Insider Brief
- Japan will build a 600-kilometer quantum-encrypted fiber network linking Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe by March 2027, with field tests and full deployment targeted for 2030, according to Nikkei Asia.
- The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology will operate the system in collaboration with Toshiba, NEC and major telecom carriers, marking a national push to secure critical communications before quantum computers weaken current encryption methods.
- The project aims to support high-security sectors—such as finance, diplomacy and medical genomics—and includes specialized repeaters to extend quantum links beyond their 150-kilometer limit, as Japan works to close the gap with longer-distance quantum networks already deployed in China, the EU and South Korea.
Japan is preparing to build and test a quantum-encrypted fiber network linking Tokyo with major cities in central Japan. The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology will operate the network, while major technology companies — including Toshiba and NEC — will join telecom carriers in deploying the system, Nikkei Asia reported.
Japan is treating quantum-safe communication as a national economic and security priority and the government plans for the roughly 600-kilometer network connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe, to be completed by March 2027, followed by field testing, and deployment targeted for 2030. Nikkei Asia reported the project and its 2030 deployment goal represents a strategic push to harden the country’s digital infrastructure before quantum computers make today’s encryption far easier to break.
While the technology is already used for short-distance secure links in labs and limited field environments, Japan has had little operational experience at scale. Its existing Tokyo-area test network covers only a few dozen kilometers.
“The greatest need is for communication between distant points,” professor Shigeki Takeuchi of Kyoto University told Nikkei Asia. “A long-distance demonstration environment is extremely important.”
Because quantum-encrypted links typically top out at about 150 kilometers, the plan calls for installing specialized equipment along the fiber route at regular intervals to extend transmission range, the news outlet noted. The government also intends to study commercial models, such as determining who will ultimately oversee and maintain the infrastructure.
Officials expect the network to serve sectors that require the highest levels of data integrity and secrecy. Nikkei Asia reported likely users include financial institutions handling sensitive transactions, diplomatic missions exchanging classified information, and hospitals managing genomic data. Each stands to face heightened risk once quantum computers are able to accelerate code-breaking techniques that threaten conventional encryption.
Japan’s initiative comes as other nations race to build quantum-secure backbone systems. China has already constructed a more than 10,000-kilometer network linking about 80 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The European Union is developing continent-wide infrastructure, and South Korea conducted a long-distance demonstration in 2022 connecting Seoul and Busan, according to Nikkei Asia.
Nikkei Asia reports that researchers view long-distance demonstration environments as critical for advancing the technology and cultivating a broader talent base. Japan’s concentration of quantum cryptography experts in the Tokyo region reflects the limited scope of its test networks to date. Expanding the system across multiple prefectures is seen as an important step toward developing the workforce needed to operate, maintain and scale quantum-secure communications nationwide.
