Japan is accelerating its pursuit of leadership in quantum technology, unveiling a comprehensive strategy that encompasses research infrastructure, global partnerships, and workforce development.
Backed by significant government investment and an expanding network of domestic and international collaborators, Tokyo’s ambitions reflect a broader national vision. That vision is to integrate quantum science into the fabric of Japan’s economic security and technological sovereignty; a strategy that the island nation hopes will ultimately drive GDP growth.
In recent years, quantum computing, sensing, and communications have emerged as critical domains of competition between major economies. Japan, long known for its expertise in precision hardware and fundamental physics, is now positioning itself not merely as a participant in the global quantum race, but as a frontrunner shaping its direction.
A National Quantum Strategy
At the heart of Japan’s quantum push is the “Quantum Future Society Vision,” a national strategy introduced in 2022 and reinforced in subsequent government measures, including the 2024 Promotion Measures for the Development of Quantum Industries.
These plans lay out detailed targets and a “whole-of-society” approach.
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Among the key goals is the establishment of a nationwide quantum ecosystem with 10 million domestic users by 2030. It also aims to create new market value exceeding ¥50 trillion ($320 billion), and the cultivation of unicorn-level quantum startups.
A unicorn-level quantum startup refers to a privately held quantum technology company that has reached a valuation of $1 billion USD or more, without having gone public or been acquired.
According to Quantum Innovation Hubs, to achieve this, Japan has established eight regional “Quantum Innovation Hubs” spread out across the country. These hubs serve as research nodes and incubation centers, facilitating collaboration between academia, industry, and government agencies.
The Quantum Innovation Initiative Council, led by RIKEN and the University of Tokyo, acts as the national coordinating body for these efforts.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at the launch of a new quantum research facility in Tsukuba this past May, framed the endeavor as part of Japan’s long-term economic security agenda, according to The Japan Times.
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Strategic Global Alliances
Japan’s strategy extends well beyond its borders, with a focus on fostering and creating strategic alliances in the quantum domain. Notably, its partnership with IBM has yielded one of Asia’s most advanced quantum computing systems.
Installed at the University of Tokyo, IBM’s 127-qubit “Eagle” processor serves as a testbed for both research and early-stage commercial applications. This collaboration will scale further under a joint effort to develop a 100,000-qubit supercomputer; a project heralded as a cornerstone for the global quantum ecosystem.
In April 2025, Japan and the UK signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to deepen joint efforts in quantum technologies, covering topics such as research exchange, standardization, infrastructure development, and commercial readiness. This agreement formalized a growing synergy between British and Japanese institutions, from Oxford and Imperial College to the University of Tokyo and Keio University.
Just weeks later, in May 2025, Japan signed a Letter of Intent with the European Union under the EU/Japan Digital Partnership, pledging joint development of quantum hardware, hybrid high-performance computing (HPC) platforms, and secure communications.
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Expanding Infrastructure
Domestically, Japan is investing heavily in its quantum research and development infrastructure.
Last May, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) opened the G-QuAT (Global Quantum and AI Technology) Center in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture.
The $448 million USD facility provides access to multiple quantum computing platforms and links directly to Japan’s leading supercomputers, enabling experiments in hybrid quantum-classical computation.
In addition, Japan is pursuing quantum communication systems aimed at developing long-distance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks.
QKD is a way to send encrypted communications between two people or places so that nobody else can listen in or hack the message.
Efforts are underway to deploy QKD over 500+ kilometers of optical fiber, develop quantum repeaters for 1,000-kilometer ranges, and launch a dedicated quantum communication satellite by 2025.
These technologies are essential to secure communications and national cyber resilience in a post-quantum world.
Japanese industry has been quick to mobilize around Japan’s quantum vision.
According to various reports, Fujitsu, NEC, SoftBank, Kyocera, TDK, and others are actively developing quantum hardware and software. In December 2024, AIST and Finland-based IQM Quantum Computers signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop superconducting hardware and algorithms.
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Securing Talent and Protecting the Technological Edge
Acknowledging the global shortage of quantum professionals, Japan has launched several large-scale educational initiatives.
One flagship program, launched in partnership with IBM, the University of Tokyo, Keio University, and partners in South Korea and the U.S., aims to train upwards of 40,000 quantum professionals by the end of this decade.
At the same time, the Japanese government is bolstering technological security, implementing stricter export controls and investment screening mechanisms to protect sensitive quantum research.
This reflects rising concerns over economic espionage and the geopolitical importance of having a quantum advantage. Quantum technology is increasingly seen as a strategic domain (on par with semiconductors and artificial intelligence) whose development will influence future geopolitical power balances.
Despite its strengths, Japan faces challenges.
Commercialization of quantum technologies remains uncertain, talent competition with China and the U.S. is fierce, and long-term funding must be sustained over multiple domestic governments.
Nevertheless, Tokyo’s methodical, government-backed approach is widely regarded as among the most comprehensive in the world.
Japan’s ambition is not simply to produce faster computers or secure communications, but to embed quantum technologies across its society and economy.
The country’s initiative, a vision for a super-smart society, includes quantum-enabled applications in energy, healthcare, finance, logistics, and materials science.
If successful, Japan’s quantum strategy could yield not only significant economic returns, but also position the country as a key architect of the emerging quantum global order.
With international partnerships in place, infrastructure expanding, and talent pipelines forming, Japan is not merely reacting to a technological shift, it’s helping lead it.
