⚡ What if the key to unlimited clean energy was a thin tape made by a 140-year-old Japanese cable company? Fujikura's superconducting wire is now essential to nearly every major fusion reactor project on Earth. Meanwhile, Japan is quietly building autonomous cars with homegrown AI and turning sunlight into hydrogen fuel. Here's why the world is taking notice.
Fujikura: The Company Powering the Fusion Energy Revolution
When people talk about the future of clean energy, nuclear fusion is often called the "holy grail" — a way to generate virtually limitless power by recreating the same process that fuels the Sun. But building a fusion reactor requires incredibly powerful magnets that can contain superheated plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees. And the critical material that makes these magnets possible? A special high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire developed by Fujikura, a Japanese company founded in 1885.
Fujikura's rare-earth-based HTS wire, known as REBCO tape, has a unique property: when cooled to around -170°C (-274°F), it conducts electricity with zero resistance. That might sound cold, but it's actually much warmer than traditional superconductors, which need to be chilled to -269°C using expensive liquid helium. This "high temperature" advantage means fusion reactors can be built smaller, cheaper, and more practical.
The company has been developing this technology for over 30 years, and today it holds a dominant position in the global HTS wire market. Major fusion projects around the world rely on Fujikura's wire, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), an MIT spinoff aiming to build the world's first commercial fusion reactor by the early 2030s. Fujikura has also partnered with the UK Atomic Energy Authority's STEP project through Kyoto Fusioneering, and supplies wire to Japanese startup Helical Fusion, which plans to procure tens of thousands of kilometers of HTS tape.
The market has clearly noticed. Fujikura's stock price surged approximately 12 to 13 times from early 2024 through mid-2025, driven partly by data center demand for its fiber optics business, but also by growing excitement over its role in the fusion energy supply chain. The company has doubled its HTS wire production capacity at its Sakura plant in Chiba Prefecture and expects demand to quadruple by around 2027.
Japan's Autonomous Driving Push: Powered by Domestic AI
While much of the autonomous driving conversation focuses on Tesla's Full Self-Driving system or China's Baidu Apollo, Japan has been quietly advancing its own approach — one deeply rooted in safety-first engineering and domestic AI development.
Japan's history in autonomous driving goes back further than most people realize. Research began in the 1960s, and in 1977, Japanese engineers developed the world's first computer-controlled autonomous driving system. Today, Toyota, Honda, and other automakers are building on this legacy with AI systems developed by Japanese companies and research institutions.
Toyota has taken a multi-pronged approach. Through its research arm Woven by Toyota (formerly Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development), the company is developing AI-driven autonomous systems for its experimental "Woven City" in Shizuoka Prefecture — a living laboratory at the foot of Mt. Fuji that began accepting its first residents in late 2025. Toyota has also partnered with Tier IV, a Japanese autonomous driving startup that created Autoware, the world's first open-source autonomous driving platform, with the goal of achieving Level 4 autonomy (fully driverless in defined areas) by fiscal year 2027.
Honda made headlines as the first automaker to sell a Level 3 autonomous vehicle — the Legend sedan — in Japan in 2021. The company has since announced plans to bring Level 3 capabilities to its new "Honda 0" EV series for global markets.
The Japanese government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has designated autonomous driving as a strategic priority. Major automakers including Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are collaborating on AI safety standards and shared development platforms for next-generation vehicles. The government aims to select approximately 10 regions as pilot areas for Level 4 autonomous driving services by fiscal 2026.
Physical AI: Japan's Next Winning Strategy
"Physical AI" — the concept of AI that doesn't just think and generate text, but actually moves, acts, and interacts with the real world — has become Japan's hottest technology buzzword. And for good reason.
While the U.S. and China lead in humanoid robotics and large language models, Japan dominates a critical piece of the puzzle: industrial robots. Japanese companies hold roughly 70% of the global industrial robot market, with four of the world's top ten manufacturers — Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and others — headquartered in Japan. These companies have decades of real-world manufacturing data that Physical AI systems need to learn from.
The Takaichi administration has placed Physical AI at the center of its national AI strategy, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) planning approximately $7 billion in support over five years. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has repeatedly identified Physical AI as the next frontier, and Japanese robotics giants have responded. Fanuc announced a collaboration with NVIDIA in December 2025 to develop AI-powered industrial robots, while Yaskawa Electric partnered with both NVIDIA and Fujitsu to build autonomous robot control platforms.
This "Physical AI" approach — combining Japan's precision manufacturing expertise with cutting-edge AI — represents what many analysts see as Japan's most promising path in the global AI race.
Artificial Photosynthesis: Turning Sunlight Into Fuel
Perhaps the most futuristic technology on Japan's innovation menu is artificial photosynthesis — literally mimicking what plants do naturally, but for industrial purposes.
Led by researchers at the University of Tokyo, this national project uses photocatalysts to split water molecules using sunlight, producing hydrogen gas. That hydrogen can then be combined with CO₂ to create methanol fuel or olefins (the building blocks of plastics), effectively turning two environmental problems — energy scarcity and carbon emissions — into solutions.
The roots of this research trace back to 1972, when University of Tokyo researchers Kenichi Honda and Akira Fujishima discovered the Honda-Fujishima Effect, demonstrating that titanium dioxide could split water under ultraviolet light. Japan has built on this foundation through the ARPChem research consortium, involving 11 major companies including Toyota, INPEX, and Mitsubishi Chemical, along with multiple universities.
In a landmark achievement, the consortium successfully demonstrated a 100-square-meter photocatalyst panel system — the world's largest — that safely produced and separated solar hydrogen. Shinshu University is currently building the world's largest artificial photosynthesis demonstration facility in Nagano Prefecture.
Japan's Environment Ministry published a roadmap targeting initial practical applications by 2030, with mass production of basic chemical materials by 2040. If successful, this technology could produce fuel and industrial chemicals using nothing but sunlight, water, and CO₂ — a genuine game-changer for the global energy landscape.
Fusion Energy + AI Vehicles: The Energy Equation
All of these technologies are deeply interconnected. Autonomous vehicles and AI-powered robots require enormous amounts of electricity. Data centers processing AI workloads are consuming power at unprecedented rates. Japan's answer to this energy challenge is two-fold: fusion energy for massive clean power generation, and artificial photosynthesis for distributed, solar-powered fuel production.
Fujikura sits at the intersection of these trends. Its HTS wire enables compact fusion reactors. Its fiber optic cables connect the data centers that power AI. And its automotive wiring harnesses are found in the very vehicles being transformed by autonomous driving technology. It's a remarkable position for a company that started as a wire manufacturer in the Meiji era.
What This Means for the World
Japan's technology strategy represents a distinctive approach in the global innovation race. Rather than competing head-to-head with the U.S. and China on large language models or humanoid robots, Japan is leveraging its traditional strengths in precision manufacturing, materials science, and industrial robotics — areas where decades of accumulated expertise create genuine competitive advantages.
Whether Fujikura's superconducting wire truly unlocks commercial fusion energy, or Japan's domestic AI creates the safest autonomous vehicles on the road, these developments deserve global attention. They suggest that the next great leaps in technology may come not from flashy startups, but from companies and research institutions that have been patiently building foundational capabilities for decades.
Japan is betting big on these technologies. In your country, what next-generation innovations are generating the most excitement? Are there similar government-led technology strategies? We'd love to hear your perspective — share your thoughts in the comments below!
References
- https://www.fujikura.co.jp/lp/superconductors/
- https://www.fujikura.co.jp/research/energy-transmission/
- https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101473.html
- https://car.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2081229.html
- https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA291U70Z20C25A5000000/
- https://ondankataisaku.env.go.jp/carbon_neutral/topics/20251003-topic-78.html
- https://newswitch.jp/p/47944
- https://xtech.nikkei.com/atcl/nxt/column/18/00001/07920/
Reactions in Japan
Looking at Fujikura's stock movement since they started full-scale REBCO wire delivery to CFS, all I can say is 'the market is honest.' It's genuinely encouraging to see a company rewarded for 30 years of patient foundational R&D.
I'm honestly a bit tired of 'Japan's technology that the world envies' articles... but Fujikura's superconductor story has real substance — actual deliveries to CFS and stock performance to back it up. We need to distinguish between feel-good nationalism and genuine capability.
Will fusion really be commercialized? ITER keeps getting delayed, and 'just 20 more years' has been the refrain for 50 years now. Fujikura's tech is impressive, but we should be realistic about the timeline for practical fusion power.
The fact that Tier IV's Autoware is open-source is actually the most impressive part. Unlike Tesla's FSD black box, developers worldwide can verify and improve it. It reflects a very Japanese philosophy of collective improvement.
If artificial photosynthesis can produce hydrogen, could we see gas stations converted to hydrogen stations? Efficiency is still too low, but I want to believe in Japan's research capability. Question is whether we can wait another 20 years...
As a grad student wanting to work in superconductors, having a company like Fujikura is inspiring. But the article says they have a 'monopoly' — the reality is China is catching up fast, so we can't be complacent.
Fujikura shareholder here, can't stop shaking from unrealized gains lol. Honestly don't fully understand the superconductor stuff though. If fusion becomes real, does electricity become free?
If Level 4 autonomous driving comes to rural areas, it would be a lifesaver. Bus routes in my region keep getting cut, and elderly people can't get to hospitals. Technology talk is nice, but what matters is when it actually gets deployed.
What the article doesn't mention is that Fujikura's real strength includes being world #1 in fiber optic splicers. Superconducting wire, fiber, and AI data centers are all connected. Their 'connecting technology' tagline isn't just marketing.
First time hearing about 'Physical AI' as a concept. Is it true Japan has 70% of the global industrial robot market share? These 'unglamorous but actually amazing' Japanese strengths need way more visibility.
I credit Takaichi for making Physical AI a national strategy, but just allocating budget isn't enough. We poured billions into Rapidus for semiconductors with no product yet. This is the phase where execution matters.
From Silicon Valley, Japan's autonomous driving seems 'slow.' But looking at Waymo's accident rates, Japan's cautious approach might be right. Safety can't be rushed, and the social cost of accidents is immeasurable.
If even small factories like mine can use AI-equipped robots, it'd be revolutionary. I've watched colleagues go out of business due to labor shortages. Hearing Fanuc and Yaskawa teaming up with NVIDIA gives me real hope.
Every time I read about artificial photosynthesis, my reaction is just 'dream technology.' But the 100m² demonstration success is concrete progress. The question is whether it can scale. How do we cross the 'valley of death' between lab and commercialization?
I'm pro-fusion, but here's the thing: in Japan, anything with 'nuclear' in the name triggers immediate rejection. With Fukushima still fresh in memory, explaining that 'fusion is safe' is incredibly challenging. Technology and social acceptance are separate issues.
Speaking as a CFS engineer, our SPARC demonstration reactor simply wouldn't be possible without Fujikura's HTS wire. We evaluated suppliers globally, and Fujikura stands out in both quality and production capacity. Japan's materials science is the real deal.
India participates in ITER, so we understand this field's importance. But hearing Fujikura has a near-monopoly on HTS wire makes me uneasy. Geopolitical disruptions could halt supply. Diversification of this critical technology is necessary.
Germany's Energiewende focuses on renewables, but fusion should remain on the table. What's interesting is Fujikura's wire going to private startups' compact reactors rather than just ITER. Agile private ventures may deliver results before massive international projects.
I'm aware of Kyoto Fusioneering and Fujikura's involvement in UKAEA's STEP project. The UK-Japan fusion collaboration makes perfect sense — both island nations deeply concerned about energy security.
China is also rapidly developing HTS wire. Fujikura leads now, but Chinese companies like Shanghai Superconductor Technology are closing the gap. The landscape could look very different in five years. The battle for technological supremacy is just beginning.
As an American used to Tesla's autopilot, Japan's Level 4 target of 2027 seems... slow? But considering Japanese road conditions — narrow alleys, pedestrians mixed with cars — it's objectively harder than US highways. Safety-first isn't wrong.
Hyundai is developing Level 4 in Korea too, but Tier IV's decision to make Autoware open-source was strategically brilliant. Control the platform, become the industry standard. Even Korean manufacturers are developing on the Autoware base.
Brazil is a bioethanol pioneer, but if artificial photosynthesis can produce methanol directly from sunlight, the whole biofuel paradigm shifts. Since equatorial countries have more sunlight, developing nations could actually benefit most from this tech.
From a Swedish perspective, Japan's Physical AI strategy resembles our Industry 4.0 approach. But Japan's advantage is its massive trove of real-world industrial robot data. ABB's acquisition by SoftBank probably isn't unrelated to this trend.
Saudi Arabia is investing in clean energy for the post-oil era. Fujikura's fusion-related tech is definitely on our radar. Japan-Saudi tech cooperation is already advancing in hydrogen, and fusion could be another area for partnership.
In Australia's mining sector, autonomous haul trucks are already operational. As Japan's Physical AI evolves, mining robots will get even smarter. Komatsu's autonomous trucks are used in mines worldwide — Japan's tech directly impacts Australia's economy.
France hosts ITER construction but faces budget overruns and delays. If startups like CFS using Fujikura's wire achieve commercial fusion first, it'll question the value of massive international projects. The gap between scientific research and business speed is stark.
As a Bangalore AI engineer, Japan's autonomous driving approach is intriguing. Indian traffic is even more chaotic than Japan's, so once Japan's safety-first AI matures, bring it to India. Tesla's approach would absolutely fail on Indian roads.
I research fusion at a Polish university. Fujikura's HTS wire performance data is so standard it's regularly cited in papers. However, European research institutions depending on a single Japanese company isn't healthy. Building an EU-independent HTS supply chain is also urgent.
I work in a Mexican auto factory using Fanuc robots daily. If they could operate on verbal AI commands, production efficiency would skyrocket. But it also means fewer simple assembly jobs. Workers in developing countries have mixed feelings about this.