---
title: "IBM Watson is turning Japanese, with Softbank’s help"
description: "IBM and Japanese telecom conglomerate Softbank announced a landmark partnership that will bring Watson to Japan — and a far deeper understanding of Japanese to Watson."
date: "2015-02-11"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Alex Klokus"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/alex-klokus"
url: "https://futurism.com/ibm-watson-is-turning-japanese-with-softbanks-help"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
---

# IBM Watson is turning Japanese, with Softbank’s help

![Default Futurism featured image](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Futurism-Filler-Image.jpg>)

- "This is the first time we’ve committed all the way through to think in Japanese,” John Gordon, VP, IBM Watson Group, told Mashable. Thinking in Japanese should give Watson a much clearer understanding of the meaning of Japanese text and spoken words.
- Watson is currently working all over the world — Australia, Singapore, the UK — but, invariably, he operates in English. IBM has never before tried to make the machine “think” in the native language.
- Softbank, which is making an undisclosed financial investment in Watson, plans to work with IBM to develop localized APIs that third-party companies can use to tap into Watson’s cloud-based cognitive system. Softbank will host the Watson system in its 14 data centers located throughout Japan.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexklokus>)