By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-08-10 11:41:39 | Updated at 2026-08-10 13:49:07
2 hours ago
TOKYO – Japan’s leading beverage manufacturer Suntory Holdings said on Aug 10 it expects it will take about three to four months to restore its plant in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, after it was damaged by the 7.1- magnitude earthquake on July 28.
The firm, which sells various beverages ranging from alcoholic drinks to mineral water, confirmed that output equipment and buildings had sustained damage, saying it aims to resume production before the end of the year.
As production is currently halted there, the brewing of beer products such as “The Premium Malt’s” has been temporarily shifted to factories in Tokyo, Gunma and Kyoto prefectures, the company said.
Following the earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, which registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7, non-alcoholic beverages are being manufactured at factories in Yamanashi Prefecture and elsewhere.
The Kyushu Kumamoto Plant was previously affected by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, and it took about one and a half years for production and shipments to return to normal, with the cost of the damage amounting to around 10 billion yen (S$80.5 million). KYODO NEWS
