KYOTO - Internet communication through smartphones and computers has become indispensable to daily life, and the facilities known as data centers that support ordinary actions such as watching videos online and sending messages are now expanding rapidly as demand for artificial intelligence grows.
The market for data centers is expanding quickly, and demand is expected to rise further. But in some areas where centers have been built, nearby residents have been left confused and uneasy.
In Seika, Kyoto Prefecture, an area known for its greenery as well as research and cultural facilities, a large building that began operating this year stands out from its surroundings. The facility is a data center opened by NTT DATA in April. From the outside, it is impossible to see what is happening inside.
The data center is a base for information infrastructure, storing and managing vast amounts of data on the internet. Inside, there are few people, unlike a regular office. One section contains machine rooms with double-door security systems that prevent one door from opening unless the other is closed.
Beyond the tightly controlled area are server rooms, the heart of the facility. Because of security restrictions, the rooms where data is actually stored cannot be shown. But the facility is expected to handle large volumes of data around the clock, carrying out calculations and processing without interruption.
"When people type something on a smartphone and receive a response, or when they search for something and get a result, servers inside these systems perform that search and return the answer," a facility official said. "Our role is to handle information systems that must never stop."
On the upper floors of the building are emergency generators. If equipment in the facility were to stop, communications services could be disrupted, causing major confusion. The generators are therefore essential to temporarily provide the vast amount of power needed during outages. The building is expected to contain up to 20 generators of the same type.
Seika is increasingly becoming a concentration point for data centers. One reason is its solid ground, which lowers the risk of damage in an earthquake. In addition to NTT DATA, other operators have begun building data centers in the area.
But behind the development, local residents have raised concerns.
"The scenery is completely different from when it was not there. If possible, I wish it had only been a dream," said Shinichi Iwamoto, chairman of a local town development council in Seika.
Iwamoto has been troubled by a data center operated by an overseas company that was built across from his business three years ago. "Seeing all those chimneys lined up feels extremely out of place," he said. "The building itself is inorganic. It is basically a wall. With such strict landscape regulations, I wonder how something like this was built."
He said the lack of people coming and going also makes the facility feel unsettling. On one occasion, he felt an unusual vibration, rushed outside and saw about eight to 10 chimneys suddenly releasing exhaust at once.
Video from three years ago shows thick black smoke rising simultaneously from chimneys facing the road. The data center was conducting irregular test runs to inspect its emergency generators. The smoke and noise startled people in the surrounding area.
"When we are seeing off customers and they encounter that exhaust, the smoke comes their way," Iwamoto said. "It damages our image."
Iwamoto and the town development council submitted a request to the overseas operator and others calling for improvements to the smoke and noise. As a result, test runs are now limited to weekends when fewer people are present, and the amount of noise and smoke has been reduced. Still, Iwamoto said the problem has not been fully resolved.
"Basically, we want the environmental problem to be eliminated," he said. "I think the data center side also wants to work with us as fellow businesses to help enliven this town. But unless this environmental issue is resolved, we cannot truly shake hands in the way we want to."
In response to questions from MBS News, the overseas operator said the building had gone through the proper process regarding the landscape and complied with construction-related laws. On the issue of smoke, the company said measures to reduce exhaust had already been implemented. "We feel deeply sorry that we have received requests from nearby residents, and based on the opinions we have received, we will consider additional measures," it said.
Demand for data centers is growing as the use of artificial intelligence expands, with construction increasing in recent years mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai. At the same time, friction with local communities accepting such facilities has also been increasing.
An urban planning expert said one reason such disputes occur is that the legal system has not kept pace with the growth of data centers.
"Under the Building Standards Act, data centers are currently treated as offices or other types of buildings," the expert said. "They are not limited to specific locations and can be built in a relatively wide range of places. I think that is one source of trouble."
Even so, the expert said social life cannot function without data centers, making coexistence a major question.
"The first important thing is to understand what data centers are," the expert said. "They have a certain public function. They have become indispensable to our daily lives."
When the data center in Seika was visited again on June 6, green screening walls had been installed around the facility. Soundproof walls had also been placed around the chimneys that had caused concern. During an inspection run of the emergency generators, smoke rose from some of the chimneys, but flames were barely visible, and noise and odor had been reduced.
Nearby residents who came to observe appeared somewhat relieved. "It is much less than at the beginning, so I think it has settled down a little," one said. But unease remained.
"If this were a data center directly connected to our lives, maybe I could understand it more," another resident said. "Maybe it is connected to something, but it is hard to see."
As data centers continue to increase rapidly, rules that reflect actual conditions are being sought to ensure that the burden of supporting a convenient life does not fall disproportionately on certain communities.
Source: MBS
