TSMC: JASM Utilities Restored to Normal, Equipment Calibration Underway
N.R. Finch
After a magnitude-7 earthquake hit Kumamoto, TSMC's Japanese subsidiary JASM has restored power and water with all staff safe — but production equipment calibration still needs time, and when it finishes will determine the real capacity impact.
How hard did the earthquake hit?
A magnitude-7 earthquake struck Kumamoto on July 28, with JASM's site registering a seismic intensity of 5 and multiple aftershocks.
JASM activated its safety protocols immediately and evacuated all personnel — everyone has been confirmed safe.
Structural inspections are complete: the buildings are intact. This means → the damage question is not about the fab shell — it is about the machines inside it.
How far along is the recovery?
Water, power, and industrial safety systems are back to normal — the infrastructure hurdle is cleared.
Production equipment inspection and calibration, however, are still underway. TSMC says the shaking intensity means "a certain amount of time is still needed."
In plain terms = the lights are on and the water is running, but the chip-making tools are not yet tuned — and the fab cannot ship wafers until they are.
Are raw materials and the second fab affected?
TSMC confirms raw-material supply is currently unaffected.
The construction site for JASM's second Kumamoto fab was not damaged; work resumed on July 29 after a safety clearance.
This means → TSMC's long-term expansion timeline in Kumamoto is intact for now. The impact is concentrated on the first, already-operational fab.
What should we watch next?
TSMC has dispatched support resources to JASM and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the earthquake's impact.
The company says it is in close communication with customers — this reflects that downstream clients care most about whether delivery schedules will shift.
When equipment calibration finishes is the single data point that will let the market size the actual capacity hit. Put simply = the longer calibration takes, the larger the output gap; only when TSMC puts a concrete timeline in its next update can the market truly price this disruption.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.