Digital Edge is planning a new data center in Tokyo, Japan.
The Singapore-based operator this week announced it has entered into a partnership with real estate developer Hulic to develop a carrier-neutral facility in downtown Tokyo.
To be located at 7-1 Nihonbashi Kobunacho, the new TYO7 facility will be sited less than 300m from the company’s existing TYO2 facility (formerly known as ComSpace I) and is expected to be Ready-for-Service in early 2025.
Specifications of the new facility were not shared. According to a Hulic release, the two companies have formed a joint venture known as DEH1 Co., Ltd for the development, known as the 'Kobunacho Project.'
“This strategic project is another important step in our journey to build a regional platform and establish a thriving digital ecosystem across Asia,” said Digital Edge CEO Samuel Lee. “We are pleased to partner with Hulic, a well-respected Tokyo-based real estate developer, to leverage their local market knowledge alongside our data center know-how to provide much-needed digital infrastructure capacity in the heart of Tokyo.”
Formed in 1957 as Nihonbashi Kogyo Co. from real estate owned by Fuji Bank (now Mizuho Bank), Hulic is a real estate company that focused largely on developing and managing office and commercial spaces.
Last year, the local press reported Hulic was planning to demolish an existing office building it owned in Nihonbashi and develop an eight-story data center that is very likely this project. It would be one of Hulic’s first data center development projects.
Sitting in a 967 sqm (10,400 sq ft) plot, the previous Kobunacho Kinen-Kaikan office building was built in 1982 and had a total floor area of around 6,800 sqm (73,200 sq ft); office tenants were fully vacated by the end of March 2022.
Tadashi Nakajima, senior executive managing officer at Hulic, added: “As we look towards the future, we are excited to commence our first data center operation and development project at such an important site in Hulic’s history. Digital Edge’s experienced management team with their proven track record in Asia make an ideal partner for us as we establish a foothold in Tokyo’s fast-growing data center industry and continue to offer the essential services our customers need to thrive.”
New York-based private equity firm Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners formed Digital Edge in August 2020. CEO Lee previously served as president of Equinix’s Asia Pacific business.
After its founding, the company immediately announced its intention to develop a facility in Osaka and took a stake in ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation’s Mejirozaka Data Center in Tokyo. It later acquired two data centers in Greater Tokyo from Japanese telco Arteria Networks Corporation before acquiring five data centers from ICT Services company Itochu Techno-Solutions (CTC).
Kei Furuta, president & chief revenue officer at Digital Edge said: “This project marks our ninth data center in Japan and will provide depth to our existing platform, offering much-needed high-quality colocation and interconnection options to customers in downtown Tokyo. This small but strategically located site will complement our other facilities that cater to enterprise, hyperscale, and high power density applications, as we further contribute to the development of Japan’s vital digital infrastructure.”
As well as Japan, Digital Edge has facilities in operation or development in India, South Korea, the Philippines, China, and Indonesia. The company has previously told DCD it is also exploring potential investment in Thailand and Vietnam.