NEXTDC begins work on its first Tokyo data center for AI-heavy workloads

Japan's AI growth is pushing the need for stronger infrastructure, with NEXTDC building TK1 Tokyo for a 2030 launch.

Work has begun on TK1 Tokyo, a new data center rising in the middle of Japan's capital. It marks NEXTDC's first step into the Japanese market, with the facility set to open in late 2030.

The site sits in Minato, right beside Tokyo Tower, placing it in one of the country's busiest commercial areas and close to the networks that support major cloud and AI work.

The project comes at a time when Japan is using more AI systems and data-heavy tools across both public and private sectors. Many organizations now need stronger infrastructure that can handle steady power, cooling and fast links to cloud platforms.

TK1 Tokyo is meant to fill that gap by giving customers a place to run high-performance tasks with short network delays from the center of the city.

NEXTDC CEO and Managing Director, Craig Scroggie, described the project as an important step in the company's international plans. "TK1 Tokyo is a landmark moment for NEXTDC as we extend our sovereign-grade platform into one of Asia's most important digital economies. Its location in central Tokyo, combined with our Tier IV-quality design and operations, provides customers with a new AI-ready landing zone at the center of Japan's connectivity ecosystem," he said.

The company is building the site with CBRE Investment Management and a group of global technology partners. Scroggie said the collaboration will help customers that want to grow while keeping their systems stable and managing energy use more carefully.

TK1 Tokyo is designed for organizations that run demanding workloads. The facility brings in NEXTDC's experience operating high-density, mission-critical sites across Asia Pacific. It will include fault-tolerant systems and strict security measures to keep services running, even during hardware or power issues.

The network setup will support direct links to cloud platforms and other carriers in the region, which may appeal to hyperscalers, defence groups and large enterprises that need to place AI-heavy workloads close to major population and business centers.

While the company has built large sites before, TK1 Tokyo marks a move into a new market at a time when demand for cloud capacity and local control of digital systems is growing. It follows NEXTDC's recent expansion in Southeast Asia, including the KL1 build in Kuala Lumpur. The company expects the growth of AI, cloud adoption and rising interest in sovereign digital infrastructure to drive this next phase of development.

Construction is now underway, and the company aims to have the site ready for operation by late 2030. When finished, TK1 Tokyo will offer around 28MW of planned IT capacity. The facility is being built to Tier IV standards, and NEXTDC is targeting Tier IV Gold Certification for operational sustainability. A mission-critical operations center will oversee the site, and the campus will connect directly with NEXTDC's wider ecosystem across Asia Pacific and Australia.

Once open, the facility may give enterprises, government agencies and cloud providers a central location to modernize, secure and scale their digital systems in one of the world's most advanced tech markets.