On June 2, the Open Charge Alliance hosted its first OCA Meet-Up Japan at Tokyo Innovation Base in Tokyo. The event brought together professionals from the Japanese EV charging ecosystem and the international OCA community for an inspiring afternoon of exchange, connection, and shared learning.
The meet-up offered a valuable opportunity to explore the role of open standards in Japan’s rapidly developing e-mobility landscape. Rather than focusing only on technical specifications, the conversations showed how interoperability is becoming increasingly important in practice: for operators, technology providers, policymakers, and ultimately EV drivers. As charging infrastructure continues to grow, reliable communication between systems will be essential to create services that are scalable, secure, and easy to use.
Throughout the afternoon, participants exchanged perspectives on the developments shaping the next phase of EV charging. The discussions moved from the role of OCPP in supporting flexible charging networks to broader themes such as secure implementation, payment innovation, and the future interaction between vehicles, chargers, and the energy system. This combination of local market insight and international experience made the event especially valuable.
The OCA Meet-up Japan also offered the opportunity for companies to exhibit or pitch their their business to the audience, giving the afternoon a interactive and collaborative twist. Thoughout the event there were multiple opportunties to exchange knowledge and ideas while enjoying a typical Dutch stroopwafel.
We look back on a great event strengthening the connection with and gaining deeper insight on the Japanese EV charging industry. A special thank you to our guest speakers and everyone who joined us in Tokyo and contributed to the open and contructive atmosphere. The first OCA Meet-Up Japan showed the value of bringing people together around a shared ambition: building interoperable, future-ready charging infrastructure through open collaboration. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and further strengthening the relationship between the Japanese EV charging ecosystem and the wider OCA community.
