Kumamoto 7.1 Quake Halts TSMC Plant and Regional Industry

A magnitude‑7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on 28 July 2024, reaching a maximum Shindo intensity of 7 and prompting a 1‑metre tsunami warning for the Ariake Sea coast. The tremor forced immediate evacuation of workers at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) Kumamoto plant (JASM) and led to a temporary shutdown of its operations. Other semiconductor equipment manufacturers in the region, including Tokyo Electron and Mitsubishi Electric, also halted production.

The disruption extended to the broader industrial sector: Toyota Motor Corporation suspended activity at three plants in neighboring Fukuoka Prefecture until at least the night of 31 July, and logistics providers such as Japan Post, Yamato Transport and Sagawa Express paused services. Power outages affected roughly 45,950 households, and railway services were suspended while Kumamoto Airport closed its runway for safety checks.

By the following day, TSMC reported that safety checks were completed and the plant began a phased return to normal operation, while construction of its second‑phase facility remained partially paused as a precaution against aftershocks.