Growth Hub #5 - Building & Belonging in Japan: a Conversation with Maryam Fallah
Shibuya Startup Support invites you to the 5th session of our Growth Hub series.
Moving to Japan as a foreigner can be hard. The systems, the expectations, the unspoken rules - none of it is built with outsiders in mind. That’s the problem Maryam Fallah set out to solve.
Maryam is the founder of Buddy, a startup using AI to help foreign professionals actually live - and stay - in Japan, to make sure people don’t feel like outsiders forever.
Before founding Buddy, Maryam worked in business development and procurement at a major Japanese trading company. She saw firsthand how difficult integration can be, even for highly skilled professionals. Now, she’s building tools and services to change that - for individuals and for the companies hiring them.
She’ll be joined by Francisco Dalla Rosa Soares, our ongoing moderator at Shibuya Startup Support, who will help dig into what it really takes to make Japan more livable - and more welcoming - for global talent.
What you’ll learn:
👉 the hidden friction of moving to japan
Language, systems, isolation. Maryam breaks down where people get stuck - and what actually helps.
👉 from surviving to belonging
Why “integration” isn’t just a checklist. What it means to live like a local, and why most support services don’t go far enough.
👉 what companies keep getting wrong
Hiring foreigners is one thing. Retaining them is another. Why most companies in Japan miss the mark - and how to fix it.
🗼 About Shibuya Startup Support
Shibuya Startup Support is an initiative by the Shibuya City Office to support startups looking to launch or expand in Japan. We provide guidance, visa and incorporation support, and access to a thriving local ecosystem.
✅ By attending the event, you agree to the Service Policy and Code of Conduct.
✅ By attending this event, you consent to being photographed or recorded for use in Shibuya Startup Support communications, including our website and social media channels.
🌱 About Tokyo Startup Lunch Club
We are a group of startup founders, investors and other people related to or interested in the startup scene, who gather weekly every Tuesday at the Tokyo International Forum, starting from 11:30 AM to have lunch and share our experiences and discuss various topics in a casual environment.