Kumamoto Earthquake in Japan Impacts 'Silicon Island' Semiconductor Supply Chain

The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that around 4:27 PM on July 28, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred near Kumamoto Prefecture, with a maximum seismic intensity of 7.

Kumamoto Prefecture is a key hub for Japan's semiconductor industry, hosting numerous semiconductor supply chain companies including wafer fabs, equipment manufacturers, and material and component suppliers. According to comprehensive reports from Japanese media and company announcements, multiple semiconductor manufacturers have been affected.

TSMC stated on the 28th that its Kumamoto factory experienced a seismic intensity of 5 or above. When the earthquake occurred, TSMC evacuated employees outdoors in accordance with emergency response procedures, and all evacuated employees have been confirmed safe. As of 10 PM on the 28th, building safety inspections were completed, employees gradually returned to the factory, and production is gradually resuming. Inspections and confirmation of the earthquake's impact are ongoing. Although the second factory under construction was not affected by the earthquake, some construction work has been suspended to address the risk of potential aftershocks.

Tokyo Electron Kyushu, a Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer, suspended operations at its two factories in Kumamoto Prefecture—the Koshi Factory and the Otsu Factory—on July 29 to conduct post-earthquake safety inspections. Currently, no major damage to buildings or facilities has been confirmed at either factory, and operations will remain suspended with safety as the top priority.

Following the earthquake, Renesas Electronics suspended production at its two factories in Kumamoto—the Kawashiri Factory and the Nishiki-machi Factory. Renesas confirmed that damage such as fallen ceiling panels and water leaks has been found, and is currently assessing the time required to calibrate and restart production.

According to comprehensive Japanese reports, Sony Group has confirmed that all employees at its first and second factories were evacuated outdoors, production lines have been suspended, and the extent of the damage is being assessed. Fujifilm has a production base for display and semiconductor-related materials in Kumamoto Prefecture, and all employees have completed evacuation. Mitsubishi Electric's power semiconductor production bases in Koshi City and Kikuchi City were still investigating the damage at the two factories as of 9 PM on the 28th, and assessing whether operations can resume from the 29th.