A three-day visit by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to Tokyo highlighted Japan's ambition to become a global hub for physical AI, by integrating its deep industrial and robotics expertise with the latest AI technologies and computing infrastructure developed by the US company.

The visit confirmed that Japan is not content with developing AI models or data centers alone, but is building an integrated ecosystem encompassing software, chips, robotics, and industrial applications, leveraging its status as home to the world's largest manufacturing, robotics, and video game companies, according to the company's blog on platform X.

Robots Moving in the Real World. Huang began his visit with a surprise appearance at the Build-a-Claw event, where Japanese developers used open-source AI models and NVIDIA's platform to build robots capable of picking up and interacting with objects.

The event demonstrated how AI can move from screens and software to the physical world, through systems that respond to commands and move robotic arms to perform actual tasks. Huang also distributed two signed NVIDIA DGX Spark personal supercomputers to participants, encouraging developers to build their 'intelligent agents' and custom systems.

Supply Chain Leaders at the Heart of the Strategy. Huang met at a Tokyo restaurant with over 30 CEOs representing 16 leading Japanese companies in semiconductor equipment, memory, materials, and electronic components.

The discussions focused on how to leverage Japan's advanced supply chains to support the global expansion of AI, at a time when demand is rising for the chips and computing infrastructure needed to run intelligent models worldwide.

Physical AI Enters Factories. Huang held a meeting with CEOs of Fujitsu, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Fanuc, and Yaskawa, among the top manufacturers of robots and industrial systems used in global factories.

NVIDIA explained that these companies are already relying on its technology platforms to develop a new generation of industrial robots, accelerating the transition of the 'physical AI' concept from a future vision to practical applications on production lines.

National Initiative for Physical AI. Huang, alongside Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, launched a government-backed Physical AI Initiative.

The initiative aims to combine Japanese industrial expertise and vast operational data from local companies with global technology to develop multimodal foundation models, intelligent agents, digital twins, and advanced robots.

The Japanese government believes that combining its strengths in manufacturing, mechatronics, physical sciences, and advanced computing could give it an exceptional opportunity to lead the next phase of the AI-driven industrial revolution.

Support for Startups and Policymakers. During another event, Huang gathered startups, investors, government partners, and public policy officials in Japan for a celebration of the local AI ecosystem.

The event saw participation from Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, signaling growing government support for building a globally competitive AI sector.

The meeting highlighted the growing diversity of the Japanese ecosystem, from startups developing applications on NVIDIA platforms to government institutions setting regulatory and strategic frameworks for the sector.

Three-Decade Partnership with Sega. The visit concluded with a joint announcement by NVIDIA and Sega at the historic Akihabara arcade in Tokyo, where both parties celebrated over 30 years of collaboration.

The two companies revealed that the game VIRTUA FIGHTER CROSSROADS and future Sega titles will be available on the NVIDIA RTX Spark platform.

The roots of the relationship date back to the 1990s when NVIDIA collaborated with Sega on graphics technologies for gaming consoles, while NVIDIA's NV1 chip powered the first version of Virtua Fighter on personal computers.

Betting on the Future of Industry. The visit showed that Japan is betting on integrating AI with its historical dominance in manufacturing and robotics to boost its economic competitiveness.

With expanding collaboration between NVIDIA, Japanese companies, and the government, the country is moving toward building an integrated ecosystem encompassing open models, computing infrastructure, robotics, and industrial applications, in an effort to transform AI from a digital tool into a productive force driving the real economy.

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