Japan's first quantum computer was released online on Monday, allowing universities and other researchers to access it, according to The Asahi Shimbun.

Developed by the Riken research institute, Japan's quantum computer used superconducting circuits that are cooled at extremely low temperatures to eliminate electrical resistance – just like the technology used by Google and IBM of the United States – thus producing quantum bits (qubits), the basic unit of information in quantum computing.

With 64 qubits, Nikkei said in a report on March 10 that it exceeds speeds of IBM's 27-qubit quantum computer that went into service in 2021.

Quantum computers are expected to be used in fields such as drug development and encryption.

Japan aims to achieve a quantum computer that can be widely used in practical applications in 2040 and after, according to The Asahi Shimbun, adding that it needs about 1 million quantum bits.

According to the Japan Forward, Japan has formulated a strategy to develop a quantum computer since April 2021, targeting to start operation by the end of the current fiscal year, which is April 2023.

Besides Riken, Japan's Osaka University, Fujitsu and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology have also participated in the computer development, it added.