Jensen Huang's Tokyo 'Izakaya Summit': Inside the Guest List of Japan's Semiconductor Supply Chain Chiefs

When was Jensen Huang's Tokyo izakaya summit, and how large was it?

According to CNA, NVIDIA (輝達) CEO Jensen Huang arrived on the evening of July 15 at a modestly priced izakaya, "YAKITON Mikichi Kanda Kitaguchi," in Tokyo's Kanda district. TechNews, reporting separately, placed the gathering in Tokyo's Akihabara area and described Huang drinking with executives from multiple Japanese firms. CNA reported that NVIDIA's Japan office had booked the venue a full week in advance and sent out the invitations itself.

The two outlets gave different headcounts. TechNews reported that the "izakaya summit" brought together 16-plus Japanese supply chain companies spanning semiconductor equipment, memory, materials and electronic components, with more than 30 executives attending. NVIDIA's own figure, given directly to CNA, was larger: 30 semiconductor-related companies and 45 people. CNA also reported that the gathering ran an hour past its originally scheduled length, not wrapping up until after 9pm.

Which Japanese tech, electronics and materials executives attended?

TechNews reported, based on photos from the event, that executives from Advantest, Tokyo Electron (東京威力科創), Kyocera, Mitsubishi Electric, Murata Manufacturing, Panasonic, Renesas Electronics, Sumitomo Electric, Taiyo Yuden, TDK, Kioxia, Mitsui Kinzoku, Asahi Kasei, Nittobo, Shin-Etsu Chemical and Shibaura Precision Technology were present. TechNews further reported, citing witness accounts, that Ajinomoto's president also attended.

CNA's reporting named individuals directly. It identified Kioxia president Ota Hiroo, Renesas president Shibata Hidetoshi, Tokyo Electron president Kawai Toshiki, Panasonic Holdings president Kusumi Yuki, Murata president Nakajima Norio, and Taiyo Yuden president Sase Katsuya as attending in person. On the materials side, CNA named Shin-Etsu Chemical president Saito Yasuhiko, Sumitomo Electric chairman Matsumoto Masayoshi, Asahi Kasei president Kudo Koshiro, Resonac president Takahashi Hideto, and Ajinomoto president Nakamura Shigeo. The two outlets' company lists overlap closely — Kioxia, Renesas, Tokyo Electron, Panasonic, Murata, Taiyo Yuden, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Sumitomo Electric, Asahi Kasei and Ajinomoto all appear in both TechNews' company list and CNA's named-executive list.

What was on the menu, and what did Jensen Huang eat?

TechNews reported the izakaya's name as "Shōton Mikichi" and said it offered a set course priced at 3,980 yen per person with all-you-can-drink included. TechNews reported that Huang himself ate beef offal hotpot along with a large serving of fries.

CNA's reporting gave more granular pricing: skewers of grilled diaphragm at 165 yen (about NT$33) each, and fried potatoes at 418 yen (about NT$83). CNA reported that Huang, a self-described fan of tonkotsu ramen, was particularly fond of the shop's two-person offal hotpot (motsu-nabe), priced at 1,936 yen (about NT$386) — a dish consistent with the beef offal hotpot TechNews described him eating. After the event, according to TechNews, the izakaya rolled out a new menu item called the "NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Set," a two-hour all-you-can-drink package priced at 4,500 yen.

How did Jensen Huang interact with guests, and what message did he deliver?

CNA reported that a whiskey specialist was on hand at the event, and that Huang personally carried Japanese whiskey around the room, pouring it for attendees one by one. CNA also reported that Huang told the assembled executives, "Japan is back."

NVIDIA Japan representative Osaki Masataka was quoted by CNA as saying: "Japan's semiconductor industry has also been through difficult times, but what everyone talked about today was working together to make this industry thrive again." Resonac president Takahashi Hideto was quoted separately, saying he deeply resonated with Huang's conviction and that Resonac would contribute to the semiconductor industry's development through materials technology. CNA additionally reported that as some attendees left early, Huang stepped outside to see them off and, while there, handed out anpan (red bean bread) and bottled drinks to the photographers and other media personnel gathered at the scene.

What else did Jensen Huang do on this Japan trip, and what is his history with the country?

CNA reported that at noon on July 16, the day after the izakaya gathering, Huang went to a tonkatsu restaurant called "FUMIZEN Toranomon Hills" in Tokyo's Toranomon district, where he had lunch with the CEOs of four companies: Fujitsu, FANUC, YASKAWA, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

CNA also reported that on past visits to Japan, Huang has repeatedly patronized Kyushu Jangara, a tonkotsu ramen chain whose flagship shop is in Akihabara — a detail consistent with TechNews' separate reporting that the izakaya event itself took place in the Akihabara area.

How does the Tokyo event compare with Jensen Huang's supply chain gatherings in Korea and Taiwan?

CNA reported that in June, during a visit to Korea, Huang visited an internet cafe operated by esports team T1 to meet team captain "Faker" (Lee Sang-hyeok) and gave him the latest graphics card. CNA also reported that Huang dined with Korean tech executives at a Korean barbecue restaurant in Seoul's Hongdae area, with attendees including SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and NAVER chairman Lee Hae-jin.

In Taiwan, per CNA, Huang has repeatedly hosted supply chain partners, holding five "trillion-dollar banquets" at Taipei's Brick Kiln Nostalgic Restaurant between 2024 and 2026.

What this adds up to

Across the three markets CNA and TechNews described, Huang's supply chain gatherings follow a recognizable format — an informal meal rather than a boardroom meeting: an izakaya in Tokyo, a barbecue restaurant in Seoul, and a nostalgic restaurant in Taipei used five times since 2024. The Tokyo event itself shows two different pictures depending on the source: TechNews' 16-plus companies and 30-plus executives versus NVIDIA's own count of 30 companies and 45 people, reported by CNA. What both sources agree on is the roster of company names — Kioxia, Renesas, Tokyo Electron, Panasonic, Murata, Taiyo Yuden, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Sumitomo Electric, Asahi Kasei and Ajinomoto all surface in both accounts — and on the tone of the evening: a gathering that ran an hour longer than planned, with Huang personally pouring drinks and telling guests "Japan is back," echoed by Osaki Masataka's and Takahashi Hideto's on-record remarks about rebuilding the industry together.