Tokyo Metropolitan Govt to Set Up System for Certifying High-Quality Data Centers in Effort to Appeal to Local Communities

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:11 JST, December 29, 2025

The Tokyo metropolitan government will establish as early as next year a system to certify privately operated data centers based on their environmental performance and contribution to the local community, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

With the development of high-speed data communication and generative artificial intelligence, more data centers are being built across Japan. However, there have been increasing cases where nearby residents oppose the construction of such facilities, calling them a nuisance. The metropolitan government hopes the envisaged system will help both residents and data center operators coexist by certifying high-quality facilities. According to the metropolitan government, it is the first local government to do so.

Under the planned system, data centers are first required to meet the conditions of adopting renewable energy sources, such as solar power generation, and supplying electricity to the local area in the event of disaster. The system will then certify facilities that meet energy efficiency standards.

The metropolitan government will make applications by operators voluntary, not mandatory. It is also considering soliciting the opinions of both operators and residents to expedite outlining the system.

The market for data centers is estimated to grow from ¥2.7 trillion in 2023 to ¥5.1 trillion in 2028, with new facilities planned mainly in urban areas such as the Tokyo metropolitan area, Osaka and Fukuoka.

However, data centers consume large amounts of electricity, and emit heat and carbon dioxide. Buildings typically look like warehouses with few windows, and businesses create few jobs. As a result, protests against the construction have emerged among residents in some cities, including Akishima in Tokyo and Inzai, Chiba Prefecture.

In Seika, Kyoto Prefecture, where several data centers have been built, the Seika town government said it will refrain from accepting new facilities, citing “potential environmental impacts” among other concerns.

The metropolitan government will also launch an experimental project to reuse waste heat locally as part of measures to return benefits to local communities.

It is considering reviewing regulations that mandate renewable energy utilization plans for buildings and will advance efforts to understand the actual operational status of data centers.