Japan Earthquake

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto prefecture on Friday evening, registering a maximum seismic intensity of 5-minus on the Japanese scale in the city of Uki. The quake hit at approximately 9:47 p.m. local time with its epicenter in the Kumamoto region at a depth of about 10 kilometres.

Shaking was felt widely across the region. Intensity 4 readings were recorded in Kumamoto's Nishi and Minami wards, along with the cities of Yatsushiro, Uto, and several surrounding towns. Intensity 3 tremors reached Kumamoto's central, eastern, and northern wards, as well as nearby municipalities including Tamana, Yamaga, Kikuchi, and Aso. Lighter shaking was also detected in Miyama, Fukuoka prefecture.

The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed there was no tsunami risk following the earthquake. No immediate reports of casualties or significant damage have emerged.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions will resume output at its quake-stopped Kumamoto plant in phases starting Aug. 4, targeting a return to pre-disaster capacity by mid-August, as the semiconductor sector works to restore operations after a maximum intensity-7 tremor struck the region.

Renesas Electronics restarted production at its Nishiki plant on July 29 and aims to reopen its Kawaishi facility by Aug. 5. Mitsubishi Electric partially resumed work at two Kumamoto sites on July 30, while Ebara restarted its semiconductor equipment plant in Nankan the same day. Tokyo Electron expects its two Kumamoto factories to recover early next week, and Sony Group restarted plants in Nagasaki and Oita on July 29. JASM, the TSMC unit in Kikuyō, confirmed building safety but said equipment calibration will take time. TOPPAN Holdings' Tamana plant remains shut.

Logistics remain disrupted: Yatsushiro Port, one of Kyushu's few harbours handling the hazardous chemicals needed for chipmaking, has halted all operations due to soil liquefaction, ground subsidence, and cracking, with no repair timeline.

An explosion at AEON Mall Kumamoto killed three specialty-store employees and left one in cardiopulmonary arrest on Wednesday evening, roughly 90 minutes after a magnitude-7 earthquake struck the region. Four others were hospitalised and three remain unaccounted for, AEON said.

About 3,000 shoppers were inside the Kashima-town mall when the quake hit at 4:27 p.m. Staff evacuated all customers outdoors within 30 minutes, but the blast erupted at 5:50 p.m. on the second floor of the building's south wing. Fire authorities suspect an LP gas leak along a supply line running from an external tank to the food-court area. AEON noted the facility has used LP gas since opening and that pipes were inspected regularly.

AEON President Akio Yoshida apologised to victims' families, acknowledging that some staff may have re-entered the building against post-evacuation rules. The mall, which reopened after damage in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, had been retrofitted to current seismic standards.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Japan’s Kyushu island on 28 July has killed at least 34 people, with the epicentre in Kumamoto prefecture. The disaster injured at least 63 and forced more than 150,000 residents to evacuate, leaving over 10,000 sheltering in evacuation centres.

Rescue crews have been searching for survivors trapped beneath rubble at sites including a paper factory in Yatsushiro, where eight workers died when a chimney collapsed, and the Aeon shopping centre in Kashima, where six people were killed after a gas explosion. The quake damaged temples, roads and bridges and left more than 40,000 households without power.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed the mounting casualty toll as more than 250 aftershocks were recorded. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of further tremors of up to magnitude 7, while tens of thousands of homes remain without water or electricity.

Rescuers pulled all 25 cats unharmed from a collapsed shopping centre in Kumamoto following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck southern Japan on Tuesday. The cats were inside Cat Cafe MOFF on the ground floor of Aeon Mall Kumamoto when the quake hit and a subsequent gas-leak explosion damaged the building.

The cafe manager retrieved every cat safely on Wednesday after receiving clearance from firefighters and police. None of the animals sustained visible injuries, and all were given water and initial care before being transported to a sister cafe in Hiroshima operated by the same owners.

The earthquake, which hit Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon, killed at least 34 people across the region. Three bodies were recovered from the mall rubble, while five people were pulled alive from the same site.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, 2026, resulting in 13 confirmed deaths according to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. In response, Taiwanese public and private sectors have rapidly mobilized to support disaster relief.

On July 29, Taiwan High Speed Rail announced a donation of 20 million yen for reconstruction efforts, while the city of Taichung pledged $100,000 in aid. Meanwhile, the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China established a dedicated fund to channel donations to the affected areas via the Japanese Red Cross. The organization has also prepared rescue personnel and emergency resources.

Taiwanese convenience stores and retail platforms, including 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, and PXPay Plus, have launched fundraising campaigns in partnership with the Christian Mustard Seed Mission. Customers can donate through mobile apps and in-store kiosks until August 31, while the Mustard Seed Mission has already deployed $10,000 in immediate emergency funding.