NTT Global Data Centers conducted a groundbreaking ceremony last week to kick off the construction of the Keihanna Data Center, slated to be operational in the Kansai region of Japan.
This 30MW data center will be erected on a flat terrain in Kyoto Prefecture, positioned approximately 94 meters above sea level, boasting minimal natural disaster risk. Situated within an hour’s drive from the urban hubs of Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara Prefectures, its accessibility is a strategic advantage.
The ceremony featured a traditional Shinto ritual aimed at sanctifying the land and invoking safety throughout the construction phase. Esteemed members of NTT Global Data Center management, alongside our construction partners, graced the occasion.
In a separate development, AirTrunk also embarked on the construction of its newest data center in Osaka, AirTrunk OSK1 (OSK1), commemorated with a special Jichinsai groundbreaking ceremony, symbolizing the onset of this significant endeavor.
The first quarter of 2024 witnessed a surge in announcements from various data center players outlining their intentions to bolster their presence in Japan. Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled a bold plan to invest 2.3 trillion yen (approximately $15.5 billion) in the country over the next five years, signaling a strategic push to bolster its data center infrastructure.
Yondr Group has formed a strategic partnership with Marubeni Corporation to establish a foothold in the Tokyo market and expand Yondr’s presence in Asia, leveraging Marubeni’s diverse business interests for future developments in data centers and renewable energy projects.
Digital Realty also revealed the inauguration of NRT12, its latest data center situated at the NRT campus within Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture. This expansion contributes an additional 34 megawatts (MW) of crucial IT capacity to the campus, raising the total to 73 MW.
The surge in constructing data centers in Japan persists through 2024, with 15 out of 50 surveyed companies in the DC business expressing plans for new construction or facility expansion from 2023 to 2025.
