Japan Data Center Update 10: Decentralized Data Center Expansion and Growing Local Resistance

Yamaura And TOSYS Partner On Distributed Data Center “NAGANO Model”

Construction company Yamaura and ICT service provider TOSYS, both based in Nagano Prefecture, have signed a business alliance agreement to jointly offer a new initiative called the “Next-Generation Distributed Data Center NAGANO.” The project will utilize Yamaura’s extensive construction experience and expertise in infrastructure equipment, control, and monitoring systems, with TOSYS’s development of containerized data centers designed for high-efficiency operations using water-cooling and liquid-immersion cooling technologies.

Together, they will provide building-type data centers, containerized data centers, and micro data centers to DC operators. The companies will offer a one-stop service covering the entire process from planning, design, construction, to equipment, ICT systems, and operations, while jointly proposing optimized data center solutions for regional areas.

Lawsuit Over Inzai Data Center Highlights Legal Ambiguity of DCs in Japan

Residents living near a planned six-story data center in front of Chiba New Town Chuo Station in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, one of Japan’s largest data center hubs, have filed a lawsuit with the Chiba District Court seeking to revoke the building permit. The plaintiffs argue that the building confirmation issued by a third-party inspection body, acting in place of the prefecture, is illegal.

Since data centers are not clearly defined under Japan’s current legal framework, the case is expected to focus on clarifying the legal definition of DCs. A similar lawsuit is also ongoing in neighboring Shiroi City. As opposition movements to DC projects emerge across different areas, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, where demand for DCs is concentrated, is developing guidelines based on best practice cases.