KDDI and Partners Plan Asia's Largest AI Data Centre on Former Sharp Sakai Site

Japanese operator KDDI, alongside partners Supermicro, Sharp, and Datasection, has unveiled plans to build what they claim will become Asia's largest AI data centre on the site of the former Sharp Sakai LCD panel plant. The facility aims to house about 1,000 Nvidia GB200 NVL72 server racks, supporting large-scale AI training and inference workloads.

The repurposed Sakai site has existing infrastructure (space, power capability) that can accommodate the high electrical load and cooling requirements demanded by advanced AI compute. Supermicro will contribute its hardware platforms optimized for managing heat and energy efficiently, while Datasection handles software, operations, and data centre management. KDDI will manage network and connectivity infrastructure, as well as oversee the facility build-out and integration.

Though still at an early stage (primarily in planning and negotiation), the partners have indicated that operations could begin as soon as the site is ready and power supply, environmental and regulatory approvals are obtained. The vision includes leveraging this centre not only for cloud and enterprise demands, but also for AI edge use cases, local model training, and supporting Japan's ambitions in AI sovereignty.

Strategic benefits include scaling AI infrastructure domestically, reducing reliance on overseas training centres, providing lower latency for local businesses, and enabling AI-based innovation in sectors like autonomous vehicles, robotics, media production and scientific research. Energy efficiency and sustainable design are expected to be integral to the centre's architecture, given the large power envelope of GPU-dense AI facilities.