Toyota Motor Corp. resumed production Friday at its domestic assembly plants that had remained idle since a series of strong earthquakes in southwestern Japan in mid-April disrupted parts supplies, company officials said.
The resumption means that all of the automaker's 30 vehicle assembly lines in the country are now back in operation three weeks after the quakes began in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures.
Toyota was forced to gradually halt production at most of its assembly plants in the country from mid-April due to quake damage to an Aisin Seiki Co. plant in Kumamoto that supplied door parts.
The automaker resumed production elsewhere in late April after procuring parts from alternative sources.
Production at the Aisin Seiki plant has also been moved to a different facility.
Eight assembly lines at five plants — including the Miyata factory in Miyawaka, Fukuoka Prefecture, which produces luxury Lexus models — were affected by the shutdown.
Toyota's output was slashed by some 80,000 units in the latest stoppage, according to company officials. Combined with its February output reduction due to an explosion at a steel plant operated by a Toyota affiliate, the automaker has seen production fall by roughly 170,000 units.
Among other auto and motorcycle manufacturers, the quakes have caused production suspensions at Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Honda Motor Co.