SAKURA internet Selected as a Provider of Government Cloud Services for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2026
〜SAKURA Cloud Selected as a Target Cloud Service, First Among Domestic Service Providers〜

　SAKURA internet Inc. (hereinafter, “SAKURA internet,”  Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Founder, CEO, and President: Kunihiro Tanaka), which provides digital infrastructure services, has had its public cloud service, SAKURA Cloud, selected as a Target Cloud Service for the “Cloud Services for Government Cloud Development” project solicited by the Digital Agency for fiscal years 2023 and 2026.

　SAKURA internet was conditionally selected as a Government Cloud service provider in November 2023, based on the condition that all technical requirements (305 items) presented in the Digital Agency’s fiscal year 2023 public solicitation for the “Cloud Services for Government Cloud Development” project would be met by the end of fiscal year 2025.

　Since the conditional selection, we have been working to meet the technical and security requirements, and the Digital Agency has confirmed compliance with all 305 technical requirements. As a result, SAKURA Cloud has been officially selected as a Target Cloud Service for the Government Cloud.
　Additionally, SAKURA Cloud was also selected in the Digital Agency’s fiscal year 2026 public solicitation for “Cloud Services for Government Cloud Development.”

　As a result, we are now the first domestic service provider to be selected for multiple years. Building on these achievements, we will continue to develop and operate our systems to provide our customers with even higher-quality services going forward.

　SAKURA internet will continue to provide fast, flexible, and secure cloud services that all of our customers can use with peace of mind.

Comment from Founder, CEO, and President Kunihiro Tanaka

In today’s digital society, the Cloud is not just an IT service, but the very foundation of our social infrastructure. Particularly in the public sector, the nature of the Cloud directly impacts the sustainability of government administration and the public’s peace of mind. How will this foundation be designed, and who will be responsible for its operation? We have maintained a strong interest and sense of responsibility toward that matter.
SAKURA internet has been designing, building, and operating its own infrastructure as a domestic cloud provider for many years. In November 2023, we were the first domestic cloud service provider to be conditionally selected for the Government Cloud. We believe that meeting the conditions and being officially selected not only expands the range of cloud options available to the Japanese government, but also represents a step toward enhancing the autonomy and sustainability of Japan’s digital infrastructure.
Furthermore, we view having also been conditionally selected in the fiscal year 2026 solicitation as a sign of confidence in our ability to continue addressing evolving systems and increasingly demanding requirements. At the same time, we view the expansion of diverse options, including domestically developed cloud services, to be a key factor in strengthening the Japan’s digital infrastructure as a whole.
Having options promotes healthy competition and technological innovation, which ultimately benefits both the government and the public. We believe that this initiative will lead to the development of an ecosystem through collaboration with a diverse range of domestic businesses and partners, thereby enhancing Japan’s overall digital competitiveness.
As generative AI and other new technologies spread, public infrastructure requires not only cutting-edge capabilities, but also responsible implementation grounded in safety and effective governance. We regard this selection as a new starting point, and will continue to support the evolution of public digital infrastructure that adapts to change.

About the Government Cloud

The Government Cloud is one of the policies implemented by the Digital Agency, with the aim of providing a common cloud service environment for the government. Its goal is to leverage the benefits of cloud services and provide a system infrastructure that is fast, flexible, secure, and cost-effective. The Digital Agency aims to deliver convenient services for users at an early stage and continuously improve them, and is working to establish an environment in which local governments can also enjoy similar benefits.

Related Information

• SAKURA Cloud Webpage for Public Institutions
  https://cloud.sakura.ad.jp/government/

Reference Information

• SAKURA internet Selected as a Provider of Government Cloud Services (released November 28, 2023) 
  https://www.sakura.ad.jp/corporate/information/newsreleases/2023/11/28/1968214232/
• SAKURA internet’s IaaS-based Cloud Service SAKURA Cloud Registered Under the Information System Security Management and Assessment Program (ISMAP) (released December 20, 2021)
  https://www.sakura.ad.jp/corporate/information/newsreleases/2021/12/20/1968208743/