Microsoft's $10 Billion AI Push in Japan Boosts Sakura Internet Shares by 20% Shares of Sakura Internet surged as much as 20.2% on Friday after Microsoft announced a major AI infrastructure initiative in Japan, which includes a $10 billion investment over the next four years. The partnership involves collaboration with SoftBank Corp. and Sakura Internet to develop AI computing resources, including graphics processing units (GPUs) located within Japan. The announcement came during a visit to Tokyo by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, who met with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Microsoft’s investment plan spans from 2026 to 2029 and focuses on building AI infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity, and training 1 million engineers and developers by 2030. The company emphasized that the initiative aims to meet growing demand for cloud and AI services in Japan, where approximately 20% of working-age individuals use generative AI tools—higher than the global average of about 16.6%. According to Microsoft’s AI Diffusion Report, this trend underscores the need for localized AI development and data processing capabilities. Sakura Internet, a Japanese cloud services provider with domestic data centers, and SoftBank will jointly offer AI computing resources to support advanced systems such as domestic large language models. Microsoft stated that the partnership will enable data to be processed within Japan, aligning with the country’s focus on data sovereignty and technological self-reliance. Additionally, SoftBank and Microsoft Japan are exploring a joint solution that would allow Microsoft Azure customers to access SoftBank’s AI computing platform, expanding the scope of their collaboration. The partnership also extends to five other major Japanese IT companies, including NTT Data Corp.#microsoft #prime_minister_sanae_takaichi #brad_smith #sakura_internet #softbank_corp
