TOKYO — Construction of data centers is booming in Japan as U.S. tech giants make big investments and the Japanese government works to attract money and build industrial hubs, but communities have begun protesting these projects.
Tokyo’s Koto ward introduced tighter guidelines on data center construction this month. Businesses with plans for large centers now must provide 120-day notice to community residents, rather than the 90 days for other types of structures. They also are required to hold town hall meetings for discussing their plans and disclose the locations of outside air conditioning units.
