🇯🇵 Japan: AI money in and out
Japan sent $134.3B and received $27B in AI deals since Nov 2024. Main players: SoftBank, Japanese Government, Rapidus, Microsoft Japan, TSMC Japan (JASM). Full deal list. Updated Nov 9, 2026.
Companies
SoftBank
Japanese Government
Rapidus
Microsoft Japan
TSMC Japan (JASM)Flows with other countries
- 🇯🇵 Japan → 🇺🇸 United States$128.9B
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan → 🇯🇵 Japan$17B
- 🇺🇸 United States → 🇯🇵 Japan$10B
- 🇯🇵 Japan → 🇨🇭 Switzerland$5.4B
Deals involving Japan
Japan's industry ministry plans to invest another ¥400bn in Rapidus through FY2029, taking state equity to ¥650bn. It is a plan, not yet budgeted.
SoftBank completes its acquisition of DigitalBridge, the digital infrastructure and data center manager, announced in December 2025.
SoftBank increased its margin loan backed by Arm shares by $5bn to $25bn, people familiar said.
SoftBank sought a $10bn margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake; later reports say it closed in August with Goldman, JPMorgan, Mizuho, Apollo and SMBC.
Japan approved an additional ¥631.5bn for Rapidus' 2nm R&D, bringing total R&D support to ¥2.354tn.
Microsoft will invest $10bn in Japan in 2026-2029 in AI infrastructure, cybersecurity and skills; SoftBank and Sakura Internet will supply GPU compute via Azure.
JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho, SMBC and MUFG lent SoftBank $40bn, mainly to fund its $30bn follow-on OpenAI investment via Vision Fund 2 — its largest dollar loan ever.
SoftBank co-leads the $110 billion round at $730 billion pre-money with an additional $30 billion.
The first project under Japan's $550bn US pledge is the 9.2GW 'Portsmouth Powered Land Project' gas plant in Ohio run by SoftBank's SB Energy to power AI data centers, financed via JBIC, NEXI and Japanese banks.
TSMC will shift its second Kumamoto fab to 3nm AI chips, with about $17bn of investment (vs $12.2bn for 6-12nm); Tokyo is weighing more aid.
Skild AI (foundation models for robots) raises about $1.4 billion at over $14 billion, more than triple May 2025. SoftBank leads with Nvidia; Macquarie, 1789 Capital and Bezos Expeditions participate.
Nikkei reported METI will extend about ¥1tn more to Rapidus over FY2026-27, including equity injections, lifting total support to ¥2.9tn.
SoftBank sold its entire Nvidia stake for $5.83bn; with T-Mobile share sales and the Arm margin loan it funds its $22.5bn OpenAI commitment.
SoftBank sought $5bn more in margin loans backed by Arm shares to fund OpenAI; the facility later reached $20bn ($8.5bn drawn by Nov 2025).
SoftBank acquires 100% of ABB's robotics division ($2.3 billion in revenue), subject to approvals in the EU, China and the US.
SoftBank buys $2 billion of Intel shares at $23 each.
SoftBank (via Vision Fund 2) commits up to $30 billion of the $40 billion round at a $300 billion post-money valuation; second closing of $22.5 billion completed on 26/12/2025, ~11% stake.
Japan's industry ministry approved up to ¥802.5bn in FY2025 subsidies for Rapidus as it starts its 2nm pilot line in Chitose. Total state support rises to ¥1.72tn.
SoftBank acquires Arm-based server CPU designer Ampere Computing, now a wholly owned subsidiary.
SoftBank commits to spend $3 billion a year to use OpenAI solutions across its companies; the SB OpenAI Japan JV is created to sell 'Crystal Intelligence' to Japanese businesses.
Stargate launched at the White House: up to $500 billion of US AI infrastructure by 2029, $100 billion immediately. According to The Information, SoftBank commits $19 billion (~40%); Masayoshi Son chairman.