A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, a key semiconductor hub in Japan, with some areas experiencing tremors classified as the highest level of intensity, 7.
According to NHK, the earthquake occurred at 4:27 PM in the Kumamoto region, with an estimated depth of 10 kilometers.
In Uki and Hikawa, the strongest tremors of intensity 7 were recorded. Intensity 6 was noted in Minami-ku, Yatsushiro, Uto, Misato, and Mashiki. Areas such as Kami-Amakusa, Koshigaya, Ozaki, Nishihara, Mihune, and Ashikita experienced tremors of intensity 6 lower.
Further tremors of intensity 5 were observed in Chuo, Higashi, Nishi, and Kita wards of Kumamoto City, as well as Kikuyo and Amakusa. The strong shaking extended beyond Kumamoto Prefecture, affecting the entire Kyushu region. Intensity 5 was recorded in Minami-Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture, and Satsuma-Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, while parts of Fukuoka, Saga, and Miyazaki Prefectures experienced intensity 5 lower. Tremors of intensity 3 to 4 were also felt in western Japan, including Yamaguchi, Ehime, and Kochi Prefectures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory, warning that waves up to 1 meter high could reach the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea. Additionally, JR Kyushu suspended operations of several public transport services, including the Shinkansen.
This marks the first observation of intensity 7 tremors in Japan since the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024. It is also the first such occurrence in Kumamoto Prefecture in nearly a decade, following the Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016, which recorded two instances of intensity 7.
In response to the earthquake, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara is scheduled to hold a press conference at 5:30 PM, according to NHK.
Kumamoto is a significant semiconductor center in Japan, and the impact of this earthquake on semiconductor production facilities is being closely monitored. Japan aims to develop Kumamoto, home to TSMC's Japanese subsidiary JASM, into an international hub for physical AI.
In Kikuyo, where JASM is located, tremors of intensity 5 were recorded, while Koshigaya, where Mitsui Real Estate plans to establish a physical AI semiconductor research center, experienced intensity 6 lower. According to the Taiwan Economic Daily, TSMC is currently assessing the status of its Kumamoto factory.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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