Publication date: July 16, 2026 The Okhotsk Story: What Happened to the Hot Summer? What happened Every major forecaster predicted a hot summer. Instead, June was the coolest in the Reiwa era, the coldest since 2012. Tokyo had just 2 days above 30°C (same as Sapporo). Average temperature was 21.5°C, which was lower than in …
Continue reading “The Okhotsk Story: What Happened to the Hot Summer?”
Publication date: July 15, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 26: Kyushu Emerges as Data Center and Related Manufacturing Hub Partial construction of the 350 MW data center project in Satsumasendai to start FY2026 Satsumasendai City has disclosed the schedule for one of Japan’s largest planned data centers, a 350 MW project in Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima …
Publication date: July 10, 2026 LTDA To Better Reflect Rising Costs From 2027 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has held an expert meeting to discuss the new framework for the fourth round of the Long-Term Decarbonized Power Source Auction (LTDA), scheduled for next January (see our previous newsletter for the FY2026 third-round …
Continue reading “LTDA To Better Reflect Rising Costs From 2027”
Publication date: July 7, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 25: Regulatory Easing and Utility Coordination Shape Japan’s AI Data Center Investment Shikoku Electric strengthens organization to attract data centers across four prefectures Shikoku Electric Power announced that it will strengthen its organization to attract data centers to the four prefectures of Shikoku. The company has …
Publication date: July 6, 2026 TEPCO Restructuring to Include SoftBank and Global Funds as Potential Partners According to Nikkei, Tokyo Electricity Power Company (TEPCO) Holdings is advancing negotiations on an equity partnership centered on five potential partners. In addition to Japan-based SoftBank and Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), a domestic investment fund, three foreign fund groups …
Continue reading “TEPCO Restructuring to Include SoftBank and Global Funds as Potential Partners”
Publication date: July 1, 2026 Key Takeaways Japan has set concrete targets for its nuclear power policy, but its nuclear revival faces four major challenges: nuclear waste management, gaining local consensus, high investment costs, and securing human resources. Despite these challenges, Japan will push forward with nuclear development in the coming decades. Japan’s Nuclear Revival …
Continue reading “Japan’s Nuclear Revival Faces Four Major Hurdles”
Publication date: June 30, 2026 Japan to Update Battery Industry Strategy With New Targets and Timelines Amid a global oversupply of batteries, Japan aims to differentiate its domestic production by focusing on high-value-added areas such as performance and safety, alongside next generation battery technology. In response to evolving conditions, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and …
Continue reading “Japan to Update Battery Industry Strategy With New Targets and Timelines”
Publication date: June 30, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 24: Operational Innovation and Efficiency Move Up Japan’s Data Center Agenda NTT Data to leverage data center UPS as flexibility for the balancing market NTT Data announced that it will provide power from uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems installed at its domestic data centers as flexibility …
Publication date: June 23, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 23: Data Center Development Moves Toward 24/7 Clean Power and BESS Integration Japan’s 24/7 CFE market forecast to reach 62.72 TWh by FY2040, driven by data center growth Fuji Keizai has released the results of its domestic market research on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE). The company …
Publication date: June 23, 2026 METI Outlines Plan to Replace Up to 14 Nuclear Reactors by the 2050s The advisory body meeting of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has revealed a target to replace up to five nuclear reactors by the 2040s and a total of 11 to 14 reactors by the …
Continue reading “METI Outlines Plan to Replace Up to 14 Nuclear Reactors by the 2050s”
