[Report] PAX West 2026: MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION Booth & Japan-U.S. Game Industry Connect
Oct 08, 2026
Seattle, WA – Japanese video games have captured the hearts of video game fans around the world for decades. From console juggernauts like Nintendo and PlayStation to smaller mobile and indie game developers, Japanese video game companies continue to deliver games that inspire and excite fans of all ages.
Last month, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) showcased twelve unique Japanese indie video games at the MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION booth at PAX West in Seattle from September 4-7. This was JETRO’s first time exhibiting at PAX West, one of the largest gaming conventions in the world.
As part of a JETRO initiative to promote Japanese games globally, JETRO created the MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION on Steam – the largest PC game distribution platform. This curated collection features 600 Japanese video game from high-budget AAA titles to small indie projects.
For PAX West, the JETRO team decided to focus on Japanese indie games, narrowing down from hundreds of titles to twelve. The twelve selected games span a wide range of genres and styles, including JRPGs, rhythm games, puzzle games, card games, action games, cozy games, mysteries, and more.
At the MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION booth, JETRO set up twelve demo stations (one per game) where PAX attendees could walk up and play test the games directly. Attendees were encouraged to leisurely try out the various games, and JETRO staff were on hand to answer questions about individual games, the booth, and the Steam collection.
While JETRO acted as the representative for all the featured games at the booth, they also welcomed renowned game developer Yosuke Shiokawa from Fahrenheit 213 – who showcased his upcoming title LUNAR PULSE – as well as representatives from major Japanese media distributor Happinet – who were promoting the upcoming title Mononoke no Kuni.
 
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Prior to founding Fahrenheit 213, Shiokawa, a seasoned industry veteran, worked as a game designer and director at Square Enix, Co. Ltd., where he worked on major titles such as Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Dissidia Final Fantasy. From there, he moved to DELiGHTWORKS Inc., where he served as the creative director and producer for popular mobile game Fate/Grand Order.
Shiokawa and his upcoming game LUNAR PULSE proved to be a major draw for both regular attendees as well as media outlets and content creators. In total, JETRO welcomed over a dozen media outlets and content creators to the booth to demo games and conduct in-person interviews with Shiokawa, Happinet, and JETRO staff.
On behalf of the game developers, JETRO also conducted a survey of visitors about themselves and the game(s) they sampled. Feedback from this survey will be provided to the game developers themselves and will also help inform future JETRO game-related exhibitions. Visitors who participated in the survey were given MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION lanyards alongside game-specific key tags.
Throughout the four-day convention, which drew an estimated 100,000 attendees, JETRO welcomed visitors of all ages and backgrounds to the MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION booth, from young children and families to game industry veterans, many of whom expressed their appreciation and affection for Japanese video games.
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As part of the PAX week festivities, JETRO was also invited to attend a Pre-PAX Reception hosted by Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs on September 3rd. This event highlighted the vibrant and influential video game ecosystems of Poland, Japan, and Washington State.
In his welcome speech, Secretary Hobbs spoke about the importance of the game industry (video and tabletop) on the Washington state economy, and he also expressed his admiration for both the Japanese and Polish game industries. This was followed by remarks from Honorary Consul of Poland Teresa Indelak Davis, Indie Games Poland Foundation representative Ryszard Chojnowski, Acting Consul General of Japan in Seattle Yoko Tsuge, JETRO San Francisco Chief Executive Director Kanako Watanabe, and Penny Arcade co-founder Jerry Holkins.
The event then transitioned into a networking session, where game developers and games-adjacent businesses from Poland and Japan were given tables to showcase their work. JETRO helped to coordinate a slate of Japanese food vendors to cater the event, allowing attendees to sample an array of Japanese dishes and beverages, from sake and sweets to sushi and oden, which were served alongside Polish beers. JETRO also set up a showcase of Japanese crafts and design products.
JETRO is deeply grateful to Secretary Hobbs and the Office of the Secretary of State for welcoming CED Watanabe and the rest of the JETRO team to Seattle and PAX West. Secretary Hobbs also graciously visited the JETRO booth multiple times throughout PAX weekend and supported our Japan-U.S. Game Industry Connect event.
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On September 4th, JETRO and the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington (JASSW) hosted a video game industry networking event “Japan-U.S. Game Industry Connect” at Davis Wright Tremaine Seattle. This event featured welcome remarks from CED Watanabe and Secretary Hobbs, a panel discussion, spotlight presentations, and a networking reception.
The panel featured game industry leaders from the U.S. and Japan as they discussed the opportunities and challenges of working across the Japan and U.S. gaming markets. The panelists each represented different facets of the game industry, from game development to publishing to localization to business development. The panel welcomed Kate Edwards, CEO & Principal Consultant at Geogrify; Maya Yamazaki, Chair of the Technology Practice and Lead for the Video Game Group at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP; Norman Cheuk, Co-Founder and CEO at Playformant; and Yosuke Shiokawa, Founder and CEO at Fahrenheit 213. It was moderated by Dylan Rhoads, Secretary at JASSW.
The panel discussion was followed by a series of spotlight presentations from active game industry professionals and companies from both Japan and the U.S. These presentations highlighted ongoing projects and business development goals from these three companies, providing insight into the latest developments and opportunities in the gaming landscape of Japan and the U.S. The spotlight presenters were Chase Lambert-Crittenden, CEO at iQ Pictures; Hiroki Takeuchi, Marketing Director at Happinet; and Yosuke Shiokawa, Founder and CEO at Fahrenheit 213.
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PAX West provided JETRO an opportunity to showcase the prowess of Japanese indie game developers to an international audience. While game aficionados worldwide are familiar with major Japanese game studios and popular Japanese game franchises, we at JETRO hope to encourage game lovers to explore and discover a wide variety of Japanese games.
To find your next favorite Japanese game, check out JETRO’s MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION on Steam!
