Digital Realty, a data center, colocation, and interconnection infrastructure developer and operator, has started construction on a new 24 MW data center at its KIX Campus in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. This will be Digital Realty’s fifth data center at the campus and it expects the facility will be operational by Q4 2028.
According to a press release, the data center, named KIX15, will be developed by MC Digital Realty (MCDR), the firm’s 50/50 joint venture in Japan with Mitsubishi Corporation. Once complete, KIX15 will bring MC Digital Realty’s data center portfolio up to 10 facilities with a combined 220 MW of IT capacity.
“Japan is a strategic market for Digital Realty and a key part of our long-term growth in Asia Pacific. Our continued investment in Japan reflects both our confidence in the market and our commitment to building the infrastructure customers will need for the long term,” said Serene Nah, Digital Realty Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific. “KIX15 is the next step in that commitment. As customer requirements become more distributed and complex, the combination of local scale and global reach will become increasingly important.”
The new data center is said to be a key part of MCDR’s Kansai AI Infrastructure Co-Creation Project, which has the KIX Campus at the center. The initiative aims to support the development of AI infrastructure across Kansai.
“Kansai has a growing opportunity to play a larger role in Japan’s AI economy. Realizing that potential will require an ecosystem that can support businesses as they build and scale AI, bringing together computing infrastructure, connectivity and technology expertise,” said Kohei Yamashita, MCDR Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer.
KIX15 is being designed to support high-density computing and advanced cooling, and to provide a high level of security and campus-based scalability. The facility will support a broad range of customers including hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and companies deploying AI infrastructure.
Japan’s data center market is growing rapidly. In 2025, the market was valued at US$ 10.99 billion and Mordor Intelligence believes it will grow to US$ 17.66 billion by 2031. Growth is being driven by hyperscale capital outlays, the proliferation of AI workloads, and demand for sovereign cloud, among other factors. As a result, Mordor Intelligence expects data center capacity will grow from 3.57 GW in 2026 to 11.17 GW by 2031.