SoftBank Buys Former Sharp Plant for OpenAI Hub in Japan
SoftBank is doubling down on its AI ambitions with a bold move in its home market of Japan. The tech conglomerate has officially confirmed the purchase of Sharp’s former LCD panel factory in Sakai, Osaka, for a hefty $676 million (100 billion yen). The goal? Transform the sprawling facility into a next-generation AI data center—one that will serve as a critical piece of infrastructure in Japan’s emerging AI ecosystem.
This strategic acquisition includes both the land and buildings of the Sharp Sakai Plant and marks a significant early step in SoftBank’s vision to establish Japan as a hub for artificial intelligence development and deployment. Data centers are foundational to the AI revolution sweeping the tech world, as they provide the compute power necessary to train massive generative models and run AI-powered services at scale.
Deepening Ties with OpenAI
The deal also signals a deepening of SoftBank’s partnership with OpenAI. While OpenAI declined to comment on the acquisition, a SoftBank spokesperson pointed to a prior announcement of a collaboration to deploy “Cristal Intelligence,” a next-gen enterprise AI solution, in Japan.
This initiative is part of the joint venture SB OpenAI Japan, through which SoftBank and OpenAI plan to bring foundational AI models to the Japanese market. The JV will leverage high-performance GPUs to train custom AI models using data from client marketing and business operations. The resulting AI agents will then be tailored and sold back to those clients—a potential game-changer for enterprise adoption of AI in Japan.
This joint venture is part of a broader strategy to commercialize AI across multiple sectors, extending OpenAI’s reach while embedding SoftBank more deeply into the AI value chain.
Scaling Infrastructure for the AI Age
The Sakai plant isn’t just a symbolic gesture—it’s designed for serious AI work. The facility is expected to have a starting power capacity of 150 megawatts, scaling up to over 240 megawatts. That level of power can support a massive fleet of GPUs and large-scale model training workloads. It will be SoftBank’s third data center in Japan, joining an operational facility in Tokyo and another under construction in Hokkaido.
Operations are slated to begin in 2026, giving SoftBank and its partners time to overhaul the former LCD production site into a cutting-edge AI facility.
Bigger Moves on the Horizon?
SoftBank’s AI aspirations may not stop with infrastructure. The company is reportedly in talks to invest as much as $25 billion into OpenAI, at a potential valuation nearing $300 billion. While the deal has yet to be finalized, it reflects just how committed SoftBank is to riding the AI wave—not just as a user or partner, but as a key global stakeholder.
The Takeaway
With this $676 million acquisition, SoftBank is not only recycling industrial legacy into futuristic opportunity, but also cementing Japan’s place on the global AI map. The move adds real momentum to SoftBank’s vision of becoming a foundational player in the AI economy—backed by infrastructure, strategic alliances, and a long-term commitment to technological transformation.
If the Sakai project delivers as planned, it could serve as a blueprint for how legacy industries can be retooled for the AI age—while unlocking massive economic value along the way.
