Key facts
- Residents near a data center construction site in Chiba, Japan, have sued the inspection company that approved it.
- The lawsuit reflects a growing global trend of resident opposition to data center development.
A data center construction site near Chiba New Town Chuo Station in Inzai, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, has become the focus of a lawsuit filed by local residents against the private inspection company that approved the project. This development mirrors a broader trend of opposition to data center construction seen in the United States and Europe, driven by concerns over environmental impact and quality of life.
Athena Tong, a researcher at the University of Tokyo and the China Strategic Risks Institute, and Charles Mok, a research scholar at Stanford University, have highlighted the growing backlash against data centers.