NoMaps 2027
Overview
A city-wide festival across central Sapporo spanning conferences, exhibitions, music, and film. Modeled after SXSW and launched in 2016, the 2025 edition drew a cumulative 58,000 participants across 86 venues and 294 programs. A hub event of Hokkaido's startup ecosystem where entrepreneurs, creators, students, and local governments mix.
Foundation
- Founded
- 2016
- Founder
- NoMaps Executive Committee
Launched in 2016 through public-private-academic collaboration, with roots in the Sapporo International Short Film Festival
Transition
- 2016 Full launch after a preliminary edition
- 2025 10th year. 86 venues and 294 programs, with a cumulative 58,239 participants
- 2026 September 23-27. Expansion beyond Sapporo begins with editions such as NoMaps Ibaraki in Kashima, Ibaraki
- 2027 September 15-19 at multiple venues across central Sapporo (announced September 27, 2026)
In the News
CEATEC
Japan's largest IT and electronics exhibition. Organized by JEITA, held annually in October at Makuhari Messe. The 2026 theme is 'Transformation.' Over 800 exhibitors and approximately 100,000 visitors. Free admission with registration.
Japan Mobility Show Bizweek 2026
A B2B mobility co-creation event hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). Held in the interim year of the main Japan Mobility Show (biennial at Tokyo Big Sight, drawing about one million visitors), co-located with CEATEC at the same venue and dates. Focused on business matching among automakers, startups, universities, and cross-industry companies, with the online matching tool Meet-up Box available before and after the show.
GREE Tech Conference 2026
A technology conference hosted by GREE Holdings under the theme "How We Build", framed around the process of development rather than the finished product. Three parallel tracks cover AI, data analysis, game development, infrastructure, and security, with a keynote by the company's Masaki Fujimoto. Free to attend in a hybrid format, including seats that come with an office tour.