A significant milestone in the revitalization of the tsunami-hit town of Okuma was reached this week as Rutilea, an AI startup based in Kyoto, officially opened its first data center. The facility, located on the Pacific coast, is equipped with Nvidia GPUs and is expected to attract companies developing AI-based services.
The data center’s completion marks a major step in Okuma’s recovery from the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The town was evacuated following the disaster and remained largely deserted for several years. However, in recent years, efforts have been made to rebuild the community and attract new businesses.
Rutilea was drawn to the region by the support offered by the Okuma Incubation Center, which provides resources and mentorship to startup entrepreneurs.
The data center is expected to create jobs and attract new residents to Okuma. Mayor Jun Yoshida expressed optimism that the facility will contribute to the town’s long-term development.
Rutilea’s CEO, Takafumi Yano, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing affordable cloud services. The data center will charge only one-eighth as much as Amazon Web Services, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.