Overview
- The July 4 groundbreaking in Higashihiroshima launches Micron’s roughly ¥1.5 trillion (about $9.3–9.6 billion) expansion to add cleanroom space and tooling for advanced DRAM and high-bandwidth memory.
- Tokyo’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has pledged up to about ¥500–536 billion for this project and total support to Micron now stands near ¥775 billion when prior R&D and incentives are included.
- Micron says the Hiroshima line aims for commercial shipments around summer 2028 while the company and competitors expect HBM and data‑center DRAM to remain tight through the 2026–2028 build window.
- Investors reacted to the announcement with near-term caution—Micron shares fell roughly 5% around the news—and analysts warn risks include equipment delivery, yield qualification and changing customer commitments.
- The expansion deepens competition with South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung, gives Japan more of the HBM supply chain and is expected to add over 1,000 local jobs while boosting materials and equipment demand.