Is Japan’s national security at risk?
Sony Group, Mitsubishi Electric, and other major Japanese semiconductor makers are planning to invest approximately 5 trillion yen ($31 billion) through 2029 to revive Japan’s chip industry. These investments will focus on power devices, image sensors, and logic chips crucial for AI, decarbonization, and EVs.
Sony is set to invest 1.6 trillion yen to boost image sensor production for smartphones, autonomous driving, and surveillance. Toshiba and Rohm are focusing on power devices, while Mitsubishi Electric plans a 100 billion yen facility to compete with global leaders.
This push comes after Japan’s semiconductor market share fell below 10% by 2017, having peaked at 50% in 1988. The government, seeing semiconductors as critical for economic security, will subsidize 1.5 trillion yen of the planned investments. Japan aims to triple its semiconductor sales by 2030, with recent investments marking a significant recovery in market share. #shorts