Manufacturers began restarting production at plants in the country's quake-hit northeast, but Toyota Motor Corp. said it plans to idle 18 assembly lines for a few days next week due to a shortage of parts from suppliers.
On one hand, the limited damage caused by the magnitude 7.4 temblor has highlighted Japan's success in building resilience against the frequent tremors that shake the archipelago.
But the quake has sparked concerns of further disruptions to a pandemic-hit supply chain for precision components vital to electronics and autos production and in which Japanese manufacturers play a leading role.