Japan Launches Its First Fully Homegrown Quantum Computer in Osaka

A quantum machine built entirely in Japan

Japan's first quantum computer built entirely from domestically developed components and software began operating on July 28, 2025, at the University of Osaka's Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB). Its quantum chip, cooling equipment, control systems and software bring together technologies developed within Japan, replacing the imported parts used in earlier systems.

The launch is both a computing milestone and a move toward greater national control over a technology attracting intense international competition. Years of cooperation among research institutions, universities and companies produced a working machine whose critical hardware and operating tools were developed domestically.

The system subsequently reached a public audience through an exhibition at Expo 2025 in Osaka from August 14 to August 20. Visitors could connect to the computer remotely, run basic quantum programs and explore exhibits linking quantum science with art.

As of August 28, the achievement centers on Japan's ability to build and integrate the complete system. The work ahead includes making qubits more stable, correcting errors and increasing the number of qubits that can operate reliably together. Those challenges will shape how quantum computers develop into practical tools for research and industry.

What makes the Osaka system homegrown?

RIKEN, the Japanese research institute, developed the quantum processing unit (QPU), the chip at the heart of the computer. Japanese companies produced the other essential components, including the chip package, magnetic shield, infrared and bandpass filters, amplifier designed to produce little noise, and specialized cables.

Every critical element, from the quantum chip to the refrigeration systems, was designed, manufactured and integrated within Japan. Earlier quantum computers in the country depended on foreign components or software. The Osaka project replaced those dependencies with domestic technologies across both hardware and software.

The machine also includes controllers, a power source designed to produce little noise, and a pulse tube refrigerator for initial cooling. Together, these parts support the delicate conditions needed to operate the chip. Building the computer required the partners to make these different technologies work as one system.

Why the chip needs extreme cold

The Osaka computer uses superconducting qubits, quantum bits made from metals that lose all electrical resistance at sufficiently low temperatures. Its chip sits inside a dilution refrigerator, a specialized cooling device that brings it close to absolute zero.

Absolute zero is -273.15 degrees Celsius. The refrigerator cools the chip to just a few millikelvin above that point, meaning a temperature only a few thousandths of a degree above the lowest possible temperature. The pulse tube refrigerator provides initial cooling as part of the supporting equipment.

This extreme cold helps the qubits maintain their delicate quantum states. A quantum state is the condition that carries the information used in a calculation. Disturbances from the surrounding environment can disrupt that condition and introduce errors.

The magnetic shield, filters, amplifier, cables and power equipment belong to the same effort to maintain a controlled operating environment. Their inclusion shows why the project extends beyond making a quantum chip: refrigeration, electronics and connections are all essential parts of the working computer.

Japanese software connects users to the machine

The system runs on the Open Quantum Toolchain for Operators and Users, known as OQTOPUS. Developed entirely in Japan, this suite of open source tools supplies the software needed to program, operate and monitor the computer.

OQTOPUS includes a core engine, a cloud module and a graphical user interface. Together, these provide the operating tools and the means for users to interact with the machine, including through remote access.

Open source software makes the code available for others to examine and work with. For the Osaka project, that approach supports collaboration and transparency while keeping control of the operating software within Japan's quantum computing ecosystem.

Domestic development and international cooperation can therefore work together. Japan has control over its own software tools, while the open source approach encourages researchers and developers elsewhere to share knowledge and contribute to further progress.

How qubits change the calculation

Traditional computers use bits that represent either a 0 or a 1. Quantum computers use qubits, which follow the rules of quantum physics. Through superposition, a qubit can exist in a combination of states rather than being restricted to the single state of an ordinary bit.

Entanglement connects the states of qubits. Together, superposition and entanglement allow quantum calculations to work differently from calculations on conventional computers, with the potential to process many possibilities in parallel and tackle some problems beyond the reach of even the fastest supercomputers.

The potential applications described for quantum computing range from understanding molecules to organizing complicated systems. Each depends on the ability to carry out useful calculations reliably.

• Drug discovery: Simulating molecular interactions at the quantum level could help accelerate the development of new medicines.
• Materials science: Modeling quantum interactions could support the design of materials with particular properties.
• Optimization: Evaluating many possible arrangements could help improve logistics, traffic management and supply chain operations.
• Machine learning: Faster and more complex data analysis could support advances in artificial intelligence.

The difficulty is that qubits are highly sensitive to their environment. Even small disturbances can cause calculation errors. As the number of qubits grows, keeping their states stable and correcting mistakes becomes harder, making reliability a central research task.

The institutions and companies behind the project

The University of Osaka served as the project's hub, drawing on its expertise in quantum information science and engineering. RIKEN supplied the quantum chip, while a wider alliance brought together the manufacturing, refrigeration, electronics and software skills needed for the complete system.

The partners included ULVAC and ULVAC CRYOGENICS, which worked on cryogenic systems, as well as e-trees.Japan, QuEL, QunaSys, Systems Engineering Consultants, TIS and Fujitsu. The collaboration covered microfabrication, the production of very small structures, alongside cooling technology, electronic controls and software.

Government funding came from the Ministry of Education, the Japan Science and Technology Agency and the Cabinet Office. That support reflected the strategic importance assigned to quantum technology for Japan's scientific and economic future.

The result brings academic research and industrial production into a single domestic project. Universities and research institutes contributed scientific knowledge, while companies supplied the equipment and engineering needed to turn that knowledge into an operational machine.

What domestic control changes for Japan

Japan's ability to produce the system domestically reduces its vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains and restrictions on exports. It also gives the country greater room to customize quantum systems for national priorities, including scientific research, industrial applications and national security.

Control over both the hardware and the software gives Japanese partners a way to develop the parts together. The project demonstrates mastery of the technologies required for quantum computer manufacturing and system integration, rather than dependence on a single imported component or operating platform.

Professor Akihiro Kubota of Tama Art University, who collaborated on the project's public outreach, described the effort as extending beyond the machine itself:

This project is not just about building a computer. It's about building an ecosystem of innovation, creativity, and collaboration that will drive Japan's future in the quantum era.

Kubota's description connects the technical achievement with the people and organizations around it. The computer depends on a network of researchers, manufacturers and software developers, and its public presentation brought artists and visitors into that network as well.

From the laboratory to Expo 2025

The computer made its public debut at Expo 2025 in Osaka through an exhibition running from August 14 to August 20. Titled "entangle moment - [quantum, ocean, universe] x art," the exhibition sought to make quantum technology understandable and inspire a new generation of innovators.

Visitors interacted with the computer through remote cloud access. They could run basic quantum programs and explore phenomena such as entanglement through interactive exhibits. Kubota's collaboration also brought a creative element, with art generated by the quantum computer showing how scientific technology could become part of artistic expression.

The exhibition addressed students, educators, business leaders and policymakers, combining demonstrations with art to build curiosity and public understanding. Its purpose was described this way:

The goal was to raise the public's understanding of the technology and highlight its potential role in shaping future industries.

The project's key dates show the short interval between the start of operations and its public presentation:

• July 28, 2025: The computer began operating at the University of Osaka's QIQB.
• August 14 to August 20, 2025: The Expo exhibition gave visitors remote access, interactive demonstrations and quantum generated art.
• August 28, 2025: The launch and public debut had taken place, while work on reliability and practical use remained central challenges.

A domestic system in a global race

The United States, China and several European countries have invested heavily in quantum research. Companies including IBM, Google and Alibaba have been racing to build more powerful machines. Japan's launch comes within that competition over computing technology and the industries that may grow around it.

Most operational quantum computers in Japan and elsewhere had relied on imported components or proprietary software from foreign vendors. The Osaka system puts Japan among countries capable of developing a quantum computer across the full chain of hardware, software and integration.

The achievement strengthens Japan's position in quantum technology, with national security and economic competitiveness among the reasons for pursuing domestic capability. OQTOPUS also provides a route for international collaboration and knowledge sharing through open source development.

The project's manufacturing and integration achievement received this assessment:

Japan's comprehensive mastery of the technologies required for quantum computer manufacturing and system integration demonstrates that national innovation ecosystems can propel cutting-edge research into real-world systems.

Descriptions of the launch and its public presentation appeared in The Quantum Insider and GreekReporter.com. The domestic system offers a model of technological sovereignty built through cooperation among research institutions, companies and government.

Reliability, scale and skills remain the priorities

Error correction is among the most pressing challenges facing quantum computing. Qubits are fragile, and small disturbances can create mistakes that spread through a calculation. Researchers are developing algorithms and hardware methods to detect and correct those errors.

Increasing the number of qubits brings another challenge: maintaining their coherence, or stable quantum behavior, and the connections needed for them to work together. The complexity of the system rises rapidly as qubits are added, requiring advances in materials science, refrigeration and control electronics.

Japan's integrated approach brings expertise in those fields together, giving the project a base from which to address these difficulties. Continued investment and cooperation will be needed as researchers work toward practical quantum computing at a much larger scale.

The project also depends on people with specialized skills. Scientists, engineers and software developers will be needed to build, operate and improve future systems. Expo demonstrations and open source projects such as OQTOPUS provide ways to attract interest and involve more people in the technology.

No timetable was given for resolving the error correction and scaling challenges. The immediate achievement is a working domestic system, supported by a broad Japanese partnership and introduced to the public through demonstrations and art.

Key Points

• Japan's first fully homegrown quantum computer began operating on July 28, 2025, at the University of Osaka's QIQB.
• RIKEN developed the quantum chip, and Japanese partners supplied the critical hardware, cooling systems, controls and OQTOPUS software.
• The project received support from the Ministry of Education, the Japan Science and Technology Agency and the Cabinet Office.
• An Expo 2025 exhibition from August 14 to August 20 offered remote access, interactive exhibits and art generated by the computer.
• Domestic production gives Japan greater control over its quantum technology and reduces exposure to supply disruptions and export restrictions.
• Potential uses include drug discovery, materials design, logistics, traffic management and machine learning.
• Error correction, reliable operation with more qubits and the development of specialized skills remain central tasks.