How NEXTDC Breaks Ground on a AI-ready Tokyo Data Centre

NEXTDC has broken ground on TK1 Tokyo, a next generation data centre set to anchor the company’s expansion into Japan and strengthen its growing footprint across the Asia Pacific region. 

Located in Minato ward beside Tokyo Tower, the facility will provide AI-ready, sovereign-grade digital infrastructure in one of the world’s most advanced technology hubs. It is scheduled to be operational in late 2030.

Strategic entry into Japan

TK1 Tokyo is NEXTDC’s first development in Japan and marks a significant step in its international strategy. 

Positioned in central Tokyo, the facility will give hyperscalers, cloud platforms and enterprise customers access to low-latency connectivity and high performance computing capacity close to Japan’s densest commercial districts.

Announcing the project, NEXTDC CEO and Managing Director Craig Scroggie says the development reflects the company’s ambition to serve fast-growing digital economies across the region. 

“TK1 Tokyo is a landmark moment for NEXTDC as we extend our sovereign-grade platform into one of Asia's most important digital economies,” he says. 

“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 centre of Japan's connectivity ecosystem.”

He adds that the project will strengthen NEXTDC’s ability to support customer growth in parallel with rising demand for resilient and sustainable digital infrastructure. 

“Delivered in partnership with CBRE Investment Management and our leading global technology partners, TK1 Tokyo strengthens our ability to support customers' growth, resilience and sustainability ambitions across the region,” Craig says.

Designed for AI and high-density workloads

The facility is being built to support AI adoption across Japan, which continues to accelerate across enterprise and public sector environments. 

TK1 Tokyo will provide fault-tolerant infrastructure, robust security and dense network interconnection, ensuring customers can deploy latency-sensitive and mission-critical workloads within the capital.

NEXTDC’s design approach draws on its experience operating a network of Tier IV quality facilities across Australia and Southeast Asia.

The Tokyo site will support next-generation AI and automation workloads, enabling organisations to run high-density compute at scale while maintaining operational resilience.

This includes direct connectivity to global cloud platforms, access to ecosystem partners and the ability to colocate high-performance systems close to population and business centres. These characteristics position the facility for customers prioritising low-latency compute close to end users and data sources.

Part of a multi-market expansion strategy

TK1 Tokyo extends NEXTDC’s multi-market strategy, following recent developments such as KL1 Kuala Lumpur. 

The company is aligning its expansion with customer needs across the region, supported by long-term growth in cloud adoption, digital transformation and sovereign infrastructure requirements.

Japan remains one of the world’s largest markets for cloud services and enterprise IT investment, creating ongoing demand for new capacity in central Tokyo.

By establishing a presence in Minato, NEXTDC is positioning itself to support cloud operators, defence organisations and enterprises as they scale their digital platforms across the region.

The development also contributes to a broader shift toward AI-centric data centre design, as operators build facilities engineered specifically for high-density, power-intensive computing environments. 

With global demand for AI infrastructure rising, TK1 Tokyo will give customers access to a platform capable of supporting sustained growth.

Construction work at the Tokyo site is now underway, with NEXTDC targeting operational readiness in late 2030. 

When complete, the facility will offer customers a resilient, interconnected environment suited to large-scale modernisation programmes and the next generation of digital services.