Chip Plants in Quake-Hit Kumamoto Restarting Operations

Kumamoto, Aug. 5 (Jiji Press)--Chipmaking plants in Kumamoto Prefecture are gradually restarting operations following their suspensions caused by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture late last month.

Production is expected to return to the levels before the quake by the end of this month. The July 28 temblor measured up to 7, the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.

The quick recovery comes as damage was relatively limited compared with that from the two successive major earthquakes that hit the prefecture about 10 years ago. In addition, companies' experiences in restoration efforts after the April 2016 quakes paid off this time.

Sony Group Corp.'s Kumamoto Technology Center in the town of Kikuyo, which manufactures image sensors, is resuming production in stages.

The facility is expected to fully restore operations within a month of the latest quake, compared with three and a half months 10 years ago. This is because the factory made rules on the confirmation of the situation at the production site and its staff members repeatedly conducted disaster drills in preparation for a possible future earthquake.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]