Japanese firms cease production after quake

The devastating earthquake and tsunami have caused a number of big Japanese companies to cease production.

Canon may not be able to resume production at 3 plants in Japan this week

Canon says it may not be able to resume production at three plants in Japan this week, highlighting the challenges faced by manufacturers.

Canon has halted production at facilities in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture, and two plants in Ibaraki prefecture, all in northern Japan. A Canon spokesman says a production restart does not seem to be something they can expect within two or three days.

Mazda to proceed with a temporary production stop

Japanese auto giant Mazda revealed it has decided to proceed with a temporary production stop at its plants in Hiroshima and Hofu until March 16th.

Mazda previously announced it had not been affected by the major earthquake and Tsunami in northeast Japan.

Toyota closed 12 plants in Japan until at least Wednesday

Another auto giant Toyota has closed 12 plants in Japan until at least Wednesday. A company spokesman says Toyota's output losses may top 40 thousand vehicles.

Toyota's president said in a statement that not only is the devastated region one of their production bases, those directly affected include dealers, suppliers and numerous other partners.

Toshiba halts production at 5 factories and closes one plant

Toshiba, which makes products ranging from memory chips to nuclear power plants, halted production at 5 factories due to power outages. And closed one plant because of damage from the earthquake.

The Tokyo-based manufacturer makes between 25 and 35 percent of the world's NAND chips, used in smartphones and tablets.