Japan’s trade minister outlined three US investment projects worth $600m, $2.1bn and $33.3bn, spanning artificial diamonds and energy infrastructure for data centres, and said Tokyo is coordinating with Washington while preparing a second batch of deals.
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Japan’s trade minister Akazawa outlined three US investment projects: $600m artificial diamond, $2.1bn crude oil, $33.3bn gas-fired thermal power for data centres.
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Japanese corporates named as interested parties span heavy industry, energy, tech and materials.
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Tokyo will “closely coordinate” with Washington on project details and is preparing a second batch of deals.
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Akazawa said work will factor in PM Sanae Takaichi’s planned US visit.
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Theme: Japan-US economic alignment via energy security and data-centre power buildout.
Japan is lining up a fresh wave of investment initiatives in the United States, with Trade Minister Akazawa detailing three flagship projects that span advanced materials and large-scale energy infrastructure designed to support the fast-growing power needs of data centres.
Akazawa said the three projects include $600 million earmarked for an artificial diamond initiative, $2.1 billion tied to a crude oil project, and a far larger $33.3 billion investment linked to gas-fired thermal power capacity for data centres. The scale of the energy component underscores how the AI and cloud buildout is increasingly shaping cross-border capital flows, as countries and corporates look to secure reliable generation capacity and fuel supply chains.
Tokyo’s messaging also stressed coordination rather than a one-off announcement. Akazawa said Japan will continue to closely coordinate with US counterparts on the details of the projects, while also working with Washington on a second batch of investment deals. He added that preparations will keep in mind Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s planned visit to the United States, suggesting a broader diplomatic timetable alongside the commercial pipeline.
Akazawa named a wide range of Japanese firms expressing interest. For the artificial diamond project, he said Asahi Diamond and Noritake are among those interested — a sign of focus on specialised manufacturing inputs and high-performance materials. On the energy project, Akazawa said interest includes major industrial and technology groups such as Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric and SoftBank Group, highlighting the overlap between power infrastructure, electrification and digital investment themes.
For the crude oil project, he said parties showing interest include MOL, Nippon Steel, JFE Steel and Modec, pointing to potential involvement from shipping, industrial users and offshore engineering capability. Akazawa also noted that multiple smaller Japanese firms are interested in related US investment opportunities connected to parts supply, implying a broader supply-chain footprint beyond headline corporates.
For markets, the emphasis is twofold. First, the scale of the gas-fired power investment puts energy and infrastructure at the centre of the Japan-US investment narrative, with potential read-throughs for engineering, equipment and utility-linked value chains. Second, the sequencing — coordination on details now, followed by a second batch of deals — suggests Tokyo is positioning these projects as a rolling programme rather than a single political deliverable.
The details of partners, locations, financing structures and timelines were not specified in the remarks, leaving scope for further updates as US coordination progresses.
