Quake-Hit Firms in Japan Scramble to Resume Operations
Tokyo, Jan. 4 (Jiji Press)--Companies hit by Monday's powerful earthquake in central Japan were busy trying to get their operations up and running again on Thursday.
While some convenience stores have managed to resume operations, many quake-affected areas still face power and network outages, as well as logistics disruptions.
With some factories forced to suspend operations, the full extent of damage to corporate activities from the magnitude-7.6 New Year's Day earthquake is still unclear.
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. partly resumed operations at a semiconductor materials plant in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, on Wednesday. The company plans to restart facilities in stages once safety is confirmed.
Bus manufacturer J-Bus Ltd., based in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, is expected to resume operations on Monday as planned after the year-end and New Year holidays, as it suffered no major damage to its facilities.
On Thursday, just two outlets of convenience store chain Seven-Eleven Japan Co. were temporarily closed due to the earthquake, a vast improvement from around 150 stores that were closed at one point.
The earthquake has destroyed many roads in the region.
As a result, Yamato Transport Co. has suspended parcel collection and delivery services in some areas of Ishikawa and Toyama Prefecture, while Sagawa Express Co. has halted such services in parts of Ishikawa. Both firms have stopped accepting parcels to be delivered to those areas.
Hokuriku Electric Power Co. is currently working to resolve power outages, with 900 workers involved, including those sent from other electric power companies. Still, around 30,000 households in Ishikawa remained without electricity on Thursday afternoon.
Mobile phone carriers are tackling telecommunications outages. According to the communications ministry, moves are underway to set up mobile base stations on boats.
Emergency power supplies at several relay stations for televisions and radios were cut off in the Ishikawa city of Wajima, resulting in a suspension of broadcasting services for some households.
The disruptions in telecom services have hampered moves by manufacturers to get their operations back up and running again.
Chipmaker Sanken Electric Co. has yet to confirm the safety of all employees at a subsidiary in the Ishikawa town of Shika. The company has sent an executive to the subsidiary to gather information.
Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp. has suspended operations at a plant in the city of Toyama since Monday, to conduct safety checks.
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