A large-scale AI data center, among the largest of its kind in Japan, is planned for construction at an industrial park in northern Akita. Total costs are expected to reach approximately ¥2 trillion, and a UAE sovereign wealth fund is reportedly considering an investment of up to ¥1 trillion. Operations are targeted to begin in the first half of the 2030s.
A plan is under way to build an artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Akita, Akita Prefecture. Development costs are expected to total approximately ¥2 trillion, and a UAE sovereign wealth fund is reportedly considering an investment of up to ¥1 trillion. Operations are expected to begin in the first half of the 2030s.
The project is being advanced by a special-purpose company established by US AI startup Bitgrit and Akita-based IT company エスツー. The two companies signed a partnership agreement in October 2025. An industrial park in northern Akita has been identified as a candidate site.
Total power intake capacity is expected to reach up to 500 MW, which would make the facility one of Japan’s largest computing infrastructures once completed. The data center will be equipped with high-performance AI servers made by NVIDIA to handle vast amounts of data processing. The plan calls for using renewable energy generated in Akita Prefecture and leveraging the area’s cool climate and water resources for cooling.
The project’s total cost is expected to reach up to ¥2 trillion, with the UAE side coordinating an investment of up to approximately ¥1 trillion. The project has attracted attention against the backdrop of efforts to avoid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and strengthen Japan’s digital infrastructure.