News On Japan

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

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 6 (Chan-hom) was moving northward with a large storm-force wind field on June 1st and was expected to pass extremely close to, or directly over, Okinawa later in the day, prompting weather authorities to urge residents to remain on high alert for violent winds, torrential rain, and high waves. As of 3 a.m. on June 1st, the typhoon was located approximately 260 kilometers southeast of Miyakojima and traveling north at about 15 kilometers per hour.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi strongly rejected accusations that Japan is embracing "new militarism," describing such claims as false while delivering a speech at a major regional security conference in Singapore on May 31st.

A series of false bear sighting reports posted to an online alert system operated by Aomori Prefecture has disrupted schools, prompted a police investigation, and raised concerns about the growing impact of misinformation on public safety.

A social media dispute between a 17-year-old high school student from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward and a 16-year-old boy from Edogawa Ward escalated into a planned group fight involving around 30 youths, some of whom allegedly brought weapons including a rusty saw, iron pipes, a special baton and even a shovel.

Japan's population stood at 123.05 million in 2025, according to preliminary results from the national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, marking a decline of 3.097 million people over the past five years.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

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.

Japan's restaurant industry is facing growing uncertainty after the government suspended the acceptance of new foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker visa program for the food service sector, a move that is affecting businesses, language schools, and students who had hoped to build careers in Japan.

As soaring valuations in AI and semiconductor stocks prompt concerns about concentration risk, market analysts are increasingly pointing to energy shares as a potential alternative investment theme in an inflationary environment.

Toyota Motor has decided to halt development of the LF-ZC, a next-generation electric vehicle planned under its Lexus luxury brand, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Fixed-rate mortgage costs in Japan are set to rise again in June as the country's five major banks increase home loan rates in response to higher long-term interest rates, with their flagship 10-year fixed-rate mortgages rising to preferential rates of 3.27% at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, 3.5% at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and 3.25% at Mizuho Bank.

Japan is facing a growing transportation dilemma. While a record number of foreign visitors in 2025 has fueled congestion and traffic jams in major cities and tourist destinations, many rural communities are grappling with the opposite problem: shrinking populations and aging residents are making it increasingly difficult to maintain public transportation services.

Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare disorder that makes bones fragile and prone to fractures, Toshiya Kakiuchi built a company with a mission to transform both the physical and emotional barriers faced by people with disabilities.

Finland is positioning economic resilience as a core pillar of national security, with Finnish Economic Affairs Minister Sakari Puisto emphasizing closer cooperation with Japan in advanced technologies, supply chain security and dual-use industries during a recent visit to Tokyo.