A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, a semiconductor hub in Japan, with some areas experiencing tremors rated at the highest level of 7.
According to NHK, the earthquake occurred at 4:27 p.m. local time in the Kumamoto region, with an estimated depth of 10 kilometers.
In Uki City and Hikawa Town, the strongest tremors of magnitude 7 were recorded. Other areas, including Minami Ward and Yatsushiro City, as well as Uto City, Misato Town, and Mashiki Town, reported tremors of magnitude 6 strong.
Weaker tremors of magnitude 6 weak were detected in Kamiamakusa City, Koshiji, Ozu Town, Nishihara Village, Mihune Town, and Ashikita Town. Magnitude 5 strong tremors were observed in Chuo Ward, Higashi Ward, Nishi Ward, and Kita Ward of Kumamoto City, as well as Kikuyo Town and Amakusa City.
The strong tremors were felt across Kyushu, with Nagasaki Prefecture's Minami Shimabara City and Kagoshima Prefecture's Satsumasendai City reporting magnitude 5 strong. Parts of Fukuoka, Saga, and Miyazaki Prefectures recorded magnitude 5 weak tremors, while regions in western Japan, including Yamaguchi, Ehime, and Kochi Prefectures, experienced tremors of magnitude 3 to 4.
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 is the first time since the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024 that tremors of magnitude 7 have been recorded in Japan. It has been nearly a decade since the Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016, which also registered two magnitude 7 tremors.
In response to the earthquake, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara is scheduled to hold a press conference at 5:30 p.m., according to NHK.
Kumamoto is a key semiconductor production center, and the impact of this earthquake on semiconductor facilities is being closely monitored. Japan aims to establish Kumamoto, home to TSMC's Japanese subsidiary JASM, as an international hub for physical AI.
In Kikuyo Town, where JASM is located, tremors of magnitude 5 strong were recorded, while Koshiji, where Mitsui Real Estate plans to develop a physical AI semiconductor research hub, experienced tremors of magnitude 6 weak. According to Taiwan's Economic Daily, TSMC is currently assessing the status of its Kumamoto factory.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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