Japan has become one of the major world leaders in quantum computing.
The story began in 2019, when the University of Tokyo together with IBM launched the Japan-IBM Quantum™ Partnership—a partnership which brought to Japan its first IBM Quantum System One. Since then, the university has become a center of quantum computing science, and its IBM Quantum System One has been actively used by members of the Quantum Innovation Initiative Consortium launched jointly by the University of Tokyo and IBM, with the Consortium including leading Japanese companies like JSR, Toyota, Mitsubishi Chemicals, SoftBank, Sony and more.
Through that work, Japanese industry has played a key role in advancing quantum computing technology.
Japan and the University of Tokyo’s contributions go beyond the science of quantum computing. The University of Tokyo with IBM has helped develop the supply chain and ecosystem of Japanese quantum hardware suppliers through the world-first Quantum Hardware Test Center established in 2021. In an emerging market like quantum computing, growing the supply chain requires a focused approach centered on developing the components required for the industry. We’re beginning to see the flywheel effect in action—the accumulation of new research at Japanese institutions, new technology from industrial leaders, and collaboration between the United States and Japan have generated significant momentum and the seeds of a self-sustaining quantum industry.
Japan has become a model for building that supply chain and enabling quantum ecosystem growth. The University of Tokyo Quantum Hardware Test Center has been a crucial part of that story. As manufacturers such as TDK Corporation, Fujikura, Keycom, and I-PEX work on quantum computing components, the test center gives them the opportunity to access the specialized infrastructure necessary for evaluating the components’ performance. Beyond the test center, Japanese enterprises ULVAC and Kyocera are building important components and infrastructure for quantum computers, anchored by the demand created by IBM.
Just a few years ago, quantum computing was an exploratory technology operating exclusively in the realm of toy problems and academic research. Today, a worldwide community of users benefits from the industry-leading scale, quality, and speed of IBM quantum computers. That community has picked this technology up off the laboratory bench and brought it into the industrial workplace.
IBM has published a comprehensive roadmap to advance useful quantum computing that details our timeline for building large scale, fault tolerant quantum computers. As part of that work, IBM provides specifications for key components of current and future quantum computers to potential vendors. Through the University of Tokyo Quantum Hardware Test Center, IBM has worked with many suppliers to test some of these components.
The companies bringing quantum to life in Japan
TDK is a Tokyo-based company that builds electronic components, leads the world in magnetic technology, and has the largest market share in small-size batteries like those used in smartphones. Their components can be found in connected cars, industrial robots, smartphones and IoT smart devices powered AI. TDK has made great strides in developing and demonstrating cryogenic microwave isolators. These are key components in quantum computing systems built around superconducting qubits. TDK has used the University of Tokyo Quantum Hardware Test Center for early verification of their progress.
Another crucial component in superconducting qubit technology is the dilution refrigerator. Dilution refrigerators cycle helium isotopes through a mixing chamber to achieve the milliKelvin operating temperatures of superconducting qubits. ULVAC, Inc., a vacuum technology leader based in Chigasaki, is working to build a state-of-the-art dilution refrigerator that meets IBM quantum cryostat specifications. We look forward to testing ULVAC cryostats at our quantum datacenter later in 2025.
"IBM is leading the advancement of quantum computing, and ULVAC is proud to support this effort with our expertise in vacuum and cryogenic technology,” said Setsuo Iwashita, President and CEO of ULVAC, Inc. “By providing cutting-edge cryogenic solutions, we are committed to strengthening IBM’s quantum computing ecosystem and enabling scalable quantum infrastructure."
We are committed to strengthening IBM’s quantum computing ecosystem and enabling scalable quantum infrastructure.
More and more Japanese suppliers are diving into the quantum industry. We have seen impressive work ranging from cryogenic and superconducting wiring technology to high-density connectors and large-area laminates to accommodate larger quantum chips. Kyocera, the Kyoto ceramics and electronics manufacturer, is an important supplier of large-size semiconductor packaging. They now leverage that expertise for quantum applications. Fujikura, the Tokyo electronic equipment manufacturer, and Keycom, the Tokyo electronic measurement technology company, are leveraging their superconducting material expertise to develop the next generation of ultra high-density cryogenic cabling. I-PEX, in Kyoto, builds connector technology that they are evaluating for operation in the cryogenic environment of quantum computers.
This is the world’s quantum computing future: a global ecosystem of enterprises bringing their expertise to bear on quantum’s toughest engineering problems. We are scaling this technology through our joint efforts at the University of Tokyo and IBM. Our growing userbase is figuring out how to apply it to solve real problems. The Japanese quantum ecosystem is growing fast, thanks to the leadership of the University of Tokyo and the Japanese government’s investment in quantum. Japanese industry is beginning see the rewards of that effort. We hope the Japanese model can serve as an example for the rest of the world to follow.
