TSMC said on Aug. 3 that it will donate JPY 250 million to support relief and rebuilding efforts in Japan’s Kumamoto region after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the area on July 28. Its JASM plant in Kumamoto had temporarily halted operations and evacuated personnel after the quake, but returned to its pre-earthquake production level after a week of repair work.
TSMC announces donation and employee fundraising drive
In a statement posted on its official Japan X account on the evening of Aug. 3, TSMC expressed sympathy to people affected by what it called the “Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake” and said it had decided to donate JPY 250 million, or about TWD 50 million, for relief and reconstruction in the disaster-hit area.
The TSMC Charity Foundation also launched an employee fundraising campaign at the same time, saying it hopes to help residents return to normal life as soon as possible.
TSMC said it has been operating in the Japanese market for nearly 30 years and has long worked with local suppliers. It described Kumamoto as one of the key sites in its global production network. The company added that the region still needs support, and said that after taking care of affected employees immediately after the quake, it will continue to provide assistance within its capacity.
Market estimates point to a limited revenue effect
The report said market participants remain cautious but generally optimistic about the financial impact of the earthquake. Because JASM’s first Kumamoto fab is still in the ramp-up stage and is currently producing about 20,000 wafers a month, initial estimates from institutional sources put the effect on TSMC’s third-quarter revenue this year at only about 0.03%.
Even so, semiconductor equipment is highly sensitive, and aftershocks in Kumamoto have not fully subsided. Whether product delivery schedules can be maintained, and how quickly equipment recalibration can be completed, remain key points to watch. Construction of the second Kumamoto fab resumed the day after the earthquake.
Semiconductor operations in Kumamoto are gradually restarting
The earthquake also affected other chip-related companies in Kumamoto. Production lines at Sony’s semiconductor facilities in the area were temporarily disrupted after the quake and are expected to restart soon. Renesas Electronics, a major automotive chipmaker, has already resumed operations at its Nishikimachi plant. Tokyo Electron, a major semiconductor equipment company, was also affected by the earthquake and had returned to normal operations as of Aug. 3.