View of the heavily damaged Aeon Mall Kumamoto building in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, 29 July 2026. Photo by JIJI PRESS / EPA
July 30 (Asia Today) -- A powerful earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture has disrupted semiconductor and automobile production across Kyushu, with companies suspending operations because of equipment inspections, damaged facilities and blocked supply routes.
Even factories that sustained no direct structural damage have halted production because parts and logistics services have been disrupted.
The earthquake struck Tuesday with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1, according to Japan's weather agency. Kyushu is a major center for Japan's semiconductor and automobile industries.
A prolonged recovery in Kumamoto's semiconductor sector could affect Japan's wider manufacturing industry and indirectly disrupt South Korean companies linked to Japanese suppliers.
