Kishida Visits Taiwan Majority-Owned Chip Factory In Kyushu

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has visited a new semiconductor plant for which his government has pledged more than 1 trillion yen ($7 billion) of support to secure a steady supply of chips, Yuri Kageyama reported for the Associated Press (AP).

TSMC has an 86.5% stake in the Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The project underlines Japan’s hope to regain a big role in the computer chips industry. I Photo: TSMC

“I believe this project will have positive ripple effects throughout Japan. It is key for not only the semiconductor industry but also a wide range of businesses such as electric vehicles and electronics,” he said while touring the facility.

The new plant on the southwestern island of Kyushu, majority-owned by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), is the Taiwanese semiconductor giant’s first in Japan.

Kishida also expressed sympathy to Taiwan following an earthquake that left at least 12 people dead. Japanese companies like Sony, Denso, and Toyota are investing in the TSMC subsidiary that opened the plant in February.

TSMC has an 86.5% stake in the Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The project underlines Japan’s hope to regain a big role in the computer chips industry.

Four decades ago, Japan dominated in chips, with Toshiba and NEC controlling half the world’s production. That’s declined to under 10%, amid competition from South Korean, US, and European manufacturers, as well as TSMC.

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