A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan’s Kyushu region on July 28, triggering emergency protocols at TSMC’s Kumamoto fab where the company confirmed all staff were safe. The quake hit at 4:27 p.m. local time at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers.
The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded the strongest shaking in Uki City and Hikawa. TSMC operates its Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) facility in Kumamoto, a critical production site that has been ramping output since late 2024. The company’s emergency response included suspending operations temporarily to assess structural integrity and equipment alignment.
The Kumamoto region has become a major semiconductor hub as TSMC expands its Japanese presence. The JASM fab produces logic chips on mature and specialty nodes for clients including Sony and automotive suppliers, with a second fab already under construction nearby. Any extended disruption would tighten supply in the already constrained automotive and image sensor chip markets.
Japan’s semiconductor industry has experienced several earthquake-related disruptions in recent years, including the 2022 Fukushima quake that affected Renesas and Sony fabs. TSMC has invested heavily in seismic resilience at its Taiwanese facilities and applies similar standards at overseas sites.
