Society

Toyota halts Lexus and Land Cruiser plants on ASEAN virus spread

Jul 28 (Nikkei) - NAGOYA -- Toyota Motor will suspend production of the Lexus and the Land Cruiser at two domestic plants for several days in August as rising coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia disrupt parts production.

Lines producing the Lexus LS and IS models at the Tahara plant in Aichi Prefecture will be closed from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6. Toyota Auto Body's Yoshiwara plant will stop production of the Land Cruiser and other models for two days starting Aug. 5.

Those shutdowns will reduce production by roughly 5,000 vehicles.

As the shortage of semiconductors continues to hamper global auto production, the pandemic's disruption on ASEAN supply chains is becoming a new threat to the industry.

Toyota has already halted production at three plants in Thailand after a local supplier making wire harnesses was hit by a coronavirus outbreak.

This comes on top of the decision to idle assembly lines at Toyota Auto Body's Fujimatsu plant on July 29-30, and from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4, due to a shortage of parts coming from Vietnam. This will dent production of models including the Alphard and Vellfire minivans by roughly 3,000.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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