Apple Opening Advanced R&D Center in Yokohama, Japan

apple_logo_white_grayApple announced on Tuesday that it will be opening a new research and development center in Japan, reports The Wall Street Journal. The announcement followed a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who revealed earlier today that Apple was eyeing Japan for its research expansion.

Abe relayed the information about Apple while campaigning in Tokyo, stating that Apple planned to "conduct the most advanced research and development in Japan." Abe went on to describe the facility as being "among the largest in Asia." Apple confirmed these R&D plans in a statement released to the media.

"We’re excited to expand our operations in Japan with a new technical development center in Yokohama which will create dozens of new jobs," Apple said in a statement.

Apple did not reveal on how it will use the future Yokohama site or how much it is investing in the facility. The operation will join other research and development centers Apple operates in China, Taiwan, Israel and other overseas locations. The company reportedly also is opening a new research center in Cambridge, England within the coming weeks.

Update 12/10/14: Though Apple has not disclosed the focus of its Japan-based research and development center, Nikkei reports that it will "center around health." The building is located in an economic zone designated as a hub for life sciences and environmental technology, and Apple is sponsoring research on blood pressure and blood sugar conducted in Yokohama.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Three Companies Are Now in the Running to Take Over the Apple Card

Thursday January 16, 2025 8:18 am PST by
Apple is in talks with Barclays and Synchrony about becoming its new financial partner for the Apple Card, according to Reuters sources. The report today added that Apple has also been holding discussions with Chase Bank owner JPMorgan since last year, so there are at least three potential companies in the running to take over the Apple Card from current partner Goldman Sachs. Goldman...

Top Rated Comments

ThisIsNotMe Avatar
132 months ago
It would be nice if they opened one here in the U.S.

Stop voting Democrat and you might get your wish.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corrode Avatar
132 months ago
This is great news for Japan. They need every bit of help they can get right now.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
patent10021 Avatar
132 months ago
I live right there. lol Love Yokohama. Minato Mirai is cool.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krravi Avatar
132 months ago
This is great news for Japan. They need every bit of help they can get right now.

Huh? This center is set up to harness Japanese technology and research associates and not the other way around.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekeyring Avatar
132 months ago
This announcement has nothing to do with factories

Sorry; r&d research centre... Late night + wrong choice of words, my bad...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
132 months ago
All of these R & D facilities ....
What in God's name could they be working on?!?

For Japan's sake, hopefully it's something to get the people interested in real sex and not virtual sex so they can grow their declining (and ageing) population.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)