Japanese automakers resume overseas production

Jul 07, 2020 | News On Japan

Jul 07, 2020 (NHK) - Japanese automakers are moving beyond the plant shutdowns stemming from the coronavirus. They've brought most of their overseas facilities back online as they gear up for recovering demand.

The companies have been gradually reopening their plants mainly in Europe and the US since May.

Many governments eased restrictions and automakers were able to resolve parts shortages. Toyota resumed operations at plants in Brazil and Portugal between late June and early July. Only facilities in Venezuela remain offline.

Nissan has resumed production at all overseas plants except for those in South Africa.

Honda meanwhile has brought its overseas facilities back online except for Indonesia and Brazil. Meanwhile Mitsubishi and Suzuki have restarted operations at all overseas plants.

The total production of Japanese automakers in China has so far exceeded last year's figure, pointing to a recovery.

But automobile demand in other parts of the world has not yet returned to its original level.

Typhoon 31 Intensifies Over Pacific as Forecast Shifts Toward Japan

Typhoon No. 31 remained a very strong storm over the western Pacific as of 3 p.m. Japan time on October 27, with forecasts indicating that it could approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands around November 1, bringing potentially violent winds, dangerous waves and disruptions to maritime transportation, while uncertainty over its northward turn raised concerns about prolonged storm conditions.

Japan Faces Further Travel Disruption as Storm Moves East

Travel disruption continued into Tuesday, October 27, as Japan began recovering from heavy rain and rough seas caused by the remnants of Typhoon No. 30, with ferry cancellations confirmed in Nagasaki Prefecture and railway operators monitoring the effects of overnight rainfall in central and eastern Japan.

Controversial Penalty Decision Ends Tokyo High School Soccer Match

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

Kanagawa Maglev Station Platform Unveiled for First Time

The underground platform of the planned Kanagawa Prefecture Station on Japan's Chuo Shinkansen maglev line was opened to the public for the first time on October 24, offering visitors a rare glimpse of the high-speed railway project under construction in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, with demand for the tour exceeding available places by approximately 12 times.

Japan's Terra Drone Supplies Weapons to Ukraine as Russia Warns of Retaliation

Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone has delivered interceptor drones to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for the first time, prompting Russia to threaten retaliatory measures on October 21, as Japan considers expanding domestic drone production and strengthening its coastal defenses through thousands of unmanned aircraft.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Hungry Bears Attack Halloween Pumpkin

A Halloween pumpkin displayed at a nursery school in Esashi, Hokkaido, was found smashed and partially eaten on October 25, in what police believe was a bear attack, with similar damage reported at a nearby home.

Tokyo Spends Big on Matchmaking

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is stepping up efforts to help single residents find marriage partners, allocating approximately 700 million yen to matchmaking programs in fiscal 2026, more than double the previous year's budget, as Japan's capital seeks to address its declining birthrate through organized social events and artificial intelligence.

Too Many Owners Complicate Japan's Abandoned Housing Crisis

Japan's growing number of abandoned homes is creating serious safety hazards for residents and leaving local governments struggling to respond, with some properties having dozens of legal owners and authorities reluctant to spend public money on demolitions when recovering the costs may prove impossible.

Kobe Wall Marks 100 Years of Resilience

A commemorative ceremony was held in Kobe on October 24 to mark the approaching 100th anniversary of the "Kobe Wall," a historic structure that survived both the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the firebombing of Kobe during World War II.

Fire Breaks Out at Kurosawa Film Studio Warehouse

A fire broke out at a warehouse believed to belong to Kurosawa Film Studio in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly after midnight on October 23, prompting the dispatch of 40 emergency vehicles after a report that a battery was burning, with witnesses describing explosion-like sounds and vibrations strong enough to shake nearby windows.

Four Mutilated Fawn Carcasses Found at Nara Temples

Four dead fawns with missing body parts have been discovered around Kofukuji and Todaiji temples in Nara between August and October, prompting Nara Prefecture to hold an emergency press conference on October 23 after experts determined that wild animals were unlikely to have caused the injuries, raising suspicions that humans may have deliberately harmed the young deer.

Copper Thefts Spread Across Japan

A wave of copper thefts has struck public facilities across Japan, with thieves stripping metal from bridges, park shelters and shrines, including a park known as a popular anime pilgrimage site, while police in Nagano Prefecture have made arrests following a series of similar incidents.

Footage Released of New Year's Day Motorcycle Rampage in Kochi

Police in Kochi Prefecture have released footage of a group of teenagers riding motorcycles recklessly through Kochi City on January 1st, 2026, in a New Year's Day incident known as a "first sunrise motorcycle rampage," with 18 people aged between 15 and 19 arrested or referred to prosecutors for suspected violations of the Road Traffic Act.

< 2 3 4 5 >