Automakers were among the companies most heavily damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year, but the road to recovery was fast and their plants are getting ready to make up for lost time.
During an inspection tour of Nissan Motor Co.'s Iwaki engine factory in Fukushima Prefecture late last month, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn brushed off concerns from local residents that the plant might be shut down because of the quake and the yen's strength.
"Next year, (production) will be at least 300,000 engines," Ghosn said, mentioning the plant's annual average. He authorized a ¥3 billion investment in the plant, out of which ¥2.7 billion has already been spent, to reinforce its infrastructure.