for Japan
- Hashtag: #cfjsummit
Keynote 2026
Arisa Ema, Associate Professor at Tokyo College, the University of Tokyo, spoke about rethinking social design and its design process in the age of AI through dialogue among people with different perspectives, going beyond technology alone. A conversation followed comparing AI use in Japan with the rest of the world, drawing on citizen dialogue initiatives abroad. Keynote details (in Japanese)
Program 2026
Alongside the keynote, local governments, companies, researchers and engineers led 18 sessions and workshops across four rooms, on topics such as AI-ready local government, AI in public spaces and consensus building, local LLMs and AI agents in local government, public open source software, talent development in the age of AI, hackathons as places for co-creation, and a meetup for local government staff. For speakers and details, see the program (in Japanese).
Toward the Next Summit
The next Summit will be announced on the Code for Japan Slack and in our news. To join our Slack, see the Community page.
Companies and organizations interested in sponsoring or speaking at the Summit are welcome to contact us through our contact form. For sponsorship, see also our Corporate Partnership page.
