Japan Farm Town Embraces Change, Challenges as TSMC Arrives
Taiwanese chip giant TSMC's multi-billion dollar fab in Kumamoto, Japan has sent ripple effects across the prefecture. TaiwanPlus speaks to locals at the heart of the transformation.
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00:00 In this Japanese farm town, a powerful new neighbor, global semiconductor giant TSMC.
00:08 The company's multi-billion dollar fab under local subsidiary JASM has become Japan's most
00:14 advanced chip-making facility.
00:16 It's a huge economic and technological boost for the 41,000 people here in Kikuyo and the
00:22 entire Kumamoto prefecture, home to 1.7 million people.
00:30 But the mega-investment has made some people nervous, like Maeda Kayoko.
00:35 She runs the largest pig farm in Kumamoto, just minutes away from the TSMC site, and
00:40 worries newcomers might not fit into the area.
00:43 "We don't know what the neighbors think of the noise, smell, and smell of livestock."
01:03 Speaking exclusively to Tawan Plus, town mayor Yoshimoto Takatoshi says setting common ground
01:09 between farmers and chip makers is a priority.
01:13 The town of Kikuyo is no stranger to semiconductors, already home to local tech giants Sony and
01:18 Tokyo Electron.
01:19 But TSMC's impact is a new level.
01:23 Latest stats show Kumamoto's economic value is just over 40 billion U.S. dollars.
01:29 TSMC's JASM alone has added half that amount, and that includes its plan for a second fab.
01:36 Mayor Yoshimoto says it's an unprecedented opportunity for his town, but one that comes
01:41 with risks.
01:43 "We use a lot of water to keep groundwater clean.
01:50 We need to protect the farmland and JASM to ensure groundwater supply."
02:05 And water isn't the only concern.
02:08 There's also the issue of land.
02:10 Real estate firm Meiwa has been racing to find plots to build more housing.
02:15 JASM wants employees to have new apartments made of concrete, not wood like traditional
02:28 Japanese homes, and have surveillance cameras for safety.
02:32 Some units are being snatched up as they're built.
02:36 "There's 40 units in this building and this one bedroom apartment is the only one
02:41 left.
02:42 Now the real estate manager told me that Japanese apartments on average are not this big.
02:47 They're usually only 33 to 34 square meters, but this one is 40.
02:52 And that's at the request of Taiwanese families wanting a bigger space.
02:56 And so they've been building to suit these needs."
02:59 But with more people moving in, traffic has only gotten worse.
03:04 Local resident Keishi Hisatomi's 15-minute commute to his supermarket job can now take
03:09 over an hour.
03:11 But stocking new Taiwanese goods on his shelves, he says the trade-off is worth it.
03:15 "We're happy that the number of customers has increased rather than the traffic congestion."
03:25 The town is transforming, and residents are finding ways to adapt.
03:30 Some hadn't even heard of TSMC before, but seeing its influence, they're excited
03:34 to promote their area, with the hope that Kikuyo's farm town charm won't be lost.
03:40 Joseph Wu and Joyce Sun in Kumamoto, Japan, for Taiwan Plus.
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