Nvidia deepens Japan AI and robotics ties

Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang visited Tokyo on July 15–16, 2026, in a trip that combined public appearances with intensive industry engagement. On July 15 he drew crowds in the electronics hub of Akihabara, where he met fans and reunited with former Sega president Shoichiro Irimajiri, underlining Nvidia (NVDA)’s long‑standing ties to Japan’s gaming and technology community.

Later that evening Huang shifted to the Kanda district, where he spent roughly two hours at an izakaya with senior executives from Japanese semiconductor and materials suppliers. Attendees included leaders from Kioxia, Shin‑Etsu, Tokyo Electron, Ajinomoto, Sumitomo Electric, Taiyo Yuden and Panasonic, and Huang was seen handing out bottles of sake to participants and red bean cakes to bystanders.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on July 15, Huang characterized investment in artificial intelligence as a long‑term business rather than a passing fad. He said the world is “a long way from [an] AI bubble,” signaling confidence in sustained demand for AI computing and applications.

Huang also emphasized “physical AI” as a major opportunity for Japan, reflecting the country’s strengths in robotics, manufacturing and industrial automation. He urged the development of domestic, or “sovereign,” AI infrastructure so that nations can build and operate their own AI capabilities, positioning Japan as an important hub in this shift.

During the visit, Nvidia announced an expansion of commercial ties in Japan, led by a new agreement to supply AI hardware and software to Toyota (TM). The technology will support smart‑city, traffic and factory projects, aiming to bring advanced AI into real‑world infrastructure and manufacturing environments.

Nvidia also broadened its Cosmos Coalition, a program focused on physical‑AI development, by adding major Japanese industrial and technology partners. Fujitsu, FANUC, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Yaskawa Electric were named as new members, while companies including Hitachi, NEC, Komatsu and Kubota were cited as firms joining or building on Nvidia’s physical‑AI stack.

To support these initiatives, Nvidia unveiled new physical‑AI products tailored for edge deployment in Japan. The company introduced “Cosmos 3 Edge,” described as a compact, multi‑billion‑parameter world model designed for on‑device vision reasoning and robot policy generation, enabling robots and equipment to interpret surroundings and act locally.

Nvidia also launched new Jetson edge modules called T2000 and T3000, positioned to run physical‑AI workloads directly on robots and factory equipment rather than relying solely on remote data centers. Together, the Cosmos 3 Edge model and Jetson modules are intended to make AI‑enabled perception and control more accessible across Japan’s industrial base.