OHH! ITALY In The Japan Times | Global Startup Program

OHH! ITALY Journal · Press Archive

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OHH! ITALY In The Japan Times

A 2019 Japan Times feature on the Global Startup Program placed OHH! ITALY within a wider story of Italian innovation, international hospitality and Japan-Italy business exchange.

Before OHH! ITALY became a private travel and concierge platform, its early vision appeared inside a broader international context: Italian startups exploring Japan, technology, mobility, hospitality and cross-border service design.

The Japan Times article, published in connection with the Global Startup Program, highlighted Italian entrepreneurs in Japan and the role of the Italian Trade Agency in supporting new companies abroad. OHH! ITALY was presented among the participating ventures as an all-in-one reservation service interface for travelers to Italy.

Today, that early idea has matured into a more selective editorial and concierge universe: private journeys, unique experiences and discreet logistics across Italy, shaped around rhythm, privacy and access.

Source: The Japan Times, “Global Startup Program,” sponsored content, Wednesday, October 9, 2019. This page provides a short editorial archive note and access to the original PDF for reference.
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Global Startup Program

Italy’s Innovation Path To Japan

Powered by ITA · Italian Trade Agency

In March 2019, ICE – Italian Trade Agency launched the Global Startup Program for up to 120 innovative Italian startups with international potential — with Japan among the focus countries for overseas development, training and incubator stages.

That same year, the Italian Innovation Day in Tokyo brought together startups, scale-ups, ICE, Invitalia and JETRO for three days of B2B meetings, workshops and pitching sessions. Eight ventures from the Global Startup Program took part alongside fourteen companies selected for the Innovation Day — a window onto Italian excellence in mobility, tourism tech, fintech, medtech and design.

OHH! ITALY appeared within that wider Japan Times feature as an early reservation and hospitality interface for travelers to Italy — the seed of today’s private travel and concierge platform.

Timeline

From Startup Vision To Private Italy

A concise arc from early international fairs to today’s luxury private experiences across Italy.

  1. 2018

    Foundation

    Early international fairs, destination dialogue and the first hospitality vision — shaped in Tokyo before the brand became a full concierge platform.

  2. 2019

    Global Startup Program · Japan

    Selected within ICE’s Global Startup Program and featured in The Japan Times; present in Tokyo for Innovation Day, B2B sessions and pitching alongside Italy’s startup delegation.

  3. 2020–2023

    Expansion

    Platform development, broader Italy coverage and concierge-led travel shaping — from reservation interface toward curated journeys and editorial storytelling.

  4. 2024–2026

    Luxury Private Experiences

    Today’s OHH! ITALY universe: private journeys, unique experiences and discreet logistics across Italy — rhythm, privacy and access at the centre.

Tokyo Archive

International Encounters Around OHH! ITALY

Alongside the Japan Times archive, these images document the early international context in which OHH! ITALY developed its hospitality vision. Tokyo was not only a place of presentation. It became a source of inspiration for the standards, discipline and sense of care behind the project.

Japanese institutional Lexus vehicle for territorial monitoring and public presence

I

Tokyo gave OHH! ITALY an early international mirror: a place where destination culture, hospitality and service design could be observed with discipline and respect.

II

The Japanese culture of precision, dedication and respect for detail became a reference point for the level of care we wanted to bring into private travel.

Moments From The OHH! ITALY Delegation In Japan

Dr. Nicolò Rigato with two Kazakh representatives in Tokyo
Kazakhstan · TokyoDr. Nicolò Rigato with Kazakh representatives during a Tokyo exchange on destination promotion, territory and cultural identity.
Nicolò Rigato with Miss New Caledonia in Tokyo in 2018
Miss New Caledonia · 2018A 2018 Tokyo travel fair encounter, part of the wider destination dialogue surrounding OHH! ITALY and its international outlook.
OHH Italy delegation at the Tokyo tourism fair in 2018
OHH! ITALY Delegation · 2018Gian Matteo Poletti, Nicolò Rigato, Alessandro Coviello, Watanabe Midori and Enrico Basciutti at the Tokyo tourism fair.
Nicolò Rigato and Gian Matteo Poletti at Tokyo Big Sight
Tokyo Big Sight · OHH! ITALY · 2018Nicolò Rigato, founder, and Gian Matteo Poletti at the Tokyo tourism fair — an early chapter in the brand’s international story. Poletti continues to support OHH! ITALY on selected real estate and hospitality projects.

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Practical Questions

Before we begin

A private OHH! ITALY journey starts with a conversation, then becomes a precise proposal shaped around dates, rhythm, privacy needs and the level of support you prefer.

How do I request a private journey?

Share your dates, preferred destinations, interests, travel style and any special requirements. Our concierge team will translate that first exchange into a tailored proposal.

What can be included?

Accommodation, private transfers, guides, restaurants, museum access, villas, water charters, wine tastings, activities, concierge support and travel information can all be coordinated around one itinerary.

Can I request VIP concierge support?

Yes. Upon request, we provide personalized support before and during the journey for guests who require privacy, flexibility, fast coordination and dedicated assistance.

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Once the itinerary has been refined and approved, payment can be completed by secure Stripe link or bank transfer. Each step is coordinated clearly and discreetly.