Tokai Carbon Co. shut down most of the production equipment that was running at its core fine-carbon plant in Kumamoto Prefecture after an earthquake struck the region on July 28, 2026. The Tokyo-listed carbon maker (TSE: 5301) said in a disclosure filed the next day that all equipment operating at the moment of the quake was temporarily halted, with the exception of some environmental-control systems.
The plant is the company's principal manufacturing base for its fine-carbon business, producing isotropic graphite used in semiconductors, solar cells and other industrial applications. The company's filing does not give the site an English name, and nothing else in the disclosure identifies which specific town in Kumamoto Prefecture houses it.
As of the day after the quake, Tokai Carbon reported no serious injuries among group employees working at the site, and no major damage to buildings or equipment, and no fires. Electricity supply to the plant has continued without interruption. Some localized water outages occurred, but the company said cooling-water circulation for its main equipment has not been disrupted.
What remains open is whether the shutdown will delay shipments of the graphite products or affect earnings. Tokai Carbon said it is still checking the condition of equipment and inventory, and will disclose promptly if it finds any material effect on shipments, recovery timing or full-year results. For now, the company has confirmed only what survived the quake, not what the stoppage will cost.