Toyota Motors plans to recommence operations at its Japanese vehicle plants starting this Monday, following the recent seismic activity in Japan. While committing to reopening these facilities, the company, under the shadow of the New Year's Day earthquake's impact, holds off on finalizing plans for operations beyond January 15.

Toyota: Starts Operation on Monday

The president of Japan's primary automotive manufacturer, Koji Sato, addressed the repercussions of the January 7 earthquake on the west-central region of Japan, indicating its potential influence on Toyota's production initiation. Sato mentioned, in discussions with local media, the interruption of operations among certain supplier firms and the potential delay of activities originally planned for Monday.

In light of ongoing aftershocks stemming from the substantial magnitude 7.6 quake that devastated Japan's western coast, Toyota released a statement on Sunday outlining its strategy. Acknowledging the widespread influence of this seismic event on numerous suppliers and their affiliates located in the affected regions, Toyota intends to rely on existing parts inventory sourced from areas unaffected by the quake. Reuters had the latest updates about Toyota's plans to restart operations on Monday.

Addressing the situation, Toyota's President Koji Sato conveyed on Friday the company's efforts to gain a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain's status, particularly after the reported damages experienced by suppliers like Aisin and Sumitomo Electric due to the tremor.

Industry Minister Ken Saito reported on Friday that approximately 80% of the 200 companies with facilities in the areas hit by the earthquake have either resumed or are in the process of resuming production.

As shared by The Limited Times news, Toyota has faced various setbacks in its production recently. In October last year, the company had to close down multiple production lines following an explosion at one of its supplier's factories. Similarly, in March a cyberattack resulted in the suspension of production across all its Japanese factories. Sato also apologized for Daihatsu's safety test manipulation, which suspended local and global exports.

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New Year Earthquake in Japan

The impact of the earthquake remains starkly visible, with over 100 confirmed casualties and more than 200 individuals still unaccounted for since the quake struck the Noto peninsula, situated northwest along the coastal region from Tokyo.

Yahoo News shared Fox Weather's report. Officials from the Ishigawa government have reported an increase in the death toll resulting from the earthquake that occurred on New Year's Day in western Japan.

The quake, registering at a magnitude of 7.5, occurred at 4:10 p.m. local time on Monday in close proximity to the northern coast of the Noto Peninsula within the Ishigawa prefecture. Prior to the primary seismic event, a foreshock of magnitude 5.5 transpired approximately 4 minutes earlier. Subsequently, the earthquake has generated numerous aftershocks, as indicated by the U.S. Geological Survey, with several of them reaching considerable magnitudes, including one recorded at 6.2 on the scale.

According to BBC, this latest earthquake in Japan is worth comparing to last year's magnitude 7.8 quake in Turkey. Both disasters generated similar amounts of energy, but Turkey and Syria lost nearly 50,000 people. Over 100,000 died in Haiti's 2010 M7 earthquake.

The fundamental explanation lies in a straightforward factor: preparedness.

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