⚡ What if you could build a miniature sun on Earth and generate unlimited clean energy? A Japanese startup and a 90-year-old manufacturer just built the world's only machine to make it happen. Here's how Japan is racing toward fusion power.
A Startup and a Legacy Manufacturer Team Up to Build the World's Only Fusion Coil Machine
On February 5, 2026, nuclear fusion startup Helical Fusion (headquartered in Chuo, Tokyo) and Sugino Machine, a precision machinery manufacturer founded in 1936 in Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture, announced the completion of a specialized device for manufacturing high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coils — a core component of fusion reactors.
This one-of-a-kind machine stands approximately 6 meters (20 feet) tall, weighs 12 tons, and is designed to wind HTS cables into the complex spiral shapes needed for Helical Fusion's unique reactor design. The project began in 2023, with Sugino Machine's factory in Toyama Prefecture serving as the manufacturing site. The machine represents a fusion of Helical Fusion's innovative concepts and Sugino Machine's nine decades of precision engineering expertise.
What Is Fusion Energy? — Harnessing the Power of the Sun
Nuclear fusion is the process of merging light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen, to form heavier elements, releasing enormous amounts of energy in the process. This is exactly how the sun generates its energy, which is why fusion power is often described as "creating a sun on Earth."
Fusion energy offers transformative advantages over conventional power sources. Its fuel — deuterium, derived from ordinary seawater — is virtually inexhaustible. The process produces zero CO₂ emissions, making it an ultimate solution for climate change. Unlike nuclear fission (used in today's nuclear power plants), fusion generates almost no long-lived radioactive waste. And unlike fission reactors, fusion carries virtually no risk of meltdown.
The catch? Achieving fusion requires heating fuel to over 100 million degrees Celsius to create a state of matter called plasma. Keeping this incredibly hot plasma stable and contained has been the central challenge for fusion scientists worldwide for decades.
The Helical Approach — Japan's 70 Years of Homegrown Fusion Science
There are several approaches to containing plasma for fusion. The most well-known is the "tokamak" design — a doughnut-shaped configuration used by ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), currently under construction in France with international cooperation.
Helical Fusion takes a different path. Their "helical" (heliotron) approach uses spiral-shaped coils to create a magnetic "cage" that traps plasma. This technology has been refined over more than 70 years at Japan's National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) in Toki, Gifu Prefecture, making it a distinctly Japanese contribution to fusion science.
The helical approach has a critical advantage: it doesn't require driving an electric current through the plasma itself. This enables steady-state operation — running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — making it uniquely suited for commercial power generation. Helical Fusion claims their design can satisfy all three requirements for a commercially viable fusion power plant: net electricity output, steady-state operation, and maintainability.
Why High-Temperature Superconducting Coils Matter
In a fusion reactor, ultra-hot plasma must be suspended in mid-air using powerful magnetic fields to prevent it from touching the reactor walls. Superconducting coils generate these magnetic fields.
Conventional fusion devices like ITER use "low-temperature superconducting" materials (niobium-tin), which require cooling to below minus 255°C using expensive liquid helium. Helical Fusion instead uses "high-temperature superconducting" (HTS) technology, which can produce stronger magnetic fields in a more compact form. This allows the reactor to be significantly smaller, dramatically reducing construction and operating costs.
However, manufacturing HTS coils is extraordinarily difficult. Only three companies in the world are known to possess this capability: Helical Fusion, America's Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), and the UK's Tokamak Energy. Adding to the challenge, the helical design requires winding coils into complex spiral shapes — a manufacturing hurdle that goes beyond what tokamak-type reactors demand.
What This New Machine Does — Paving the Way for "Helix HARUKA"
The newly completed coil manufacturing machine is purpose-built to precisely wind HTS cables into the spiral configurations needed for Helical Fusion's reactor. It leverages Sugino Machine's expertise in controlling large-scale machinery with high precision.
The coils produced by this machine will be installed in "Helix HARUKA," Helical Fusion's integrated demonstration device planned for completion around 2030. Helix HARUKA will generate and sustain actual plasma, serving as the proving ground before the commercial demonstration reactor "Helix KANATA," which aims to achieve the world's first practical fusion power generation.
The machine will be transported to the Helix HARUKA demonstration site, with on-site coil assembly expected to begin in mid-2026.
Helical Fusion's Journey So Far
Helical Fusion was founded in 2021, building on decades of research at NIFS. Led by CEO Takaya Taguchi, the team brings together rare expertise in full reactor design and component technology development.
Key milestones include the establishment of a dedicated joint research space at NIFS in March 2024, a Series A funding round of approximately 2.3 billion yen (about $15 million) in 2025, and selection for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "J-Startup" program. The Ministry of Education has also provided roughly $13 million in grants for HTS technology development.
In October 2025, Helical Fusion achieved a world first: successfully conducting an energization test of a large-scale HTS coil under conditions simulating the magnetic environment inside an actual fusion reactor. At minus 258°C, the coil carried a stable current of 40,000 amperes. CEO Taguchi declared that "Japan has leapt to the forefront of the race toward practical fusion power."
Japan's Government Backs the Fusion Vision
The Japanese government is firmly behind fusion energy development. In June 2025, the "Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy" was revised to actively promote diverse approaches — tokamak, helical, and laser fusion — and to position Japan as a leader in building the global fusion supply chain.
For Japan, a nation with limited natural energy resources that imports the vast majority of its fossil fuels, fusion represents the ultimate energy security technology. With fuel derived from seawater, fusion could fundamentally free Japan from energy import dependence — a strategic imperative that gives the country powerful motivation to lead in this field.
The Global Fusion Race — Where Japan Stands
The global fusion race is accelerating. In the US, CFS has received investments of several billion yen from a consortium of 12 Japanese companies including Mitsui and Mitsubishi, and is building its experimental reactor "SPARC." The UK's Tokamak Energy continues developing its own HTS technology. Germany's Max Planck Institute operates "Wendelstein 7-X," the world's most advanced stellarator — a design closely related to the helical approach.
With over 50 fusion projects underway worldwide, Helical Fusion differentiates itself through Japan's unique helical technology and its claim that it can meet all three commercial viability requirements using technologies available today.
Japan's Manufacturing Heritage Powers the Fusion Future
What stands out in this announcement is how Japan's "monozukuri" (craftsmanship and manufacturing) tradition is supporting cutting-edge fusion technology. Beyond Sugino Machine, the ecosystem includes Fujikura supplying HTS wire, Ryoki Kingatsu Kogyo in Aichi developing coil cases, and Mitsui Kinzoku collaborating on blanket technology. Japan's deep industrial base is proving essential to making fusion a reality.
Sugino Machine CEO Gaku Sugino commented: "While this is no easy challenge given that fusion is unprecedented technology, we will tackle each obstacle with determination, drawing on 90 years of engineering expertise and fresh ideas."
Achieving commercial fusion power still requires overcoming numerous technical hurdles and investments potentially reaching hundreds of billions of dollars globally. But the partnership between a bold startup and Japan's traditional manufacturing excellence represents a new model for how deep-tech innovation can emerge from Japan's unique industrial ecosystem.
Will the 2030s see Helix HARUKA light its artificial sun? Will Helix KANATA deliver the world's first practical fusion electricity? Japan is watching with great anticipation.
How far has fusion energy research progressed in your country? What do you think about fusion as the energy of the future? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
References
- https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/735b47ea363ea37938659d8c6330ce3186f276ae
- https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC054190V00C26A2000000/
- https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000148.000070070.html
- https://global.helicalfusion.com/post/helical-fusion-completes-a-new-coil-manufacturing-machine-for-its-integrated-demonstration-device-in
- https://newswitch.jp/p/47369
- https://interestingengineering.com/energy/japan-fusion-startup-completes-coil-manufacturing
Reactions in Japan
The collaboration between Helical Fusion and Sugino Machine is understated but incredibly important news. You can't build a demonstration reactor without coil mass-production technology. 'The world's only machine' — that tells you how difficult this really is.
Sugino Machine is a source of pride for us in Toyama. A 90-year-old company getting involved in nuclear fusion is incredibly exciting. Toyama's engineering prowess is literally supporting humanity's future.
I'm excited about fusion, but let's be realistic — they've built a coil manufacturing device, but actual power generation is still far off. They say 2030s, but even ITER has been delayed for decades. I'm hopeful about the startup speed, but we shouldn't be overly optimistic.
A machine that's 6 meters tall and weighs 12 tons... that's impressive. The fact that Japan has manufacturers capable of building this is genuinely remarkable. Even overseas competitors are struggling with coil manufacturing.
The biggest barrier for the helical approach was the complexity of coil manufacturing, so having a dedicated machine to solve this is huge. Unlike tokamak designs, coils need to be wound in spiral shapes — this is truly a manufacturing technology victory.
Fusion sounds complicated, but basically it uses seawater as fuel and produces no CO2, right? I hope it becomes practical soon for our children's future. Cheering them on!
Helical Fusion raised ¥2.3B (~$15M) in Series A. Considering the scale of fusion, that's nowhere near enough. CFS in the US has raised billions. I worry Japan's weak fundraising capacity will hold back the technology. The government's seriousness will be tested.
They say 'power generation demonstration in the 2030s,' but I feel like the timeline has gotten vaguer from the earlier specific target of 2034. It might take longer in reality. I'm hopeful though.
From an energy security perspective, fusion is vital for Japan — a country that imports nearly 100% of its fossil fuels. Being able to derive fuel from seawater would be revolutionary. This deserves full national support.
As someone who knows Sugino Machine's capabilities, this partnership is top-tier. Their precision control technology could definitely produce a massive coil winding machine. Show the world the strength of Japan's B2B manufacturers.
The name 'high-temperature superconductor' sounds warm, but it's -258°C. Even minus 258 degrees counts as 'high temperature' in the superconductor world. Pretty confusing for regular people, right?
I read CEO Taguchi's book 'That's Why We're Building a Sun' and his vision is becoming reality. A startup commercializing 70 years of NIFS research is the ideal model for Japan's academia-industry collaboration.
People have been saying fusion is '30 years away' for the past 30 years. I'm rooting for Helical Fusion, but I pray it doesn't turn into another '30 more years.'
Fujikura's superconducting wire, Sugino Machine's coil winding machine, Ryoki Kingatsu's coil cases — it's exciting to see SMEs across Japan supporting fusion. Refreshing that it's not just left to big corporations.
I'm not against investing in fusion, but backup plans are important in case 2030s commercialization doesn't pan out. Expanding renewables + battery storage must proceed in parallel. This isn't an era for betting on just one option.
In the US, CFS is building SPARC with billions in funding, but Helical Fusion's approach is completely different. The helical design might be more commercially viable than tokamaks since it can run in steady state. Japan deserves more attention in this race.
France has invested in fusion for decades as ITER's host. It's hard to believe a small startup could demonstrate power before ITER, but given ITER's delays, perhaps alternative approaches are indeed necessary.
As a Tokamak Energy investor, only 3 companies globally can work with HTS for fusion. Helical Fusion being one of them, and now developing dedicated manufacturing equipment, is surprising. Can't overlook them as a competitor.
Germany's Wendelstein 7-X also uses a stellarator approach, similar to helical. But ours is a research device, not aimed at commercialization. It's fascinating that Japan is pursuing the first commercial stellarator-type reactor.
India participates in ITER but has no domestic fusion startups yet. India, with its exploding energy demand, needs fusion more than most. There's a lot to learn from Japan's academia-industry collaboration model.
Australia is rich in lithium and rare earths that could contribute to the fusion supply chain. But we haven't invested much in fusion research itself. I envy Japan's unified government-industry approach.
Korea's KSTAR holds world records with its superconducting tokamak, but Helical Fusion has a more concrete commercialization roadmap. We need a similar model in Korea where startups partner with veteran manufacturers.
There's the old joke that fusion is 'always 30 years away,' but recent HTS advances are making that joke obsolete. Japan's approach of combining it with solid manufacturing expertise makes a lot of sense.
Having experienced Ukraine's energy crisis, I deeply understand energy self-sufficiency. Fusion fuel from seawater frees you from geopolitical risk. If Japan succeeds, energy security worldwide changes.
UAE invests in renewables and nuclear, but is just starting to look at fusion. I heard Helical Fusion exhibited at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. The Middle East could be a fusion partner too.
Brazil relies mainly on hydropower, but drought-related power shortages are a problem. Development of weather-independent stable power like fusion isn't just someone else's concern. Though Brazil joining the fusion race is still far off.
At $15 million, the funding looks modest. CFS has raised over $2 billion. But with Japanese government grants worth tens of millions and in-kind technology from industrial partners, a pure dollar comparison might be misleading.
Canada's General Fusion is also working hard but struggling with funding. Fusion is a marathon — the key is whether you can go the distance. I'm watching whether Japan's manufacturing strength and government commitment will sustain.
China's EAST keeps breaking records for plasma duration at 100M degrees. But China is all-in on tokamaks and hasn't explored diverse approaches like helical. Japan advancing on an alternative path could be a real threat.
In Africa, over 600 million people lack electricity access. If fusion truly becomes commercial, affordable abundant power could rapidly accelerate Africa's development. I sincerely root for Japan's success.