OSAKA - The rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence is fueling construction of data centers across Japan, but plans for two large facilities beside a residential neighborhood in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, are raising concerns over sunlight, noise and low-frequency sound as authorities confront gaps in rules governing the increasingly important infrastructure.
The two data centers are planned for the former site of Osaka University's Minoh Campus in northern Minoh, where a large vacant site equivalent to about 3.5 Koshien Stadiums sits beside a green residential area.
Documents obtained by the broadcaster show that two large data center buildings are planned on about 100,000 square meters of the former campus site. Each would rise to about 31 meters, creating what nearby residents say could resemble a large wall bordering their neighborhood.
One resident who moved to the area about 40 years ago because of its pleasant environment and proximity to the university expressed disappointment over the plan, saying the university had been one reason for choosing the neighborhood.
Residents are particularly concerned that the buildings could reduce sunlight that previously reached their homes. Others have raised questions about possible health effects from low-frequency sound generated by data center equipment.
Data centers process and store the vast quantities of information required for services including generative AI. Smartphones and personal computers do not perform all video, internet search and other processing internally, with much of the work passing through data centers in Japan and around the world.
Similar concerns have emerged in other communities where large facilities are already operating.
At one data center in Kyoto Prefecture, electrical equipment and systems used to cool servers surround the facility. Footage recorded three years ago showed black smoke rising during a test of an emergency generator. The operator now takes measures including installing temporary sound barriers during inspections.
A nearby resident said it was unclear whether noise would become a problem but expressed concern about smoke and the broader environmental impact of the facility.
Data centers are not limited to industrial districts. One operates in the busy Umeda district of Osaka in a largely windowless white-and-black building.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan had 242 data centers as of November last year. About 90% were concentrated around Tokyo and Osaka, while numerous smaller facilities operate across the country.
The scale of the infrastructure required to support AI can be seen at KDDI's Osaka data center in Sakai, which opened in January on the former site of a Sharp liquid-crystal panel factory.
The facility occupies land equivalent to about 1.5 Koshien Stadiums and contains rows of servers used for AI training.
The servers are equipped with graphics processing units, or GPUs, that perform the intensive calculations required for artificial intelligence. According to KDDI, one server can complete in one second a calculation that would take the world's roughly 8 billion people about five and a half years to perform.
Companies and research institutions use such servers to feed AI systems enormous quantities of data and conduct advanced training and inference.
That processing requires huge amounts of electricity. The Sakai facility can consume power equivalent to the electricity use of about 12,000 households at maximum capacity.
Electricity is not the only major resource required. Large quantities of water are used to cool servers, with pipes carrying cooling water throughout the facility.
Cooling towers on the roof lower the temperature of the water before it is circulated back to the servers. Large fans used in the cooling process generate considerable noise, although the operator said measures such as barriers and soundproofing equipment are intended to prevent excessive noise from reaching neighboring properties.
More than six months after operations began, the company said it had received no complaints from surrounding areas.
Building data centers far from populated areas might appear to solve concerns about their impact on residents, but experts say location is becoming increasingly important as artificial intelligence is incorporated into systems that must respond almost instantly.
One expert involved in AI research said locating data centers far from cities increases the time required for information to travel back and forth. Even small delays can create risks for technologies such as autonomous vehicles and robots, making proximity to urban areas important.
Residents near the former Osaka University campus nevertheless say the need for digital infrastructure must be balanced against their living environment.
The head of a neighborhood association that has organized study sessions about data centers called on the developer to provide scientific evidence on potential noise, radio-wave and other environmental effects and to give residents sufficient reassurance about the project.
Residents have also submitted requests to Minoh City calling for the parties responsible for the redevelopment to listen to local concerns and provide adequate explanations.
The city said some residents remain uneasy because they do not fully understand what a data center is and that it has instructed the developer to provide as much detailed information as possible.
The developer said it will work with Minoh City and other relevant organizations to share appropriate information with local residents. It also plans to build an international school and other facilities intended to contribute to the community, saying it aims to create lasting benefits for the area.
Data centers were central to proposals for the former university site. According to Minoh City, all five businesses that applied to participate in the redevelopment proposed building data centers.
The city signed a 70-year fixed-term land lease with the selected operator and expects the agreement to generate more than 75.2 billion yen in revenue.
The project is also drawing attention to how Japan's building regulations classify data centers.
Data centers do not have a clearly defined use category under the Building Standards Act and can be submitted for approval as offices and other types of buildings. That means they can be constructed in a wider range of areas than factories, including locations close to residential neighborhoods.
Minoh City officials have called for national or prefectural authorities to provide clearer guidance on what constitutes a data center and how such facilities should be positioned under existing regulations.
Experts argue that current legislation has failed to keep pace with the rapid expansion of the industry and that Japan needs clearer rules that recognize both the social importance of data centers and the needs of local communities.
One possible model for coexistence can be found in Kagawa Prefecture, where servers used for AI and machine learning have been installed inside a closed school.
The area faces challenges including an aging population and population decline, while Kagawa Prefecture has sought to attract companies with advanced technologies and create jobs that allow younger residents to remain in their communities.
The data center operates inside former school buildings, including spaces that once served as classrooms and other facilities. Six people work at the site, providing a small but locally based source of employment.
One employee said the desire to put down roots in the area and contribute locally was a major reason for taking the job after previously serving in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
The company managing the former school also holds programming classes and other activities for residents as part of an effort to make the facility accepted by the community.
A company representative said businesses seeking to spread new technological services need good relations with local residents and must develop their operations as part of the community rather than separately from it.
Some residents said many people still do not fully understand what the facility does, while others said such technology is becoming part of the times and will increasingly have to be accepted.
Experts caution, however, that attracting data centers should not become an objective in itself.
They say municipalities must first establish why a data center is needed and what benefits it is expected to provide, rather than simply pursuing investment without a clearly defined purpose.
Demand for data centers is expected to continue growing as generative AI expands, offering municipalities potential benefits through additional revenue, investment and industrial development. But those benefits do not justify imposing excessive burdens on the living environment of nearby residents, strengthening calls for Japan to establish rules suited to the rapidly changing digital era.
Source: YOMIURI
