5M Yen to the Victims of the Niigataken Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake

Nissan Gives 5M Yen to the Victims

Nissan pledged 5 million yen in an effort to help the disaster relief efforts in the Niigata area where the July 16 earthquake struck. The 3 million will immediately go to the Central Community Chest of Japan to support volunteer activities, while other contributions will go towards providing rental cars to support the recovery efforts.

Nissan will be working with Nippon Keidanren, who will be donating 1,000 towels, part of a larger effort to assist the local residents who are being temporarily housed in emergency evacuation centers.

Nissan was left to idle two of its plants in Oppama and Tochigi on July 20, spokesperson Yuichi Nakagawa said. Another spokesman said that Jatco, a Nissan unit, will suspend 13 production lines by the evening of July 20 from six tomorrow, cutting output of transmissions by about 95 percent.

The auto industry of Japan has been paralyzed by the earthquake, leaving them no option but to stop production due to the damages incurred to their plants. But it has been a blessing from Nissan to help out in the relief efforts while it has set aside its own production.

Other automakers in Japan that was halted included Toyota, Japan's biggest car maker, Suzuki, Honda, as well as Mitsubishi and Japan's quality maker of Piston Rings, Riken Corp.

Suzuki's plants make motorcycles, outboard motors, cars and engines. The automaker, based in Hamamatsu city, southwest of Tokyo, buys crankshafts and piston rings from Riken and transmissions from Jatco.

Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will halt production at its three domestic plants, it said in a release. Mitsubishi Motors will halt production at its Mizushima plant, where it makes models including the Lancer sports sedan, for four days from July 20. It will stop lines at its Nagoya and Pajero plants for three days from July 21.

Honda Motor Co., Japan's second-largest carmaker, also said it may cut domestic engine production. Riken makes parts for about 30 percent of Honda's engines. Riken also supplies Mazda Motor Corp., which said it operated normally today.