Kumamoto quake disrupts TSMC, Toyota operations in southern Japan

Factory evacuations, production halts hit industrial hub; death toll reaches 13 A man and woman examine a damaged building in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture, on July 29 as a Self-Defense Force member looks on. (Photo by Yo Inoue) TOKYO — Tuesday's powerful earthquake in southwest Japan's Kumamoto prefecture has disrupted semiconductor and automotive production in the industrial center, affecting operations at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Toyota Motor and other manufacturers. Kumamoto is home to TSMC's main production hub in Japan. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake registered upper-5 (out of 7) on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Kikuyo, where the chipmaker's JASM plant is located. Personnel promptly evacuated the site after the earthquake hit, a company spokesperson told Nikkei Asia on Tuesday. On Wednesday, a TSMC spokesperson said that post-quake inspections had confirmed the structure was safe. "The water supply, power and workplace safety systems are functioning normally. We are now inspecting equipment," the spokesperson said.

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