A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Japan on July 28, prompting multiple semiconductor supply chain manufacturers with plants in the area to halt production linesCITE:E1.
Renesas Electronics' Kani and Kawajiri plants both suspended operations after the July 28 quake, and each returned to its pre-earthquake capacity level within about a month, though on different timelinesCITE:E6. Renesas said on July 30 that the Kani plant had already restarted production the previous evening, on July 29CITE:E6. The Kani plant then progressively ramped output and reached its pre-earthquake capacity level on the morning of July 31CITE:E10. The Kawajiri plant took longer: it resumed production on August 4 and did not reach pre-earthquake capacity until the evening of August 23, according to Renesas' August 24 announcementCITE:E8.
| Plant | Restarted Production | Back to Pre-Quake Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Kani | July 29 (evening)CITE:E6 | July 31 (morning)CITE:E10 |
| Kawajiri | August 4CITE:E8 | August 23 (evening)CITE:E8 |
The Kawajiri plant accounts for roughly 13% of Renesas' revenue, which is why its longer recovery timeline carried more weight than the Kani plant'sCITE:E9.
Renesas was not the only Kumamoto-area manufacturer affected: TSMC, Sony, and Tokyo Electron also reported disrupted operations and restored them within roughly a week of the quakeCITE:E2. TSMC said on August 3 that production at its Kumamoto plant had gradually returned to pre-earthquake levelsCITE:E2. TSMC's Kumamoto subsidiary, JASM, said through Taiwan-based TSMC that "the local Kumamoto plant and equipment were not significantly affected," confirming the fab had resumed productionCITE:E3. Sony's subsidiary, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, said on July 31 that its Image Sensor manufacturing center at the Kumamoto plant had paused production due to the earthquake but, after inspection, expected to resume on August 4CITE:E5. Tokyo Electron (TEL) said its Kumamoto-related offices and plants were affected by the earthquake, with normal production expected to resume on August 3CITE:E7. Alongside the recovery news, TSMC's ADR rose 0.46% to close at $406.11 on August 3CITE:E4.
Renesas President Hidetoshi Shibata said at the company's July 31 earnings briefing that "overall, the impact on results should be relatively minor"CITE:E12. Renesas also issued guidance for the current quarter (July-September 2026) on July 31CITE:E13.
| Metric | Guidance | Year-Ago Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (Non-GAAP) | ¥430.0 billion (±¥7.5 billion)CITE:E13 | +28.7% YoY (±2.2 percentage points)CITE:E13 |
| Gross margin | 57.5%CITE:E13 | 57.6%CITE:E13 |
| Operating margin | 32.5%CITE:E13 | 30.9%CITE:E13 |
Renesas' stock edged down 0.15% to close at ¥3,428 on August 24, the day after its Kawajiri plant announcement, though the shares have climbed roughly 60% since the start of the yearCITE:E11. TSMC's ADR also moved higher, up 0.46% to $406.11 on August 3, around the time it confirmed its Kumamoto plant had returned to pre-earthquake outputCITE:E4.
What this means: The two Renesas plants recovered on different clocks — Kani within three days of restart, Kawajiri over roughly three weeksCITE:E6CITE:E10CITE:E8 — but because Kawajiri contributes about 13% of company revenue, its slower return carried more weight for the quarterly outlookCITE:E9. That outlook still points to 28.7% year-on-year revenue growth and margin expansion for the July-September quarterCITE:E13, consistent with Shibata's July 31 characterization of the earthquake's financial impact as "relatively minor"CITE:E12. Renesas' stock has risen about 60% year-to-date despite the one-day dip after the Kawajiri announcementCITE:E11, a pattern that echoes the same-day gain in TSMC's ADR following its own Kumamoto recovery confirmationCITE:E4CITE:E2.
A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Japan on July 28, prompting multiple semiconductor supply chain manufacturers with plants in the area t…
Renesas Electronics' Kani and Kawajiri plants both suspended operations after the July 28 quake, and each returned to its pre-earthquake capacity level within a…
The Kawajiri plant accounts for roughly 13% of Renesas' revenue, which is why its longer recovery timeline carried more weight than the Kani plant'sCITE:E9.
Renesas was not the only Kumamoto-area manufacturer affected: TSMC, Sony, and Tokyo Electron also reported disrupted operations and restored them within roughly…
The gap between the two plants' recovery timelines is the real story here: Kani was back to full capacity within three days of restarting, while Kawajiri needed nearly three weeks after its August 4 restart to reach the same point on August 23. That difference matters because Kawajiri alone accounts for about 13% of Renesas' revenue, yet the company's own July 31 guidance still called for 28.7% year-on-year revenue growth this quarter with operating margin expanding to 32.5% from 30.9% a year earlier — numbers that were set before Kawajiri had even resumed production. That sequencing supports President Shibata's framing of the quake as a "relatively minor" factor rather than a swing variable in the forecast. The metric worth watching next is whether Renesas' actual July-September results land within the guided ¥430.0 billion (±¥7.5 billion) revenue band and hold the 57.5% gross margin target, which would confirm the extended Kawajiri downtime was absorbed rather than deferred into a later quarter.
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