Japan's data center sector has become one of the most strategically contested infrastructure markets in the world. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has stated that domestic investment in data centers is essential to maintain Japan's national wealth and ensure its economic security, framing compute infrastructure not as a commercial market but as a matter of national interest. 

Leading the buildout are the five largest new data center projects in Japan: Goodman Tsukuba Data Center Campus (TY005), Hokkaido Tomakomai AI Data Center, AirTrunk TOK1, EdgeConneX Greater Osaka-Kyoto, and NTT GDC Tokyo TKY12, each setting new benchmarks for scale, energy efficiency, and AI-readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.

In this blog, we break down the top 5 largest data center projects in Japan as of 2026, covering capacity, capital investment, current development stage, and what makes each a landmark in the region's digital buildout.

List of the Top 5 Largest Data Center Projects in Japan 2026

Goodman Tsukuba Data Center Campus (TY005)

Goodman Group's Tsukuba Tech Central (TY005) is one of the largest planned data center developments in Japan and among the most ambitious digital infrastructure projects currently underway in the Asia-Pacific region. Located in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, approximately 50 kilometers northeast of central Tokyo, the campus forms part of Goodman's global hyperscale data center pipeline. 

The Australian property and infrastructure developer acquired the site from local authorities in 2022 and has positioned the project as a long-term hyperscale campus designed to serve growing cloud and AI demand across the Greater Tokyo market. The development also strengthens Goodman's presence in Japan, where it already operates data center assets in Chiba Prefecture through its partnership with ST Telemedia Global Data Centres.

Capacity and Technical Specifications

Tsukuba Tech Central is planned to deliver up to 1 GW of power capacity at full build-out, making it one of the largest announced data center campuses in Japan. The development is expected to span approximately 45 hectares and ultimately accommodate 10 high-tier data center facilities. 

The first phase consists of a 50 MW data center, which is currently under development and scheduled for completion in 2026. Goodman has stated that the campus will be developed in multiple stages to support long-term hyperscale and AI infrastructure requirements.

Investment and Development Partners

While Goodman has not publicly disclosed the total investment value for Tsukuba Tech Central, the scale of the project places it among the most significant data center developments announced in Japan. The company is leading the project and has already entered into a Heads of Agreement for the construction and leasing of the first facility to a customer.

The broader campus is expected to attract hyperscale cloud providers, AI infrastructure operators, and large enterprise customers seeking capacity in the Tokyo metropolitan region.

Development Status and Timeline

The campus is currently under development, with site preparation and enabling infrastructure works already underway. Construction of the initial 50 MW facility is progressing toward a targeted completion date this year. Additional phases will be delivered over several years as customer demand and utility infrastructure become available. 

Although Goodman has not published a full construction schedule for the remaining phases, the company continues to advance power, water, and connectivity planning required to support the eventual 1 GW campus build-out.

Hokkaido Tomakomai AI Data Center

The SoftBank Hokkaido Tomakomai AI Data Center is one of the largest AI infrastructure projects currently under development in Japan. Located in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, the campus forms a key part of SoftBank's broader Brain DataCenter initiative, which aims to expand AI computing capacity beyond the country's traditional data center hubs in Tokyo and Osaka. 

SoftBank officially broke ground on the project in April 2025, marking the start of a development that is expected to become one of Japan's largest AI-focused data center campuses. The facility is designed to support SoftBank's own AI ambitions while also providing computing resources for universities, research institutions, enterprises, and technology partners.

Capacity and Technical Specifications

The campus spans approximately 700,000 square meters and will be developed in phases. The initial phase will deliver 50 MW of power capacity and is scheduled to enter operation in fiscal 2026. SoftBank plans to expand the campus beyond 300 MW over time, while the site has been designed with the long-term potential to reach 1 GW of capacity. 

The facility will support high-density AI computing infrastructure, including deployments of NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD systems and other advanced GPU-based platforms. SoftBank is also testing automated operations technologies, including robot-friendly server racks and autonomous maintenance systems designed to reduce dependence on manual intervention.

Sustainability and Infrastructure Strategy

A defining feature of the project is its commitment to operating on 100% renewable energy sourced locally within Hokkaido. The company selected Tomakomai because of its access to renewable energy resources, large land availability, and naturally cool climate, which can help reduce data center cooling requirements and improve overall energy efficiency. 

The integration of renewable power and climate advantages supports SoftBank's goal of building a large-scale AI computing facility with a lower environmental footprint than traditional hyperscale data center developments located in densely populated metropolitan areas.

Development Status and Timeline

The project entered the construction phase following the groundbreaking ceremony held in April 2025. SoftBank expects the first 50 MW phase to be operational in 2026, while subsequent expansion phases will increase the site's capacity beyond 300 MW. 

The company has not disclosed a timeline for the full build-out, but the campus has been planned to accommodate future growth toward the 1 GW mark as AI computing demand continues to increase.

AirTrunk TOK1 Hyperscale Data Center Campus

The AirTrunk TOK1 Campus in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, is one of the largest hyperscale data center developments in Japan and serves as AirTrunk's flagship facility in the country's largest digital infrastructure market. 

Located within the Greater Tokyo region, the campus has been developed to meet growing demand from cloud providers, AI companies, and large enterprise customers requiring hyperscale capacity.

Capacity and Technical Specifications

TOK1 is designed to deliver more than 300 MW of IT capacity at full build-out, making it one of the largest data center campuses in Japan. The development occupies approximately 13.25 hectares and is planned to include 102 data halls spread across multiple buildings. Upon completion, the campus will provide around 80,000 square meters of data hall space, alongside office and operational facilities. 

The site is powered by 66 kV high-voltage feeds and features a carrier-neutral design with multiple network entry paths. AirTrunk has also targeted a design Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15, placing the facility among the most energy-efficient hyperscale campuses in the region.

Investment and Expansion Strategy

AirTrunk has not publicly disclosed the total investment value of TOK1, but the campus represents one of the company's largest infrastructure commitments globally. The development has expanded steadily in response to strong customer demand from hyperscale cloud providers and digital platforms. 

In June 2025, AirTrunk broke ground on a new 40 MW expansion phase, adding to previous development stages, including a 55 MW building announced in 2023. The continued expansion reflects confidence in Japan's long-term demand for cloud, AI, and high-performance computing infrastructure.

Development Status and Timeline

The first phase of TOK1 was announced in 2020 and delivered in just 45 weeks before entering service in November 2021. Since then, AirTrunk has progressed through successive expansion phases to increase available capacity across the campus. 

The latest 40 MW phase entered construction in 2025 and forms part of the broader plan to scale the site beyond 300 MW. Development remains ongoing as AirTrunk gradually builds out the remaining facilities and infrastructure required for full campus completion.

EdgeConneX Greater Osaka–Kyoto Data Center Platform

EdgeConneX is building one of Japan's largest hyperscale data center platforms through a dual-campus development in the Greater Osaka-Kyoto region. The project combines the Kyotanabe Campus and Yawata Campus, creating a large-scale AI and cloud infrastructure platform with a planned capacity of 350 MW. 

Capacity and Technical Specifications

The platform will deliver a combined 350 MW of utility power across two hyperscale campuses. The larger Kyotanabe Campus, located approximately 30 kilometers from central Osaka, is planned to provide around 200 MW of capacity across approximately 260,000 square meters of gross floor area. 

The second campus in Yawata City will contribute up to 150 MW across approximately 135,000 square meters. Both facilities have been designed specifically for AI, cloud computing, and high-performance computing workloads. 

The campuses will support rack densities exceeding 600 kW per cabinet, feature liquid-cooling-ready infrastructure, and provide concurrently maintainable power systems with minimum N+1 redundancy configurations.

Investment and Development Partners

EdgeConneX is leading the development of both campuses as part of its long-term expansion strategy in Japan. The Kyotanabe project is being developed in partnership with Kagoya Asset Management, while the Yawata campus is being developed alongside Keihan Real Estate, a major regional property developer within the broader Keihan Group. 

Although the company has not publicly disclosed total investment figures, the scale of the platform places it among the largest privately developed data center initiatives currently underway in the Kansai region.

Development Status and Timeline

Development of the Kyotanabe Campus officially commenced in early 2026 following EdgeConneX's initial market entry announcement in January 2025. The first phase, delivering approximately 28 MW, is expected to enter service in early 2028. 

The Yawata Campus was announced in August 2025 after the company secured its second development site in Japan. The first phase of Yawata, providing 36 MW, is also targeted to become operational in 2028. Additional phases at both campuses will be delivered over time as customer demand grows.

NTT GDC Tokyo TKY12

NTT Global Data Centers (NTT GDC) is developing the Tokyo TKY12 Campus in the Inzai-Shiroi area of Chiba Prefecture, expanding its presence in one of Japan's most important hyperscale data center markets. The project forms part of NTT's broader strategy to increase capacity for cloud computing, AI infrastructure, and high-density enterprise workloads across the Tokyo metropolitan region. 

Announced in 2026, TKY12 will be one of the company's largest developments in Japan and will significantly expand NTT's footprint in Inzai, a location already favored by hyperscale operators due to its strong power, connectivity, and land availability.

Capacity and Technical Specifications

The campus is planned to provide approximately 200 MW of IT capacity distributed across six data center buildings. Designed for next-generation cloud and AI workloads, the facility will incorporate scalable power and cooling infrastructure capable of supporting high-density computing environments. 

The site is located in the Inzai-Shiroi area of Chiba Prefecture at an elevation of roughly 20 meters above sea level, offering geographic advantages for long-term infrastructure development. Once completed, TKY12 will sit alongside the nearby 50 MW TKY11 facility, bringing the combined NTT cluster in the area to approximately 250 MW of capacity.

Investment and Development Strategy

NTT has not disclosed the total investment value of the TKY12 campus, but the project represents a major addition to the company's expanding data center portfolio in Japan. Development is being led through NTT Global Data Centers, the group's dedicated data center business. 

The campus is part of a broader expansion program that includes additional developments around Osaka, Kyoto, and Tochigi as NTT responds to increasing demand for hyperscale and AI-ready infrastructure.

Development Status and Timeline

Construction activity on the development commenced following NTT's announcement in April 2026. The campus will be delivered in multiple phases, with the first phase scheduled to enter service in 2030 or later. 

The project follows the nearby TKY11 facility, which is currently under development and expected to begin operations in 2027. As customer demand increases, NTT plans to expand the campus across all six planned buildings to reach its full 200 MW capacity.

Japan Data Center Market 2026: Scale, Investment, and What's Coming Next

Japan's data center market in 2026 is no longer in waiting; it is in full construction mode. In February 2025, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet directed METI and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) to craft a public-private framework for forward-looking data center development. 

The policy rationale is explicit: Japan faces a worsening trade deficit due to fossil fuel imports and a deteriorating digital balance of payments, making domestic data center investment critical to national economic security.

The energy implications are already visible in official planning. Data center electricity demand is set to triple by 2034, with power demand concentrated in the Tokyo and Kansai regions, where data centers are expected to account for about 7% of load by 2030. 

According to the government's 2025 energy white paper, roughly 90% of data centers were clustered in the regions hosting Japan's two largest cities, a concentration that policy is now actively trying to reverse.

Hyperscaler Cloud-Region Investment Programs

The biggest capital commitments in the market come not from individual campuses but from global hyperscalers funding the expansion of their Tokyo and Osaka cloud regions:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest JPY 2.26 trillion (USD 15.24 billion) in expanding its cloud computing infrastructure in Japan by 2027.

• Microsoft announced a USD 10 billion investment in Japan in April 2026, covering AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, and workforce development through 2029, its largest-ever Japan commitment.

• Oracle pledged more than USD 8 billion in cloud computing and AI in Japan, with a sovereign-cloud focus through partnerships with NTT DATA and SoftBank.

• Google has committed to investing nearly USD 690 million in sustainable infrastructure in Japan.

Notable Projects in the Pipeline

Beyond the top 5, a strong secondary tier of projects is actively under development:

• SoftBank-OpenAI "Stargate Japan" - The Osaka Sakai campus serves as the Japanese anchor of the Stargate initiative, with SoftBank rallying NEC, Honda, Sony, and three major banks to develop a domestic large language model with data sovereignty at its core.

• Vantage KIX1 (Osaka) - A 68MW two-building campus with Phase 1 (28MW) operational in early 2026, part of Vantage's USD 1.6 billion APAC platform backed by GIC and ADIA.

• GDS / Gaw Capital, Fuchu (West Tokyo) - A 40MW facility marking GDS's Japan market entry, with RFS targeted for end-2026.

• MC Digital Realty NRT (Chiba) - A 34MW facility that opened in 2025 through the Mitsubishi Corporation and Digital Realty JV, part of a seven-facility Japan portfolio.

• Stack Infrastructure TKY01 (Inzai) - A 36MW campus (18MW first stage) supported by a JPY 39.7 billion (~USD 247.7 million) green financing package.

• Goodman Sagamihara (Kanagawa) - Announced May 2026, currently in masterplanning, connecting to TEPCO Power Grid's high-voltage network; capacity and CapEx TBD.

Policy and Government Support

Government policy is now a structural tailwind. METI has allocated JPY 387.3 billion specifically for domestic AI models, data centers, and physical AI infrastructure in fiscal year 2026, as part of a broader JPY 1.23 trillion (USD 7.9 billion) budget for semiconductors and AI, nearly quadrupling prior support levels. 

METI has also led the implementation of JPY 72.5 billion (USD 470 million) in awards to five companies for AI supercomputer development, with Sakura Internet receiving the largest allocation at JPY 50.1 billion (USD 324 million). 

On regulation, METI has extended Japan's Energy Conservation Act to cover all data centers consuming the energy equivalent of 1,500 kiloliters of crude oil per year (roughly 16,000 MWh), with implementation expected from April 2026. METI has also mandated that data centers built after 2029 must meet an energy efficiency standard or pay a penalty fee.

On location strategy, the government's "Watt-Bit Collaboration" advisory committee envisions that by around 2030, large new data centers and energy projects will be co-located, with government, industry, and prefectural stakeholders selecting regions suited for gigawatt-scale data center clusters based on electricity infrastructure, land availability, and seismic resilience. 

METI and MIC have framed this effort explicitly around economic security, with the goal of fostering companies expected to become leaders in digital infrastructure development.

Summary

Japan has emerged as one of Asia-Pacific's most active data center construction markets, driven by a rare alignment of hyperscaler demand, government policy, and AI infrastructure investment. This blog profiles the five largest data center projects underway as of 2026, from Goodman's planned 1GW Tsukuba campus (the largest by build-out capacity in the country) to NTT's TKY12 hyperscale complex in Chiba, and situates them within Japan's broader infrastructure boom. 

With over USD 33 billion in hyperscaler commitments from AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Google, a METI budget of JPY 387.3 billion dedicated to AI and data infrastructure, and new energy efficiency regulations taking effect from April 2026, Japan's data center sector is being reshaped at speed. 

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