Japan's Sakura Internet jumps 20% as Microsoft plans $10 billion AI push with SoftBank

In this articleShares of Sakura Internet surged as much as 20.2% Friday after Microsoft said it has begun discussions with the Japanese cloud company and SoftBank to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure in Japan.Microsoft said it plans to invest $10 billion in Japan between 2026 and 2029 to build AI infrastructure, strengthen cybersecurity and train 1 million engineers and developers by 2030.Sakura Internet, which provides internet infrastructure services using domestic data centers, and Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp. will partner with Microsoft to provide AI computing resources, including graphics processing units located in Japan. The announcement came during a visit to Japan by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, who met Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.Smith said the investment comes as demand for cloud and AI services grows in Japan. Around one in five working-age people in the country use generative AI tools, compared with the global average of about one in six, according to Microsoft's AI Diffusion Report.The partnership will allow data to be processed in Japan and support the development of advanced AI systems such as domestic large language models, Microsoft said in a statement. SoftBank and Microsoft Japan are also discussing a joint solution that would allow Microsoft Azure customers to use SoftBank's AI computing platform.Shares of Softbank Group were up 0.22% in Friday trade, while SoftBank Corp. rose 1.02%Separately, Microsoft will partner with five other major Japanese IT companies, including NTT Data Corp., NEC, Fujitsu and Hitachi, to train 1 million AI professionals by 2030. Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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