REPORTED: This comes from Nikkei, citing several unnamed sources. No deal has been signed, and neither Anthropic nor NTT has confirmed it.
NTT Data Group is in the final stages of talks to build a data centre in Osaka, western Japan, for the US AI company Anthropic, according to Nikkei [1]. Reuters relayed the report on 13 October 2026 [2].
It would be Anthropic’s first dedicated data centre in Japan, Nikkei reports [2].
What Nikkei reports (REPORTED)
All of these figures come from the Nikkei report, as relayed by Reuters [1][2]:
- Cost: construction “could reach up to 1 trillion yen ($6.3 billion)”.
- Size: “power intake capacity of up to 500 megawatts”.
- Timing: partial operations “as early as 2028”.
- Deal: NTT Data and Anthropic “aim to sign agreement by the end of fiscal 2026 ending on March 31”, which is 31 March 2027.
500 megawatts is the most power the site could draw. That is a very large data centre by any standard, and power supply is now one of the main limits on how fast AI companies can grow.
What Asahi reports (REPORTED)
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported the story separately later on 13 October, citing people involved [3]. Its account is a little different:
- It says NTT is “in talks”, not in final talks.
- It puts the cost at around 1 trillion yen and the power intake at 500 megawatts, on the Osaka coast.
- It says the site would likely be Anthropic’s first data centre base in Asia, and among the largest in Japan.
- It notes that Anthropic opened its first Asia-Pacific office in Tokyo last autumn and wants to build several data centres in Asia.
What the companies say
Reuters says NTT declined to comment, and NTT Group was not immediately available [2]. Anthropic’s newsroom had no statement on NTT, Japan or Osaka when TSN checked on 13 October 2026 [4]. TSN found no statement from NTT Data either.
What this means
- It is not a done deal. By Nikkei’s own account, the two sides are still aiming to sign, with the end of March 2027 as the target.
- The figures are ceilings. “Up to” 1 trillion yen and “up to” 500 megawatts are upper limits, not final plans.
- It fits a pattern. Anthropic has been adding computing capacity with several partners. Nothing here has been confirmed by Anthropic.
Sources
- Nikkei Asia, “NTT to build first data center for Anthropic in Japan”, 13 October 2026 (paywalled). https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/artificial-intelligence/ntt-to-build-first-data-center-for-anthropic-in-japan
- Reuters via CNA, “NTT Data in final talks to build Anthropic’s first data centre in Japan, Nikkei reports”, 13 October 2026. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/ntt-data-in-final-talks-build-anthropics-first-data-centre-in-japan-nikkei-reports-6454731
- Asahi Shimbun, “アンソロピック、大阪にAIデータセンター建設へ NTTと協議” (Anthropic to build AI data centre in Osaka; in talks with NTT), 13 October 2026 (Japanese). https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASVBF2SX2VBFULFA00NM.html
- Anthropic newsroom, checked 13 October 2026. https://www.anthropic.com/news
