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SoftBank Group to Build Massive AI Data Center in France

TOKYO - SoftBank Group announced on May 31st that it will build a data center in France dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), with total investment potentially reaching approximately 14 trillion yen.

The project carries a maximum investment value of 75 billion euros, equivalent to around 14 trillion yen. The planned facility will have a total power capacity of 5 gigawatts, making it one of the largest AI infrastructure projects undertaken by the company in Europe.

The investment represents SoftBank Group's biggest AI infrastructure initiative in Europe to date, reflecting the growing demand for large-scale computing resources to support the rapid expansion of AI technologies.

To advance the project, SoftBank Group will partner with French electrical equipment manufacturer Schneider Electric. The two companies will also cooperate in the production of power-related equipment used in the data centers.

The announcement underscores SoftBank's commitment to expanding its AI-related investments globally as competition intensifies among technology companies seeking to secure the infrastructure needed for next-generation AI development.

Source: テレ東BIZ

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Typhoon No. 25 was moving away from Japan over waters to the east early on September 22, bringing an end to rainfall across the Kanto region while remaining a strong storm as it tracked northeast at 45 kilometers per hour at 3 a.m.

Severe transport disruption continued across Chiba Prefecture on the morning of September 22 even as Typhoon No. 25 moved away from Japan, with major JR lines still suspended, rail access to Narita Airport disrupted by river flooding, highways closed across the Boso Peninsula and thousands of travelers dealing with the aftermath of the previous day's cancellations.

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Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched Japan defeat Kazakhstan in a women’s basketball preliminary-round game at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

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Tokyo’s stock market was closed on September 21 for Respect for the Aged Day, leaving the Nikkei 225 without a cash close after finishing the previous session at 65,019, while currency and futures markets focused on the yen, the Bank of Japan’s latest rate hike and intervention risks during Japan’s Silver Week holiday.

Japan's first five-day Silver Week holiday in 11 years has put renewed attention on household finances, with persistently high food prices and a weakening yen threatening to erode the benefits of the government's planned consumption tax cut on food.

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The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate from 1.0% to 1.25% on September 18, taking borrowing costs to their highest level in 31 years and accelerating the pace of monetary tightening as persistent inflation and concerns over fiscal expansion put upward pressure on interest rates.

The yen strengthened by more than 1 yen against the dollar in a short period late on September 18 after the Bank of Japan conducted a rate check, a step commonly taken in preparation for possible intervention in the foreign exchange market.

Tokyo stocks rose sharply on September 18, with the Nikkei 225 climbing to around 65,350 in afternoon trading after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to 1.25%, as the yen weakened and investors bought artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares.

The Bank of Japan raised its policy interest rate from 1.0% to 1.25% on September 18, lifting borrowing costs to their highest level in 31 years as policymakers moved to contain growing inflation risks, but the yen weakened sharply after the decision as markets focused on two dissenting votes and uncertainty over the pace of further increases.

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