Fujikura, a 139-year-old Japanese wire and fibre maker, has emerged as one of the biggest winners of Japan’s stock market boom, driven by the global race to build AI-powered data centres. The company’s shares have soared over 160% since the start of 2025 — outpacing the Nikkei 225’s 22% rise — as investors bet on its critical role supplying optical fibres to tech giants including Alphabet, the parent of Google.
Founded in 1885 during Japan’s Meiji modernization era, Fujikura began as a silk and insulated wire maker before becoming a global leader in optical fibre technology. Its products now form the nervous system of AI data centres, which rely on ultra-fast, energy-efficient data transmission. The company supplies roughly 75% of its fibre output overseas, positioning it as a quiet but essential player in the AI infrastructure boom.
The stock climbed another 6% this week after new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged targeted investments in AI and advanced manufacturing, reinforcing optimism around Japan’s tech sector. Fujikura’s market capitalization has reached $33 billion, putting it on par with major industrial peers like Daikin and Komatsu.
Analysts say investors are now combing Japan’s AI supply chain for “the next Fujikura.” Firms such as Mitsui Kinzoku, which produces materials for data centre servers, and JX Advanced Metals, which quadrupled in value since its March IPO, have become high-flyers in 2025’s AI-driven rally.
Fujikura recently announced plans to expand production capacity, including a ¥45 billion ($298 million) investment in a new fibre plant, following upgrades earlier this year. The company’s long history of innovation—from producing Japan’s first optical fibre in 1959 to powering today’s AI networks—has made it a rare link between the nation’s industrial past and its digital future.
