Japan has unveiled plans for a next-generation supercomputer, known as fugakunext, in what is being described as a major leap forward for the country’s scientific and technological ambitions. The project, backed by an investment of more than $750 million, is led by RIKEN, Japan’s national research institute, and Fujitsu Limited, the nation’s top technology company by market share. If successful, the new machine is expected to achieve speeds around 1,000 times faster than today’s leading systems—potentially shifting the global balance in high-performance computing.

A New Flagship for Japanese Computing

Fugakunext follows in the footsteps of the original fugaku supercomputer, which was launched in 2020 in collaboration between RIKEN and Fujitsu at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan. Fugaku made an immediate impact, peaking at 442 petaFLOPS and reaching 415.5 Linpack petaflops. It played a critical role in pandemic modeling during COVID-19 and rose to the upper ranks of the Top500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

Japanese authorities, including the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), had already begun planning for a successor as early as 2022. Feasibility studies, backed by a budget of approximately $3 million, have been underway since August 2022 and are scheduled to continue until March 2024.

Four research teams are assessing the technical and scientific benefits of a zetta-scale supercomputer, as the country seeks to ensure its ongoing leadership in high-performance computing infrastructure.

Aiming for a Technological Milestone

Japan’s vision for fugakunext is described as “nothing short of extraordinary.” The target is to create a zetta-supercomputer, a system capable of reaching a scale about 1,000 times faster than today’s leading systems, including the US-built Frontier supercomputer. Fugaku itself reached the fourth position on the Top500 list, but with computing demands soaring, Japan’s new project seeks to set a new benchmark for speed and capability.

At the core of fugakunext will be the FUJITSU-MONAKA3 and its successor, the MONAKA-X CPU. These processors are being developed on 2-nanometer technology and are engineered to deliver both high performance and energy efficiency. The technology features Fujitsu’s “unique microarchitecture optimized for advanced 3D packaging and ultra-low voltage circuit operation.”

This design is expected to enable seamless integration with GPUs and other accelerators, making the system adaptable for a wide range of uses—from artificial intelligence to intricate scientific simulations.

Partnership and Strategic Goals

The development contract for fugakunext was awarded by RIKEN to Fujitsu, which will be responsible for the design of the overall system, including computing nodes and CPU components. The basic design phase is scheduled to run until 27 February 2026. Vivek Mahajan, Corporate Executive Officer, Corporate Vice President, and CTO in charge of System Platform at Fujitsu Limited, commented on the project: “Fujitsu is determined to build a system that can dynamically meet customer needs, drawing on our invaluable experience from Fugaku and the cutting-edge technologies of FUJITSU-MONAKA and FUJITSU-MONAKA-X.”

The initiative is part of Japan’s broader focus on “AI for Science”—a strategy that integrates artificial intelligence with simulation technologies and real-time data to accelerate scientific discovery. According to the HPCI Steering Committee, established by MEXT, there is a rising demand for a “flexible platform” that supports large-scale computing resources, particularly as generative AI and other data-intensive technologies drive research and development.