NTT Data and Anthropic Prepare 500 MW AI Data Center in Osaka Valued at 1 Trillion Yen

Dedicated AI Facility Negotiations in Western Japan

Nikkei Asia reported on October 13, 2026, that NTT Data Group reached final-stage negotiations with Anthropic to construct a dedicated artificial intelligence data center in Osaka Prefecture. The agreement establishes the Claude model developer's first physical computing facility in Japan.

The project targets an electrical power intake capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW). This capacity places the Osaka site among the largest data centers in Japan, surpassing the combined IT power capacity of all domestic data centers NTT Group operated in early 2026.

Capital Expenditure and Hardware Scaling

Physical building construction alone carries an estimated cost of 1 trillion yen (approximately 6.3 billion US dollars). That initial budget covers the structural envelope, internal power distribution systems, and liquid cooling infrastructure.

Procurement of specialized AI servers, high-speed networking, and accelerator clusters will require separate allocations running into several trillion additional yen. NTT Data and Anthropic aim to sign a binding definitive agreement before the close of Japan's fiscal year 2026 in March 2027. Partial operations are scheduled to begin in 2028.

Grid Transmission Bottlenecks and On-Site Fuel Cells

Drawing 500 MW from the regional power grid operated by Kansai Electric Power poses substantial technical bottlenecks. Connecting loads of this magnitude through conventional high-voltage transmission lines requires lengthy regulatory reviews, substation upgrades, and cable installations.

To protect the 2028 deployment schedule, NTT Data and Anthropic are developing supplemental on-site generation strategies. Both companies are evaluating dedicated local generators and stationary hydrogen fuel cells to supply base electricity until direct grid interconnections become operational.

Data Sovereignty and Regional Latency Reduction

Anthropic's move to establish dedicated physical hardware in Osaka broadens its compute control beyond North America. The company has historically relied on leased public cloud infrastructure in the United States to run inference and training pipelines.

A dedicated Japanese campus reduces network latency for commercial clients across East Asia. The local facility also addresses strict data sovereignty mandates imposed by Japanese financial institutions and government agencies that restrict sensitive corporate and citizen data from crossing international borders.