NTT Data nears $6.3bn deal to build Anthropic's first Japan data centre in Osaka

NTT Data and Anthropic Advance Plans for Osaka Facility

NTT Data Group is approaching a final agreement with Anthropic to build a data centre in Osaka, marking a significant expansion for the US AI company in Asian markets. According to Nikkei, citing multiple sources, this would be Anthropic's first data centre in Japan dedicated exclusively to supporting its Claude AI models1

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. The two companies aim to finalize the deal by March 31, 2027, the end of Japan's fiscal year 2026, with partial operations potentially starting as early as 20282

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. Both NTT Data and Anthropic declined to comment on the report1

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Massive Investment Signals AI Infrastructure Development Push

Construction costs for the data center in Osaka could reach up to 1 trillion yen ($6.3 billion), representing one of the largest AI infrastructure development projects in Japan1

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. This figure covers construction alone, with the total investment climbing to several trillion yen once AI servers equipped with graphics processors are added to handle demanding AI workloads1

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. The facility would draw up to 500 megawatts of power, positioning it among Japan's largest data centres by capacity1

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. NTT Data, a unit of telecommunications giant NTT, ranks third globally among data centre operators and currently manages over 1,600 megawatts of capacity across multiple countries1

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Power Supply Challenges Shape Project Timeline

Securing adequate power supply presents the primary obstacle for this ambitious project. Drawing 500 megawatts directly from Japan's electrical grid would take considerable time, prompting the partners to explore alternative solutions1

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. The project will initially investigate on-site electricity generation and fuel cells as faster paths to meeting the facility's substantial energy requirements1

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. This approach reflects broader industry challenges as AI companies race to build infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly power-hungry models while navigating local grid constraints.

Anthropic Expands Asian Presence Beyond Japan

Anthropichas already established a presence in Japan through its partnership with Hitachi, which agreed in May to deploy Claude AI models across its workforce of approximately 290,000 employees1

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. The company is simultaneously exploring data centre opportunities in other Asian countries, where governments are actively competing to attract such facilities1

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. In Australia, the Australian Financial Review reported that Anthropic is holding discussions with local firms about potential projects1

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. This multi-country strategy positions the US AI company to serve regional demand while diversifying its infrastructure footprint.

Japan's Broader Data Centre Strategy Takes Shape

Japan is aggressively pursuing data centre investments as part of a national strategy to strengthen its position in cloud computing and AI. The government has set an ambitious target of attracting 32.7 trillion yen in combined public and private investment for data centres, cloud computing infrastructure, and battery storage by 20351

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. Beyond the Osaka project, additional large-scale facilities are planned for Akita and Kagoshima, according to Nikkei1

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. This coordinated push reflects Japan's recognition that hosting major AI infrastructure will be critical for economic competitiveness as artificial intelligence reshapes global industries. Watch for how Japan's regulatory framework and energy policies evolve to accommodate these power-intensive facilities, and whether other AI companies follow Anthropic's lead in establishing dedicated Japanese operations.