Japan not immune to public backlash against data centers, experts say

An apartment resident displays a model of a data center currently in development next door in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, in May. | JOHAN BROOKS

Nov 11, 2026

Last week’s U.S. midterm congressional elections have highlighted just how strong opposition to data center construction has become — and Japan is unlikely to be immune to a similar public backlash amid legal loopholes and a recent rush to build artificial intelligence infrastructure.

U.S. voters clearly expressed skepticism about energy-guzzling data centers and their impact on electricity prices. Recent polls by energy news platform Heatmap Pro and the Associated Press both showed that more than 70% of respondents opposed building new data centers in their areas, contributing to a “blue tsunami” of Democratic victories.

Tetsuharu Oba, a professor of urban planning at Kyoto University who researches data center issues, says Japan should move quickly to find solutions for growing friction between residents and data center developers. 

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