NTT Data Group is in the final stages of negotiations to construct a dedicated data center in Osaka for US artificial intelligence company Anthropic, a project that could cost as much as 1 trillion yen ($6.3 billion) and rank among Japan’s largest facilities by processing capacity.
The two companies aim to sign an agreement by the end of fiscal 2026, which closes on March 31, with partial operations potentially starting as early as 2028, the Nikkei reported Tuesday, citing multiple sources.
The facility would be Anthropic’s first dedicated data center in Japan, with a power intake capacity of up to 500 megawatts. Securing that much electricity from the grid will take time, so the project’s early phase is expected to rely on alternatives such as on-site power generation and fuel cells, according to market sources.
NTT Data is a unit of NTT, Japan’s telecommunications giant. NTT declined to comment, while NTT Group was not immediately available.
The move underscores the intensifying competition among global AI developers to lock in computing infrastructure. Anthropic, which develops the Claude family of AI models, has been expanding its footprint as demand for AI services grows across Asia.
For NTT Data, the project would mark a significant expansion of its data center business at a time when Japanese firms are racing to build capacity for AI workloads. The Osaka area has emerged as a key hub, given its proximity to major commercial centers and available industrial land.
Should the deal proceed, construction of a facility on this scale would represent one of the largest single investments in Japan’s data center sector to date.
AloJapan.com