Japan Struggles to Balance Data Center Boom, Local Concerns

Tokyo, Oct. 29 (Jiji Press)--With many data center construction projects underway across Japan, concerns are growing among local residents about deteriorating living conditions due to noise and thermal pollution from such facilites.

Obstacles remain to peaceful coexistence between data centers and local communities, and some projects have triggered lawsuits. Local governments are scrambling to gain public understanding for projects, including by introducing their own rules on the accountability of facility operators, as there is no clear legal definition of data centers, let alone rules governing where they can be built.

Coexistence at Appropriate Locations

A data center construction site adjacent to a residential building in Koto Ward, Tokyo, photographed Oct. 2
Munekazu Tanikawa and his wife view a data center construction site in front of Chiba Newtown Chuo Station from their home balcony in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, on Oct. 6.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]