Potential for Mega Earthquake in Japan Raises Concern Over Global Semiconductor Supply Chain

Potential for Mega Earthquake in Japan Raises Concern Over Global Semiconductor Supply Chain
Firefighters inspect collapsed wooden houses in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, on Jan. 2, 2024, a day after a major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images
Sean Tseng
Updated:
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Recently on high alert, Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, being in one of the most seismically active regions in the world. However, megathrust earthquakes, which experts are increasingly concerned about, are a different magnitude of danger, even for a country accustomed to such natural disasters.

In addition to the undoubted human catastrophe, a natural disaster of this magnitude could devastate the nation’s infrastructure and send shockwaves through global semiconductor supply chains. The country’s critical role in the global tech industry makes this threat not just a national concern but a global one.