Honda Stops Motorcycle Production In Japan

In wake of the 2011 Off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake in northeastern Japan, Honda has decided to suspend all production activities at the following Honda plants – Sayama Plant at Saitama Factory (Sayama, Saitama), Ogawa Plant (Ogawa-machi, Hiki-gun Saitama), Tochigi Factory (Moka, Tochigi), Hamamatsu Factory (Hamamatsu, Shizuoka) and Suzuka Factory (Suzuka, Mie). From March 15 through 20, Honda will suspend all production activities at its plants listed above as well as at Kumamoto Factory (Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto). From March 14 through 20, Honda will suspend regular operations at all Honda facilities in the Tochigi area, where damage was more serious, (including Tochigi Factory, Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Automobile R&D Center (Tochigi) , Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., etc.), and focus on the recovery of each operation. Honda associates will not come to work during this time.

With the hope to contribute to the earliest possible relief and recovery of affected areas, Honda will provide 300 million yen toward the relief and recovery effort, a total of 1,000 generators (gasoline-powered and home-use gas canister-powered), along with 5,000 gas canisters. Honda also will dispatch its staff to explain how to use the donated generators. Honda will cooperate to the electricity conservation efforts and the rolling blackout, prioritizing the relief and recovery of affected areas. Prospective associates, who are scheduled to join the company in April, can choose to delay their first day of work by up to two months if they or their families are affected by the earthquake.