Japan Display Inc. (JDI) is to turn a display manufacturing site outside Tokyo into a data center.
The Japanese display maker this week announced plans to end production at its Mobara Fab by March 2026.
The company plans to turn the fab, located east of Tokyo in Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture, into an AI data center after production ends.
“JDI is also in discussions with companies that require AI data centers, focusing on the sale of the Mobara Fab assets and their conversion into an AI data center,” the company said.
According to a JDI investor presentation, the Mobara Fab currently offers more than 100MW of available power, with room to grow. The 338,985 sqm (3.65m sq ft) site is currently “underloaded and unprofitable,” the presentation noted.
The existing buildings total 368,960 sqm (3.97m sq ft), with 178,020 sqm (1.9m sq ft) of clean rooms. Further details weren’t shared, but the announcement suggests the site will be sold rather than leased.
Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed JDI was formed in 2011 after the merger of the small and medium-sized liquid crystal display businesses of Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi.
After the Mobara fab closes – which will end in-house OLED display production – JDI will consolidate LCD production operations at its Ishikawa Fab. The company said final decisions around the 1,323 Mobara employees will be made after consultation with JDI’s labor union.
Elsewhere in Japan, Sharp is selling an LCD panel manufacturing site in Osaka to SoftBank and KDDI for data center development.
