Japan AI and digitalization subsidies approved for 8,257 companies

A report by AI PICKS has analyzed the distribution of 8,257 companies that received approval for digitalization and AI implementation subsidies for the 2026 fiscal year. The data, compiled from records provided by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, shows that recipients are spread across all 47 Japanese prefectures.

Geographically, 40% of the approved companies are concentrated in three major regions: Tokyo (20.7%), Osaka (12%), and Aichi (7.3%). The remaining 60% are distributed throughout the rest of the country.

In terms of application categories, the ‘Invoice Framework’ was the most common, accounting for 5,477 companies (66%). Other categories included the ‘Standard Framework’ with 2,842 companies, the ‘Security Measures Promotion Framework’ with 100 companies, and the ‘Multiple Company Collaboration Framework’ with 5 companies.