Microsoft Opens AI Research Hub in Tokyo

TOKYO, Nov 19 (News On Japan) - Microsoft, the American tech giant, has established a research facility in Tokyo aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) research and fostering collaboration with universities and companies.

This Tokyo-based hub marks Microsoft's third research center in Asia, following facilities in Shanghai and Beijing. The center will focus on leveraging Japan’s strengths in robotics, with applications expected in complex tasks and AI systems capable of comprehension and dialogue.

In addition to research, the facility plans to offer human resource development programs, including joint research initiatives with Japanese universities and businesses.

Microsoft President Smith revealed the plan to open this research hub during an April meeting with then-Prime Minister Kishida. The announcement was made alongside a broader investment plan of approximately 440 billion yen in Japan, including data centers.

Source: ANN

Japan Names 26-Man Squad for 2026 World Cup

Japan announced its 26-man squad on May 15th for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with several key selections drawing attention as injuries continue to affect the national team ahead of the tournament.

Mikoshi Fill Asakusa Streets as Sanja Festival Reaches Peak

The Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo’s Taito Ward, one of the capital’s signature early summer events, reached its peak on May 16th as nearly 100 mikoshi portable shrines from 44 local neighborhood associations paraded through the downtown streets, filling the area with excitement and energy.

Naphtha Shock Forces Supermarkets to Remove Free Plastic Bags

Free roll-type plastic bags once available to shoppers at supermarkets are being removed one after another as shortages of naphtha, a petroleum-derived raw material used in plastic production, spread across Japan amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Teenage Schoolmates Arrested Over Fatal Home Invasion

A 16-year-old boy newly arrested over a robbery-murder case in Kamimikawa, Tochigi Prefecture, in which a 69-year-old woman was killed during a home invasion on May 14th, was a classmate at the same high school as another teenage suspect already in custody, police revealed.

Kagome Adapts to Ink Shortages

Kagome announced on May 14th that it will temporarily redesign several ketchup products by reducing printed packaging areas and adopting mostly transparent labels as worsening tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt supplies of white ink and other petroleum-based packaging materials across Japan.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Web3 NEWS

Best Ways to Use Pollo AI video to video tool for Content Repurposing

Old footage doesn't have to stay old — not when you can transform it into something fresh in minutes.

SoftBank Pursues AI Supremacy With Massive Global Investments

SoftBank Group announced its consolidated earnings for the fiscal year ending March 2026 on May 13th, posting what was described as the highest quarterly profit ever recorded by a Japanese company, as attention increasingly focuses on Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son’s aggressive strategy of betting heavily on artificial intelligence.

AI Grossly Underestimates Rare Book's Value

A centuries-old Chinese medical text discovered inside a storage box at the Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Gardens has become the center of attention after being appraised at an astonishing 100 million yen, despite AI initially estimating its value at only around 30,000 yen.

Osaka Tech Expo Showcases AI Cameras and Flameless Lanterns

A technology exhibition featuring the latest tools for attracting customers opened at Osaka’s ATC complex in Nanko on May 13th, bringing together around 90 companies showcasing innovations aimed at the tourism, retail and events industries.

Japan Moves to Counter Fears of AI-Driven Cyberattacks

The Japanese government has ordered an urgent response to growing concerns over a new artificial intelligence system developed by U.S.-based Anthropic that could potentially be exploited for cyberattacks targeting financial institutions and critical infrastructure.