A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, a key 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 on July 28, with an estimated depth of 10 kilometers.
In Uki and Hikawa, the strongest tremors of magnitude 7 were recorded. Other areas, including Minami-ku and Yatsushiro, as well as Uto, Misato, and Mashiki, reported tremors of magnitude 6 strong.
Weaker tremors of magnitude 6 weak were detected in Kamimamakusa, Koshigaya, Ozaki, Nishihara, Mihune, and Ashikita. Magnitude 5 strong tremors were observed in Chuo, Higashi, Nishi, and Kita wards of Kumamoto City, as well as Kikuyo and Amakusa.
The strong tremors were felt across Kyushu, with Nagasaki Prefecture's Minami-Shimabara and Kagoshima's Satsumasendai reporting magnitude 5 strong, while parts of Fukuoka, Saga, and Miyazaki recorded magnitude 5 weak. Tremors of magnitude 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. 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 central location for Japan's semiconductor industry, 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 magnitude 5 strong were recorded, while Koshigaya, where Mitsui Real Estate plans to establish a physical AI semiconductor research center, experienced tremors of magnitude 6 weak. According to Kyodo News, TSMC is currently assessing the condition of its Kumamoto factory.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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