How can cities keep functioning when the systems they depend on come under pressure? At SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, exhibitors approached urban resilience from several directions.
At Tokyo Big Sight, companies showed AI systems for crisis management, satellites that can monitor damage from space, lightweight solar cells for places where conventional panels are difficult to install, and fusion technologies aimed at long-term energy stability.
Using AI to See a Crisis Faster
Spectee, a Tokyo-based company developing AI-powered disaster-prevention and crisis-management services, focused on one of the most urgent needs in emergencies: getting accurate information quickly. Its Spectee Pro service uses AI to analyze social media posts, weather data, camera feeds, and other sources in real time, helping governments and companies visualize risks as they unfold.
At SusHi Tech, the company also showcased Spectee SCR, a service that visualizes risks across supply chains. Asked whether AI is most useful for detection, classification, or prediction in crisis management, Spectee account manager Naoki Hashida said it plays a role in all three. One area where it is already proving useful, he said, is classification. “If someone posts an image on social media, AI can identify what kind of incident it shows,” the representative said. “It can also pick up clues from the image itself, such as signs, shop names, or other text, to help determine where it is happening.”
In the first moments after a disaster, local officials need to grasp many things at once: whether power, water, or gas services have been disrupted, whether buildings have collapsed, and whether fires have broken out near key facilities. Gathering that information manually can be difficult when conditions are changing quickly.
Balancing Speed With Accuracy
Speed, however, also makes accuracy essential. Hashida said Spectee checks the background of social media accounts, looks for similar posts from other users, and examines whether images may have been created by generative AI. The aim is to deliver information quickly without amplifying false reports.
The next step, he added, is to move beyond gathering information and help officials decide how to respond. In a major earthquake in Tokyo, responders would have limited personnel and would need to identify which areas to prioritize first.
“We want the system to help identify where the damage is most severe and which areas should be prioritized,” he said. “If fires are spreading in one area, sending rescuers there could put them at risk. The goal is to provide information that helps officials decide not only where help is needed, but where it can be sent safely.”
Satellites That See Through Clouds
Synspective, a Japanese satellite company established in 2018, is tackling another resilience challenge: how to see what is happening on the ground when clouds, darkness, or dangerous conditions make direct observation difficult.
The company develops and operates small synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites that can observe the Earth at night and through cloud cover. Its satellite data and remote monitoring services are used by governments and companies for disaster response, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure management.
Natsumi Anan, head of external communications at Synspective, said the company currently has five operational satellites. After a disaster, speed is critical. The faster satellites can observe the affected area, the faster responders can assess flooding, landslides, or other damage.
“At the moment, if we want to observe a specific location, it takes around two to three hours,” Anan said. “We are aiming for a constellation of 30 satellites. With that many, we would be able to reach a target area in about 40 or 50 minutes.”
Beyond disaster response, Synspective’s satellites can also support long-term urban management. By measuring millimeter-level ground displacement from space, they can help detect whether land is sinking or shifting around roads, buildings, and other infrastructure.
“When building roads or other infrastructure, it is important to know whether the ground is subsiding,” Anan said. “Our satellites can measure that kind of ground displacement from space.”
Bringing Solar Power to New Surfaces
Energy resilience was another focus at the event. EneCoat Technologies, a Kyoto University startup, develops and commercializes perovskite solar cell materials and modules. The company says its goal is to help create a “battery anywhere” society through ultrathin solar cell films.
A perovskite solar cell battery at EneCoat Technologies’ booth. (©Japan Forward)
Yoshihiro Nozaki of EneCoat’s Intellectual Property Department said perovskite solar cells are likely to appear first in smaller products, such as watches and factory sensors, before expanding into larger urban applications. Because the cells are lightweight and can generate power even under weak indoor lighting, they could be used to power sensors without frequent battery replacement.
EneCoat is also working with Toyota Motor on automotive applications, aiming to attach multiple perovskite sheets to vehicle roofs. Nozaki mentioned that another promising use is on buildings where conventional silicon panels are too heavy.
“We have had a lot of interest from factories,” Nozaki said. “People from local governments have also asked about installing them in gymnasiums and community centers—places where conventional panels were difficult to use before.”
Durability remains a major challenge. Nozaki said the cells have cleared tests showing they can last 10 years, but perovskite is vulnerable to water, making sealing technology crucial.
“The issue we worry about more than efficiency is how to overcome that weakness to water,” Nozaki said.
Fusion Energy Moves Towards Engineering
Kyoto Fusioneering took the discussion further into the future. Founded at Kyoto University, the company develops fusion technologies and plant equipment to address the engineering challenges of commercial fusion, including heating, fuel-cycle, and power-generation systems.
Megumi Yogo, senior manager in Kyoto Fusioneering’s Corporate Planning Department, said fusion is no longer only a scientific question. Fusion reactions can already be produced. The harder task “is making it happen in a stable and continuous way,” Yogo explained.
Kyoto Fusioneering’s work focuses on what comes after the reaction: extracting heat, producing and recycling fuel, and eventually proving that a full fuel cycle can operate.
Yogo said fusion could eventually support more than electricity generation. Because fusion can produce extremely high-temperature heat, it could also be used in agriculture, hydrogen production, and other industrial processes.
Before fusion can become a practical power source, she said, Japan needs to prove the full system through an integrated demonstration using tritium in the 2030s.
“First, we have to prove that fusion energy is feasible,” Yogo said. “If we do not carry out this integrated demonstration in the 2030s, social implementation will never follow.”
Where Resilience Enters Daily Life
So, where does resilience technology first become part of daily life? At SusHi Tech, some exhibitors suggested it may begin with smaller, less visible applications.
Nozaki of EneCoat said perovskite solar cells are likely to appear first in watches, factory sensors, and other compact devices, with larger uses to follow. “We are preparing to begin mass production by the end of this fiscal year or sometime next fiscal year,” Nozaki said. “I think we will start seeing products like these on the market within the next few years.”
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Author: Daniel Manning
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