KOBE - Five years have passed since Japan’s flagship supercomputer Fugaku, based in Kobe, began full-scale operations, achieving a series of breakthroughs by simulating complex phenomena on a massive and highly precise scale, ranging from the formation of galaxies to the behavior of nerve cells.
Developed jointly by RIKEN and Fujitsu, Fugaku was designed to handle complex phenomena at unprecedented scale, enabling researchers to analyze processes that are difficult or impossible to observe directly. The system, named after Mount Fuji, reflects Japan’s ambition to lead in next-generation computing.
At the core of Fugaku is Fujitsu’s A64FX processor, an ARM-based chip that integrates high-bandwidth memory, allowing the system to achieve both speed and efficiency without relying heavily on GPUs. With more than 150,000 compute nodes, Fugaku delivers peak performance of approximately 442 petaflops, placing it among the most powerful supercomputers ever built.
Fugaku gained global recognition in 2020 by ranking first in all four major supercomputer benchmarks, including the TOP500 for overall performance, highlighting its balanced capabilities in simulation, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
The system has played a central role in a wide range of research areas, including simulations of galaxy formation, detailed modeling of proteins and viruses, and high-resolution studies of neural networks. In Japan, it has also been used to improve disaster preparedness through earthquake and tsunami simulations tailored to local conditions.
Fugaku drew widespread public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was used to simulate the spread of airborne droplets in indoor environments, contributing to guidance on mask usage and ventilation.
Beyond academia, Fugaku has been made available to private-sector users, supporting applications such as drug discovery, automotive design, and climate risk analysis, reflecting a broader push to integrate high-performance computing into industry.
Looking ahead, development has begun on a successor system tentatively named Fugaku NEXT, aimed at achieving exascale performance and further advancing the integration of artificial intelligence and large-scale simulation, with expectations that it will open new frontiers in both scientific research and industrial innovation.
Source: 産経ニュース
