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Japan quake: Situation update; donation info (UPDATED)
By Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Monday, March 14, 2011 - 17:07 EDT)
Last Friday, we published a report on the disaster unfolding in Japan, where a combination of a major earthquake, tsunami, numerous aftershocks, and damaged nuclear reactors have left Japanese citizens and businesses alike struggling to cope.
The country is home to quite a few of the biggest names in the imaging industry, and over the weekend, several Japanese companies have released statements regarding the situation at their own facilities. Four companies -- Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Olympus -- have so far reported injuries to staff, and in addition, numerous companies have had to temporarily halt production or close facilities. We've done our best to round up information on the situation for Imaging Resource readers, but before you read on, we'd urge you to consider visiting the Google Crisis Response page, where you can make a donation towards the relief effort. (The link will open in a new window, so you can easily return to this item afterwards.)
Canon Inc. has advised that 15 employees were injured at its Utsunomiya facility, which is said to have sustained significant damage. The Canon divisions at this location are responsible for production, research and development of a range of optical products, including EF lenses, as well as lenses for camcorders, broadcast cameras, business machines, LCD projectors, and other specialized lenses, plus mirror projection aligners and semiconductor equipment. Operations at this facility have been suspended, and the company notes that "time will likely be needed" before operations can resume in Utsunomiya .
In addition, the facility of a subsidiary company -- Fukushima Canon Inc. -- has also suffered significant damage. Thankfully there are no reported injuries at the facility, which produces inkjet printers, print heads, and ink tanks, but this facility is also expected to take some time to return to operation. Several other facilities were also closed today, and their operational status going forwards is still being determined. These include the Toride plant (office imaging products, etc.), and the Ami plant (LC and semiconductor exposure equipment), plus four other subsidiaries -- Canon Precision Inc. (micro motors, miscellaneous sensors, toner cartridges), Canon Optron Inc. (optical crystals, evaporation materials), Canon Chemicals Inc.'s Iwama Plant (toner cartridges), and Canon Mold Co. Ltd. (plastic molding). No injuries were reported at any of these facilities.
Separately, Canon has announced the establishment of an Earthquake Disaster Recovery Task Force, which is looking into measures to resume operations, including potentially shifting production to alternate locations, where it determines that a facility's operations may need to be suspended for over a month. Canon has also pledged 300 million yen (approximately US$3.7 million) to the Japanese Red Cross and other organizations, as well as offering to provide supplies as needed.
Nikon Corp. has reported that some of its staff have been injured, and notes that it is continuing to gather information on the situation. The company has established an Emergency Headquarters for Disaster Control headed by its President. The company has reported damage to a number of facilities, which have had to suspend operations. Among these, a facility of particular note to our readership is Sendai Nikon Corp. in Natori, which produces DSLRs including the D3X, D3S, and D700. Other facilities listed as having sustained damage include Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd (Zao-machi; devices for LCD steppers and scanners), Tochigi Nikon Corporation (Otawara; optical lenses, opto-mechanical equipment, electronic imaging devices), Tochigi Nikon Precision Co. Ltd. (Otawara; devices for IC steppers & scanners, lenses for IC / LCD steppers and scanners). Nikon notes that it is evaluating how the facility damage and rolling blackouts will affect its business.
Separately, Nikon has pledged 100 million yen (approximately US$1.2 million) to the Japanese Red Cross.
Panasonic Corp., meanwhile, has issued an advisory stating that some employees received minor injuries at the Fukushima and Sendai factories of Panasonic AVC Networks Co., which manufacture digital cameras and optical pickups respectively, as well as at the Koriyama factory of Panasonic Electric Works Co. Ltd. (electronic materials), and the Gunma factory of Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. (washers / dryers). The company goes on to note that it has not received reports of collapse or fire at any of its facilities, and that it is temporarily suspending operations at the quake-affected factories pending a fuller evaluation of the damage.
A further release from Panasonic pledges 300 million yen (approximately US$3.7 million) in donations, as well as providing 10,000 radios, 10,000 flashlights, and 500,000 dry batteries to assist victims of the earthquake.
A Japanese-language PDF press release from Olympus Corp. confirms that some employees sustained minor injuries, but doesn't elaborate on this. We understand from information provided to the UK's Amateur Photographer magazine by the local Olympus office that the company's digital camera production is unaffected, and indeed the Japanese-language press release makes no mention of imaging products. It also confirms that the local sales office in Sendai is undamaged and preparing to resume operations, although several endoscopy-related businesses -- Aomori Olympus Co. Ltd., Shirakawa Olympus Co. Ltd., and the company's Shirakawa factory -- have had to temporarily halt operations. Aomori Olympus is said to be unable to procure supplies, while we understand the other two companies have some damage to facilities, as well as a lack of power supply. A separate Japanese-language press release notes that a repair facility at the Shirakawa location is expected to take 2-4 weeks to resume operations.
Casio Computer Co. Ltd., meanwhile, has yet to make an English-language statement, but a Japanese-language PDF press release states that the company's staff received no serious injuries, and its facilities have not sustained significant damage. It is currently working to confirm the status of its production lines and assure safety before resuming operation, and notes that it expects interruptions to vital utilities will play a role in determining when it can resume operations. A separate Japanese-language press release notes that the company has pledged 10 million yen (approximately U$120,000) in donations, and will further match donations made by its employees.
While Fujifilm Corp. states that it has thankfully not received any reports of staff injuries, a press release issued today by Fujifilm UK Ltd. confirms that the parent company's Taiwa-Cho factory, which was responsible for production of the fixed-lens, APS-C sensor shod X100 digital camera, has sustained damage. This will apparently necessitate a temporary halt in production of the Fuji X100, but the company states that the rest of its digital camera range are unaffected. In addition, the company's head-office has issued a Japanese-language press release noting that the Japanese market's service and support facilities have sustained damage, which has required a temporary relocation of these functions to other facilities. Fujifilm has also pledged 300 million yen (approximately US$3.7 million) in donations, as well as 470 million yen (approximately US$5.8 million) in relief supplies, including diagnostic ultrasound systems and dust / virus protection masks.
Being headquartered in Wakayama, in the south of Japan, Noritsu Koki Ltd. and its recently-established subsidiary NK Works Co. Ltd. have suffered no injuries or damage to facilities, according to a statement published by PMA Newsline. The company is continuing with production and distribution, and further notes that it is working to reestablish contact with and offer support to its customers throughout the country.
Ricoh Co. Ltd., meanwhile, reports no injuries at its facilities in a Japanese-language press release. Three facilities have stopped operations and are expected to take some time to return to operations. We understand that these include Ricoh Optical Industries Co. Ltd. in Hanamaki (optical elements, light source, and welding machines), Hasama Ricoh Inc. in Tome (copiers and data processing equipment), and Tohoku Ricoh Co. Ltd. in Shibata-gun (printers, bar code devices, peripherals). In addition, Ricoh Printing Systems Ltd. in Ibaraki is currently closed. Other facilities were either operating today, or are expected to resume operations tomorrow. Ricoh has pledged 300 million yen (approximately US$3.7 million) in donations towards recovery efforts.
While parent company Hoya Corp. has yet to issue any release, Pentax has published a statement on its Japanese-language website. This notes that due to rolling power blackouts, the company decided to close operations of the Pentax Customer Service Center, Tokyo Service Center, Pentax Forum Shinjuku, Pentax Family Magazine, and the Pentax Online Shop today, and plans to make a statement on its website later regarding tomorrow's operations.
SanDisk Corp. reports that two of its fabs located some 500 miles from the epicenter of the quake were down for a brief period on Friday, but returned to operation later the same day. The company has received no reports of employee injuries, and predicts minimal immediate impact on output.
Sigma Corp. hasn't yet released any information on the status of its operations or employees, but it has posted a brief note on the Japanese and English-language versions of its global website, offering its condolences to those affected by the disaster.
Sony Corp. is another company that thankfully reports no significant injuries to its staff, although several of its sites have been affected by the disaster, and others have temporarily shuttered operations due to widespread power outages. The Sony Corporation Sendai Technology Center is said to have ceased operation due to earthquake damage, and while it is still reviewing the situation, the company says that other locations have only been moderately affected, with no reports of facility damage. Sony facilities that have suspended manufacturing operations, or suspended operations altogether, include Sony Chemical & Information Device Corp. (Tagajyo, Tome, and Kanuma plants; magnetic tapes, Blu-Ray discs, optical devices, IC cards), Sony Shiroishi Semiconductor Inc. (Miyagi; semiconductor lasers), Sony Energy Devices Corp. (Koriyama, Motomiya, and Tochigi plants; lithium ion batteries), Sony Manufacturing Systems Corp. (Kuki plant; surface mounting equipment), Sony DADC Japan Inc. (Ibaraki; CDs / DVDs), and Sony Corp. Atsugi Technology Center (R&D).
Optics company Tamron Co. Ltd. has announced that its Japanese offices will be closed today and tomorrow. It further notes that it expects outages for its Japanese corporate website during periods of rolling blackouts, and indeed, the website is offline at the time of this writing.
The staff at the Imaging Resource are deeply shocked and saddened by the scope of this disaster, and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan, as well as those in other countries affected by the tsunami, which caused damage as far as away as Peru and Chile. We'd encourage readers who'd like to contribute to the relief effort -- as well as those seeking further information -- to visit the Google Crisis Response page, where you can make a donation and share information with other internet users.
UPDATED 2011-03-14 23:46ET: Added information on Noritsu Koki, courtesy of the PMA Newsline.
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