The giant earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, off the coast of Sendai in Tohoku (northeastern Japan), and the tsunamis that ensued, caused catastrophic damage to the entire northeastern region of the country. The number of dead and missing continues to rise, and was over 25,000 at the end of March. Several coastal cities were completely swept away by the horrific tsunamis that followed the most powerful earthquake to strike Japan in over 100 years. Apart from the human toll, the damage to manufacturing infrastructure in the affected areas has triggered a great deal of uncertainty in the global supply chain that links parts suppliers with manufacturers of end products, a topic that has received considerable attention in the Western press. The objective of this Tech Perspective is to summarize and evaluate coverage of the same topic, as it has evolved in the Japanese trade press over the past three weeks. A great deal of uncertainty remains as to what the full impact of the natural disasters in northeastern Japan will be on the global semiconductor and electronics sectors, and we hope to contribute by conveying what is being said in Japan to our TechInsights customers in Europe, North America, and other parts of Asia.
We would also like to take the opportunity to extend our sympathies to our customers in Japan whose families, colleagues, and friends have been impacted by the terrible disasters in Tohoku.
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