TSMC activated emergency evacuation protocols at its Kumamoto semiconductor facility on July 28 after a powerful earthquake struck Japan's Kyushu region, disrupting power across thousands of homes, halting bullet-train services, and triggering tsunami warnings along the southern coast.
In a statement issued the same day, TSMC said its JASM (Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing) plant — the Taiwanese chipmaker's flagship Japanese fab — had met internal evacuation thresholds following the tremor. Personnel safety was the company's immediate priority, and both indoor and outdoor evacuations and headcounts were being conducted under established emergency response procedures. JASM's first Kumamoto fab, which entered mass production in early 2024, is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Japan's bid to rebuild domestic semiconductor capacity and a strategically significant node in the global chip supply chain.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) recorded a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 for the quake, which struck at approximately 4:27 p.m. local time with its epicenter in Kumamoto Prefecture at a focal depth of roughly 10 kilometers. The agency assigned maximum seismic intensity of shindo 7 — the highest rating on Japan's scale — to Uki City and Hikawa-chō, and simultaneously issued a tsunami advisory for coastlines along the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, urging residents to evacuate shores and river mouths immediately. Sony, which also operates facilities in the Kumamoto area, said it was assessing the situation.
Shinkansen Suspended as Kumamoto Quake Casualties Remain Under Confirmation
Shindo 6-plus intensity was recorded across a wide area including Yatsushiro City, Uto City, Mashiki Town, and the southern ward of Kumamoto City, while significant shaking reached parts of Nagasaki and Kagoshima prefectures. NHK footage showed several collapsed buildings near the epicenter, and the fire department in Uki City reported receiving a surge of emergency calls as fires broke out across the city. Shinkansen bullet-train services were temporarily suspended, and roads and public transport links also halted operations. Japan's government activated its Cabinet crisis management center to gather damage information and continues to assess casualties and infrastructure impact.
Epicenter Matches 2016 Disaster Zone Where 276 Died
The proximity of July 28's epicenter to the area devastated by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes has drawn immediate public concern. On April 14, 2016, a magnitude 6.5 quake with maximum shindo 7 intensity struck Kumamoto Prefecture and was initially classified as the main shock. Approximately 28 hours later, in the early hours of April 16, a larger magnitude 7.3 event — also reaching shindo 7 — struck the same region and was subsequently reclassified as the principal quake. The sequence was the first recorded instance in Japan of two shindo 7 events occurring in the same area within such a short timeframe. Aftershocks continued for months, with more than 1,800 perceptible tremors recorded. Stone walls at Kumamoto Castle collapsed on a large scale, the Aso Bridge fell, and roads, railways, and residential structures sustained severe damage.
The 2016 sequence ultimately killed approximately 276 people — including direct fatalities and disaster-related deaths — injured more than 2,700, damaged roughly 200,000 buildings, and temporarily displaced more than 180,000 residents, making it one of the most severe inland earthquake disasters in Japan since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. With another magnitude 7-plus quake now striking the same region, observers are closely watching whether strong aftershocks will follow and whether transportation, public services, and critical infrastructure sustain further damage. （Related： Agoda Reveals Growing Travel Interest Ahead of Japan's Summer 2026 Fireworks Festivals ｜ Latest ）
