[Japan IT Week Spring 2025] What We Saw on the Global AI Frontline in Tokyo

In our last post, we shared stories from global event trips, including NVIDIA GTC. When people think of the "global market" in AI, the United States usually comes to mind first. We have also been tracking global technology trends by joining events across the U.S.

Recently, we have been paying close attention to the Japanese market, where interest in AI and investment is both growing quickly and a distinct ecosystem is taking shape. OpenAI officially opened its first Asian office in Tokyo last year, and Japan has become a strategic destination for global companies working on AI and other frontier industries, from semiconductors to autonomous driving. Teams that move early across multiple global markets can gain broader opportunities and deeper insight. To see that potential firsthand and build new connections, SqueezeBits joined [Japan IT Week Spring 2025] at Tokyo Big Sight in April 2025.

Japan IT Week is one of Japan's largest annual IT trade shows. The show spans a wide range of sectors, including AI and SaaS as well as IoT and security. The spring 2025 show in Tokyo ran for three days from April 23 to 25, 2025. Companies joined from Korea and India, from the United States, and from many other countries. More than 50,000 visitors attended.

At the Korea Pavilion in Tokyo, which was packed with energy, visitors could find the SqueezeBits booth. We introduced and demoed two tools: OwLite, our AI model compression tool, and Fits on Chips, our large language model (LLM) serving scenario optimization tool. We also prepared an on-device LLM demo that ran at high speed without Wi-Fi. For visitors who were new to model compression, we explained why it matters and what benefits it brings. For visitors who already needed it, we showed the technical edge that sets Squeezebits apart.

As SqueezeBits expanded into Japan as a new market, one teammate deserves special mention: Karin, our Japanese colleague. She blended into our culture quickly with impressive Korean skills and adaptability. She also played a major role in preparing for the exhibition and running the booth. Since this post looks back on Japan IT Week Spring 2025, we also wanted to share Karin's perspective. Here is our interview with her.

Q. Karin, could you briefly introduce yourself?

A. I'm Karin Yamamoto, a growth marketing intern at SqueezeBits. Within our business development and marketing work, I mainly focus on expanding into Japan.

Q. What role did you play in preparing for and operating the booth at Japan IT Week Spring 2025 last April?

A. I helped with the overall preparation, and I handled all of the Japanese translation for the pamphlets and other introductory materials. If I translated technical content without fully understanding it first, important points or nuances could have been lost. So I spent a lot of time studying AI model compression and learning Squeezebits' services and technical strengths.

Because the event took place in Japan and I was the only Japanese team member, I felt responsible for explaining the company and our services well. I spent the most time practicing our booth pitch and product introductions. I also did a lot of research to deepen my understanding of AI technology and the broader market. That process broadened my knowledge and perspective, so it felt like a very valuable experience. I also worked on Japanese blog promotions and market research, and researched which other AI companies would attend as well.

Q. Do you have a particularly memorable episode from running the booth?

A. Japan's AI industry is still in an early stage, and this exhibition brought together the wider IT industry, so the interests of participating companies and visitors were broader than I expected. I found that a little disappointing. Even so, quite a few people were already interested in AI model compression. One visitor came back to our booth on two consecutive days because they were thinking seriously about LLM throughput and wanted to learn more about our product, Fits on Chips. That experience stood out the most. I got to hear the concerns and perspectives of working engineers directly.

Q. After returning from Japan, you also helped run the booth all three days at [AI Expo Korea 2025] in Seoul in May.

A. I thought I had grown comfortable introducing the company and our products after running the booth in Japan, but doing it in Korean was still not easy. Still, after speaking Korean throughout all three days, I could introduce the company much more smoothly by the end. I also felt proud that I could answer some simpler technical questions in Korean.
AI Expo Korea 2025 had more visitors who worked directly in the AI industry than the Tokyo exhibition did. Many people approached us first and asked for a company or product introduction. I studied a lot on my own, from preparing for Tokyo through AI Expo, but I learned even more by speaking directly with other people. That made the experience especially rewarding.

Q. As an international team member, how does SqueezeBits' culture feel to you?

A. I did not notice any major cultural differences, and I never found it hard to adapt. I like the flat culture here, where I can comfortably share ideas with everyone, including our CEO. I also like how friendly the team is and how easily people get along. If I had to point to one difference, Japan tends to feel more individualistic, while SqueezeBits holds full-team daily scrums once or twice a week and sometimes eats lunch together. That felt new to me. The team respects each person's autonomy, but it also values teamwork as One Team. That helped me settle in quickly and enjoy my time here.

Karin's language skills and strong execution, along with her ability to adapt to our culture, helped SqueezeBits take a strong first step into the Japanese market. Karin noted that the Tokyo exhibition felt a little disappointing at times because the participating industries were broader than expected. Even so, the trip helped us build a solid foundation in Japan, which made it meaningful. We hope you'll keep an eye on SqueezeBits as we take on broader markets beyond the United States and Japan and show the strength of our technology there.

Through this team blog, we will keep sharing SqueezeBits' global journey along with the hard work and fun stories behind it. If you want to join SqueezeBits on that path, check out our open positions through the link below!👇