Japan’s Tech Industry Temporarily Shuts Down

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Japanese manufacturers of consumer electronics are closing down factories in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake and tsunami, Bloomberg reports.

Sony has stopped operations at 10 factories, and announced donations of cash and emergency supplies.

Toyota’s 12 plants are all closed until Wednesday at the earliest, with further reports suggesting the company might lose output of 40,000 vehicles. Camera maker Nikon has revealed that its factory in Sendai was damaged by the tsunami, and the company has set up its own emergency headquarters operation. Honda and Nissan have suspended work;

Amid the terrible toll in human lives, these closures are a sign of the drastic economic consequences of the diaster. Simply getting the affected regions back to where they were before the water hit will take years, and billions of dollars.

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