Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to advocate for increased electricity generation to support artificial intelligence (AI) development. Huang emphasized Japan’s strong position in AI, citing its leadership in robotics and industrial manufacturing, but stressed that AI’s energy demands require new infrastructure. He noted, “Energy is essential for all industrial growth,” highlighting the need for Japan to address power constraints to sustain AI-driven progress.
Japan, resource-scarce and cautious about restarting nuclear reactors post-Fukushima, faces challenges in balancing data centers’ energy needs with reliance on costly fossil fuel imports. This meeting followed Huang’s trip to Beijing and came amid U.S. restrictions on Nvidia’s AI chip sales to China, impacting its H20 chip line.
Senior executives from AMD and Nvidia, including AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su, visited Tokyo for a series of high-level engagements aimed at deepening collaboration with Japan’s government and technology ecosystem. One of the key moments of the visit was a formal meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where discussions centered on strengthening Japan’s position in the global AI and semiconductor landscape. This aligns with recent efforts by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has been actively lobbying Japan to increase its power generation capacity in order to support the rapid growth of AI infrastructure and data centers.
In addition to government meetings, the delegation participated in a large industry gathering that brought together employees from AMD and Nvidia, Japanese partners, cloud service providers, and other stakeholders. The event highlighted the ongoing commitment to technological innovation and the development of sovereign AI capabilities in Japan. These meetings are part of a broader strategic initiative to establish advanced AI supercomputing facilities in the country, supported by cutting-edge platforms such as Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture. With strong backing from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and collaborative efforts across the private and public sectors, this visit marks a significant step toward positioning Japan as a global AI powerhouse.