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TechJensen Huang hands out red bean buns in Tokyo, announces AI factory partnership with Noetra Corp
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Tokyo, where he announced a major AI factory partnership with Noetra Corp, a state-backed consortium including SoftBank, NEC, Sony, and Honda, to build a 27,500-GPU 'AI factory' billed as the world's first national AI infrastructure for robotics. He also visited a former Sega arcade in Akihabara to thank the company for a $5 million lifeline that saved Nvidia in the 1990s. The trip's highlight was an after-hours dinner at Yakiton Sankichi izakaya with top executives from Kioxia, Tokyo Electron, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Sumitomo Electric, Taiyo Yuden, and Ajinomoto. After dinner, Huang emerged to a crowd and handed out red bean buns, a popular Japanese snack. The article notes Huang's tradition of eating local food on business trips, citing past stops in Beijing, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
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Key Announcements and Partnerships
On Thursday, Nvidia announced a major partnership with Noetra Corp — the state-backed AI developer formed by SoftBank, NEC, Sony, and Honda — to build a 27,500-GPU "AI factory". The facility is being billed as the world's first national AI infrastructure for robotics.
A Warm Welcome in Kanda
On Wednesday, Huang visited a red-lantern izakaya (traditional Japanese bar) in Tokyo's Kanda district, where a crowd gathered outside hoping to catch a glimpse of "kawa-jan" — "leather jacket" — as he is affectionately known in Japan.
Nostalgia in Akihabara
Huang also stopped by a former Sega arcade in Akihabara to thank the gaming giant, whose $5 million lifeline he said saved a struggling Nvidia in the 1990s. He additionally visited the chipmaker's Build-a-Claw event.
The After-Hours Highlight
It was Huang's evening itinerary that stole the spotlight. He was spotted dining at Yakiton Sankichi, a chain bar popular for after-work drinks. According to Japanese outlet Diamond Online, the CEO of the world's most valuable company enjoyed:
- Offal hotpot
- A "baka-mori" — roughly, "stupidly big" — mountain of fries
His dinner companions included top executives from:
- Kioxia
- Tokyo Electron
- Shin-Etsu Chemical
- Sumitomo Electric
- Taiyo Yuden
- Ajinomoto
(Source: Bloomberg)
Snack Distribution
After dinner, Huang emerged to the waiting crowd and pressed red bean buns — a popular Japanese snack — into outstretched hands.
A Tradition of Eating Local
For Huang, eating like a local has become a tradition on business trips:
- May: Spotted eating fried bean sauce noodles on a Beijing sidewalk after accompanying President Donald Trump on his state visit to China. "It's so good," he told onlookers.
- Past years: Photographed at street food spots in Vietnam, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
- Last year: His fried chicken dinner with the heads of Samsung and Hyundai in Seoul was crashed by photographers.
- June: Dined on Korean barbecue with tech leaders in Seoul.
Final Note
Wherever Nvidia announces its next AI factory, the local restaurants should probably start prepping now.
Source
All Content from Business InsiderNeutral / independent
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Jensen Huang hands out red bean buns to Tokyo crowd in his latest culinary adventure