Disrupting Japan

Tim Romero has spent decades in the Japanese startup ecosystem as a founder, advisor, and investor, and he channels all of that experience into candid long-form interviews with the people building new companies in Japan. Each episode features a founder, venture capitalist, or business leader discussing what it actually takes to start and grow a company in a market that operates by very different rules than Silicon Valley. Topics range widely across industries -- plant-based food, robotics, fertility technology, climate tech, logistics, AI -- but the common thread is always Japan itself and how its unique business culture shapes what works and what fails. Rated an exceptional 4.9 stars from 45 reviews, the podcast punches well above its audience size in terms of depth and quality. Listeners describe it as one of the few shows that genuinely pulls back the curtain on Japanese business culture, revealing patterns around risk tolerance, talent management, and how innovation happens in a society that values consensus. The interview format gives guests space to tell their full story, and Tim's own experience means he asks questions that surface insights a generalist interviewer would miss. Episodes release every two weeks, each one a focused 30-to-45-minute conversation. For anyone interested in Japan through the lens of technology, business, and the people trying to build something new there, Disrupting Japan is the definitive English-language podcast on the topic.