[Anchor]
Japan, which once dominated the global semiconductor market in the 1980s, is accelerating efforts to regain its competitive edge. The country has already attracted a factory from TSMC, the world's top foundry company, to Kumamoto in the south, and secured an HBM production facility from the U.S. firm Micron in Hiroshima. However, the real gamble lies in Hokkaido, home to the factory of Rapidus, a Japanese semiconductor company. With the Japanese government providing full-scale support—even amending existing laws—Rapidus is now on the verge of mass-producing 2-nanometer advanced semiconductors.
Tokyo correspondent Mun Junmo reports.
[Reporter]
A five-minute drive from New Chitose Airport leads to the Rapidus factory, which is currently undergoing expansion.
This site, which was empty land three years ago, has transformed rapidly since the location was selected.
Construction was completed 19 months after the groundbreaking ceremony in 2023, and just three months later, the company succeeded in operating a prototype of a 2-nanometer semiconductor.
Considering that it typically takes more than three years just to complete an advanced semiconductor factory, this is a record-breaking pace.
[Hashimoto Kiyoshi / Public Relations Manager, Rapidus: Japan is more than 20 years behind in advanced semiconductor technology. We are trying to catch up all at once.]
The Japanese government has provided 2.3 trillion yen in research funding and even enacted the so-called Rapidus Support Act, directly investing 250 billion yen to become the largest shareholder and accelerate the process.
[Takaichi Sanae / Minister of State for Special Missions (Last month, meeting with Rapidus executives): I intend to firmly promote this, not only to our allies such as the U.K. and Italy but also to other countries.]
Japanese companies with semiconductor demand, such as Toyota and Sony, have also invested in equity, establishing a domestic ecosystem ready to purchase the products once mass production succeeds.
The project has also provided a justification for addressing regional depopulation.
Immediately after attracting the Rapidus factory, Chitose City recorded the highest land price increase rate in the country, enjoying an unprecedented boom.
Even now, construction sites for high-rise buildings can easily be found near Chitose Station.
Over the past two years, 184 apartment buildings with 2,400 units have been newly constructed, but this is insufficient to meet future demand.
[Mori Shuichi / Director of Next-Generation Semiconductor Hub Promotion, Chitose City: With another 96 companies requesting to move into Chitose, there is a possibility that real estate will become scarce again.]
To address power supply, the government plans to invest 1.8 trillion yen to build an undersea power transmission network between Hokkaido and the main island, and to restart the suspended Unit 3 of the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant.
Once the mass production system is established, Rapidus has announced it will make its move by setting the sales price of its advanced semiconductors to be equal to or lower than that of TSMC, the market leader.
Whether Rapidus can prove its yield and quality are on par with competitors like TSMC and Samsung Electronics before mass production begins next year, and whether it can secure major clients like Nvidia, will likely determine the success or failure of this endeavor.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Han Cheol-min and Mun Hyun-jin | Video edited by Kim Jong-mi | Graphics by Jang Chae-woo
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