Japan is building a massive Rubin GPU datacenter, with a June 2028 target

Japan is positioning itself as a serious contender in the global AI infrastructure race, with plans for a datacenter powered by NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin GPUs targeting a June 2028 launch. The project reflects a broader push by Japanese and allied entities to build out the kind of compute capacity that next-generation AI workloads demand.

NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform is the company’s next step beyond its current Blackwell architecture. Each NVL72 rack packs 72 Rubin GPUs alongside Vera CPUs and NVLink 6 interconnects. Volume shipments for the Vera Rubin platform are scheduled to begin in fall 2026.

South Korea’s SK Group has announced plans to construct an AI-specialized “AI Factory” datacenter in Japan, with an operational timeline between 2028 and 2029.

NVIDIA is exploring a partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, reported in July 2026, focused on developing advanced cooling and power systems specifically designed for AI datacenters.

Hitachi has also entered the picture with a memorandum signed alongside Mitsui OSK Lines to develop a floating datacenter in Japan.