News

As you are all aware, last Friday’s devastating earthquake in Japan caused serious damage in Northern Japan. Our thoughts are with all those people affected. Via TIPA, the company websites report the following news on their production facilities.

Canon reports significant damage in Canon Inc.’s Utsunomiya Office (where they manufacture lenses) and Fukushima Canon Inc. They have suspended operations on three operational sites and five Canon Group companies. If production operations look like they will be suspended for one month or more, they will consider making use of alternate sites that were not damaged by the earthquake as a means of continuing production.

Nikon is suspending operations at several sites and will be continuing to evaluate further details of the damage. The factory in Sendai where they make high-end DSLRs is closed. The controlled interruption of electricity supplies will also impact operations.

Epson has suspended operations at Epson Atmix Corporation due to a one-meter tsunami and do not yet know when they will be resumed. At the Seiko Epson Corporation Sakata Plant and at Tohoku Epson Corporation (Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture) operations have been suspended due to a power cut caused by the earthquake. At Epson Toyocom Corporation in Fukushima operations have been suspended due to the earthquake, and both buildings and production facilities appear to have sustained damage. Operations are temporarily terminated as the plant is approximately 16 km from the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station, and therefore within the evacuation area.

Companies are also reporting their contributions to the relief efforts. Panasonic, Ricoh and Sony each report a 300 million Yen donation to the relief fund, Nikon will give 100 million Yen.

Shutterbug and the TIPA board send their best wishes to our friends in the Japanese companies and hope and pray that the recovery is swift and that all their family and associates are safe.