According to Chinatimes, the 2026 Japan Taiwan Trade Fair drew 154 Taiwanese companies, a figure the organizer, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), through Chairman James Huang (黃志芳), described as "a record high in the history of the fair" (E1). CNA reporting attributes the same 154-company count and a 15% increase over the previous edition to Economic Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), who called it "the highest exhibitor count of any overseas Taiwan Trade Fair to date" (E16, E23). Huang separately noted the current edition is 15% larger in scale than three years ago (E9). Huang also placed the event in historical context, noting Taiwan Trade Fairs have been held 16 times over the past nine years across 10 countries and 16 cities (E8).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exhibitor companies | 154 (record high) | Chinatimes (E1), CNA/CTS (E16, E23) |
| Growth vs. previous edition | 15% | CNA/CTS (E16, E23) |
| Growth vs. three years ago | 15% | Chinatimes (E9) |
| Countries / cities / total events (9 years) | 10 / 16 / 16 | Chinatimes (E8) |
According to CTS/CNA reporting, this year's fair carries the theme "Innovate for Tomorrow" (台日共創未來) and is organized around five focus areas: smart manufacturing, energy circulation, smart technology, smart health, and cultural lifestyle (E17). The Ministry of Economic Affairs, through Minister Kung, also framed bilateral cooperation around four "resilience" areas: industry, digital, green, and medical health (E12).
Chinatimes reported that Foxconn (鴻海) is participating in the Japan Taiwan Trade Fair for the first time, bringing commercial vehicles including the MODEL A and MODEL B (E4). Separately, 其昜 (Chi Yang) is showing a reconnaissance drone for medical transport for the first time (E5), while Solomon Technology (所羅門) and Techman Robot (達明) are exhibiting their latest robotics and machine-vision technologies (E6).
Of the 154 exhibitors, Chinatimes reported that 65 companies are working on AI-related technology and 50 startup teams are exhibiting across medical, biotech, and other high-value sectors (E2, E3). CNA reporting adds that the fair is also hosting a dedicated "Taiwan-Japan AI Technology Forum," bringing together government, industry, and academic representatives from both countries to discuss AI applications, semiconductor supply chains, smart manufacturing, and innovation (E26).
According to Chinatimes, organizers project the three-day event will generate US$1.4 billion in business (E7). Huang also said the fair has arranged 500 matching sessions with major Japanese corporations and trading houses, including Mitsui & Co. and Marubeni Corporation (E10).
Chinatimes reported that the Ministry of Economic Affairs has, since last year, operated a Taiwan Trade and Investment Center in Fukuoka providing one-stop services to help Taiwanese firms expand into the Japanese market (E11). CNA reporting specifies the center was established in April 2025, offering legal consultation, market trend analysis, and business matchmaking services (E21).
According to Chinatimes, Huang stated that 2025 bilateral trade between Taiwan and Japan reached US$84.8 billion, making Taiwan Japan's third-largest trading partner and Japan Taiwan's fourth-largest (E13). CNA/CTS reporting cites the same figure more precisely as US$84.851 billion, confirming the same partner rankings (E19, E25). Huang further said that in the first five months of 2026, bilateral trade already surpassed US$40 billion, with Taiwan's exports to Japan growing 24% even against broader headwinds (E14).
CTS/CNA reporting also noted that TSMC (台積電) is increasing investment in its second Kumamoto fab, part of a broader move by Taiwanese supply chains into Japan, alongside a joint push with Japanese partners on the high-speed optical network project IOWN to boost AI computing capacity (E18). Minister Kung said cooperation is set to extend beyond semiconductors and AI into critical minerals, supply chain resilience, talent exchange and development, and AI innovation applications (E24). Separately, the Ministry noted that Taiwanese visits to Japan reached 6.73 million last year (E20), and organizers noted the opening ceremony was attended by Taiwan-Japan Exchange Association Chairman Tanizaki Yasuaki (谷崎泰明), Japan-Taiwan Diet Members' Consultative Council Chairman Furuya Keiji (古屋圭司), JETRO board member Takashima Daihiro (高島大浩), and Taiwan's Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) (E22).
Taken together, the reported figures show growth compounding at multiple levels: the fair itself grew 15% in exhibitor count while bilateral trade grew 24% in Taiwan's exports to Japan in early 2026 even as full-year 2025 trade already stood at US$84.8–84.9 billion. The concentration of 65 AI-related firms and 50 startups among the 154 exhibitors, paired with a dedicated AI forum, aligns with the Ministry's stated intent to extend cooperation from semiconductors into AI applications and critical minerals — while TSMC's continued Kumamoto investment and the Fukuoka trade center, established in April 2025, point to institutional infrastructure being built in parallel with the trade fair's own record scale.
According to Chinatimes, 65 of the 154 exhibiting companies are working on AI-related technology, alongside 50 startup teams spanning medical, biotech, and other sectors.
Organizers project the three-day fair will generate approximately US$1.4 billion in business, according to Chinatimes, supported by 500 matching sessions with Japanese firms including Mitsui and Marubeni.
According to CNA/CTS and Chinatimes reporting, 2025 bilateral trade reached US$84.8–84.9 billion, and in the first five months of 2026 trade already surpassed US$40 billion, with Taiwan's exports to Japan up 24%.
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