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Fujipan abandons restart of quake-hit Kumamoto bread factory
Versión 4: More than one outlet now reports that Fujipan announced the decision on 5 October, confirming a timing detail previously carried by a single source.
En breve
Fujipan Group said it will not resume production at its Kyushu Fujipan Kumamoto factory in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, which has been shut since the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake damaged the building and production equipment. The site will keep operating as a logistics base, and the company said stable supplies are unaffected. About 270 people worked there, and the company is considering reassignments.
Leer la noticia completa 2 min de lectura
Fujipan Group headquarters in Nagoya said it will not resume production at its group company Kyushu Fujipan Kumamoto factory in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, which had been shut since the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake. Yahoo! News Japan and Nikkei reported the announcement was made on 5 October. The company judged a restart difficult because the building and production equipment were extensively damaged, and Nippon TV reported damage that included deformation of steel frame sections. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Uki recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in the 28 July earthquake, after which the factory stopped operating. Livedoor News reported that, according to Fujipan, experts carried out surveys and the company held repeated discussions after the quake, and found that rebuilding the production system would require a considerable amount of time. [ 3 , 5 ]
The site will stay in use as a logistics base for delivering the company's products. Nippon TV reported that Fujipan said stable supplies would not be affected. Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the bread and sweet buns produced at the plant will be covered by other factories in Kyushu. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
About 270 people worked at the factory, according to Livedoor News, Yomiuri Shimbun and Nippon TV. Livedoor News said about 120 of them were locally hired part-timers and that roughly 60 part-timers had already been given a briefing on ending their employment. Nikkei reported that staff would be reassigned mainly to group companies and other sites, while Nippon TV reported that the company will proceed with transfers while asking employees for their preferences, with dismissal expected where no agreement is reached. Fujipan said it “will respond sincerely so that each employee can move to a new environment with peace of mind”, according to Livedoor News. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Nippon TV reported reactions in Uki, where residents said the closure was sad and a shock at the loss of a large plant, and one resident said that smelling it nearby made them want to eat bread. Matsumoto Yoichiro, a manager in the city's regional development division, said the biggest concern is that many people will lose their jobs or seek work, and that the city is worried about a fall in tax revenue including fixed asset and resident taxes. Two months after the earthquake, Nippon TV reported, Kumamoto's economy remains badly hit. [ 6 ]
Por qué importa
The decision ends bread production at a plant in Uki that had manufactured locally for more than 20 years, leaving a logistics operation in its place and shifting the plant's bread and sweet buns to other factories in Kyushu. A Uki city official said the biggest concern is the number of people losing jobs or seeking work, and that the city is worried about a fall in fixed asset and resident tax revenue.
Datos clave
- Fujipan Group announced it will not resume production at the Kyushu Fujipan Kumamoto factory in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The factory had been shut since the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake caused extensive damage to its building and production equipment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The site will continue to operate as a logistics base. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- About 270 people worked at the factory, and the company is considering reassignments to group companies and other sites. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Uki recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in the 28 July earthquake. [ 5 ]
- Bread and sweet buns made at the plant will be covered by other factories in Kyushu, according to Yomiuri Shimbun. [ 5 ]
- Nippon TV reported that Fujipan said stable supplies would not be affected. [ 6 ]
- The announcement was made on 5 October, according to Yahoo! News Japan and Nikkei. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- Fujipan Group decided not to resume production at the Kyushu Fujipan Kumamoto factory in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The factory was shut after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake damaged the building and production equipment extensively. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The site will continue to operate as a logistics base. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- About 270 people worked at the factory and the company is considering reassigning them. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- About 120 of the factory's employees were locally hired part-timers, and roughly 60 part-timers had already been briefed on ending their employment. Reported only by Livedoor News and not corroborated by other documents.
- Employees who do not agree to reassignment are expected to be dismissed. Nippon TV reports this as a company outlook; no other document states it and no figure is given.
- Uki recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in the 28 July earthquake, and the plant's bread and sweet buns will be covered by other factories in Kyushu. Both points appear only in the Yomiuri Shimbun report.
- Fujipan said stable supplies would not be affected. Stated only by Nippon TV, attributed to the company.
- The decision was announced on 5 October. Reported by a single source so far
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- Yahoo! News Japan publishes a flash report that Fujipan has abandoned restarting production at the Kyushu Fujipan Kumamoto factory in Uki. [ 1 ]
- Nikkei reports the same day's announcement, adding that staff are to be mainly reassigned to group companies and other sites. [ 2 ]
- Livedoor News reports that the July earthquake caused severe damage and that about 60 part-time workers had already been briefed on ending their employment. [ 3 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports that production will not restart at the factory. [ 4 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Uki recorded a maximum intensity of 7 on 28 July and that other Kyushu factories will cover the plant's products. [ 5 ]
- Nippon TV reports residents' reactions, the plan to keep the site as a logistics base, possible dismissals and a Uki city official's concerns about job losses and tax revenue. [ 6 ]