Jensen Huang Signals AI Partnerships in Japan, Touts Rapidus Potential

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Japan in mid-July 2026 in a bid to ease market concerns that the company was “skipping Japan” and to help build physical and sovereign AI ecosystems. Japan has strong foundations in industrial automation, robotics and semiconductor materials. For the Japanese government and industries pursuing next-generation AI and greater chip self-sufficiency, the partnerships offer a key opportunity to revitalize semiconductor and technology supply chains and capture future robotics opportunities.

Huang visited Tokyo’s Akihabara district on July 15 and thanked gaming giant SEGA for providing $5 million in lifeline funding 30 years ago. He also announced that SEGA would adopt Nvidia’s RTX Spark platform. Nvidia separately unveiled physical AI partnerships with four major Japanese industrial companies, including Fujitsu and FANUC. Huang also expressed high expectations for the potential of Japanese foundry Rapidus, which is seeking to challenge rivals in advanced 2-nanometer manufacturing.