Woofun AI reports that the Japanese government will provide up to 1 trillion yen (approximately $6.2 billion) in funding to support nine companies, including entities under SoftBank Group, in jointly developing a domestic artificial intelligence foundation model. This initiative aims to accelerate Japan’s efforts to catch up with the United States and China in the AI sector while establishing an independent and controllable AI technology ecosystem. The project focuses on research and development of foundation models, covering computing infrastructure, model training, and industrial applications, to strengthen "technological sovereignty" and reduce reliance on foreign large-scale models.