Heavy snow in Kanto region hits Japanese automakers

Heavy snow in the Kanto region affected Japanese automakers' plants. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan), and Subaru Corporation (Subaru) plants in the region stopped production from the afternoon of January 22 to January 23. Since public and road transportation systems like trains and buses stopped, automakers considered impacts on commuting and physical distribution. Honda's Sayama and Yorii automotive plants canceled operations from midway through the second-shift on January 22 to the first-shift on January 23. Nissan's Oppama Plant, and Nissan Shatai Co., Ltd.'s Shonan Plant stopped production from the second-shift on January 22, and Nissan's Tochigi Plant from midway through the second-shift. Subaru's Gunma Manufacturing Division stopped production from the second-shift on January 22. Production was gradually started back up on January 23 as the weather got better. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on January 24, 2018)