Aoyama Business Plan Contest 2026 Final Judging

The Entrepreneurship Center at Aoyama Gakuin University will hold the final judging of the "Aoyama Business Plan Contest 2026" on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the Aoyama Campus, McCaleb Memorial Hall.

This contest is an entrepreneur support event aimed at fostering entrepreneurship among Aoyama Gakuin students, from high school students to graduate students. This year there were 34 applications, and the 5 teams that passed the first-round document screening will present their business plans in front of the judges.

Highlights

• Grand Prize: 500,000 yen in startup support funds, provided by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Club Co., Ltd.
• Excellence Award: A pair of round-trip tickets to Canada, provided by Air Canada
• Sponsor Awards: Prize money and prizes from sponsoring companies

The chief judge is Fumio Takahashi (Chairman of the Naganuma School educational corporation and Professor Emeritus at Aoyama Gakuin University). Seiji Iwaguma, Mika Kumahira, Yukiko Kato, and others will serve as judges. Mentoring support from alumni was also provided to those who passed the document screening.

This contest continues an initiative that has run since 2019, and is being held in a renewed form by the Entrepreneurship Center, which was established in April 2026. Admission is free, but advance registration is required, and attendance is open to university students, related parties, and members of the press.