Kumamoto quake disrupts TSMC, Toyota operations in southern Japan

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) YURIKA YONEDAJuly 29, 2026 10:46 JSTUpdated on July 29, 2026 14:29 JSTTOKYO -- 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."The intensity recorded at TSMC's JASM fab, located in Kumamoto, Japan, reached the required level for evacuatio