Due to TSMC... Traffic Congestion Measures for Companies in Kumamoto Peninsula Semiconductor Complex, Japan, Implemented One After Another

Tokyo Electron Introduces Staggered Working Hours... "First in the Group"
Preparing Mid- to Long-Term Measures Amid Potential Expansion of Sony and TSMC Factories

The world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing), Taiwan's TSMC, is building a factory near Kikuyo Town in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, where traffic congestion has worsened, prompting local companies to adopt staggered working hours and other measures to address the issue.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 29th, Tokyo Electron Kyushu, a production subsidiary of Tokyo Electron, has implemented staggered working hours for 2,500 of its 5,000 employees since last month. The start time has been delayed by about 30 to 45 minutes from the previous 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM. After confirming the effectiveness of the system, the company plans to expand the number of employees covered in October.

TSMC's headquarters in Taichung, Taiwan
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

A representative from Tokyo Electron Kyushu said, "Changing working hours as a measure to alleviate traffic congestion might be the first time within the group."

The TSMC factory is being established in the Kumamoto Semiconductor Complex, Semicon Technopark. The factory is scheduled to be completed in the second half of next year, with mass production targeted for December next year. In addition to TSMC and Tokyo Electron, about 30 companies, including Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing, the semiconductor division of the Sony Group, are located in Semicon Technopark. Approximately 10,000 workers are employed in this complex.

The Sony factory in the complex has also been easing traffic congestion by distributing the company's uniformly designated "no overtime day" on Wednesdays across five weekdays, and by introducing flexible work systems such as telecommuting and staggered working hours, according to Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "National Road Traffic Situation Survey," the average road speed and congestion near Kikuyo Town in Kumamoto City are considered the worst among cities in Japan. The large number of workers commuting to and from nearby factories appears to be causing the traffic congestion.

To alleviate this, Kumamoto Electric Railway established a new route for the "Semicon Commuter Bus" passing through the office of JASM, the operating company of the TSMC factory, earlier this month. Additionally, the existing routes were increased to a total of 35 trips per day, with 11 additional trips during commuting hours.

However, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that these measures may only have temporary effects. Sony has already announced plans to purchase land for a new factory, and TSMC is considering building a second factory in Kumamoto.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun stated, "Traffic volume around Semicon Technopark is expected to increase further in the future, making fundamental measures such as road maintenance essential in the mid to long term." Kumamoto Prefecture and Kumamoto City are planning road and highway maintenance projects, while the prefecture is accelerating efforts to expand roads in front of the TSMC factory and improve railway access to Kumamoto Airport.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.