Quake-hit Japan town hosting TSMC to step up support for foreigners

KIKUYO, Japan - A strong earthquake that shook the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto has highlighted the challenges the town hosting the world's leading contract chipmaker TSMC faces in responding to the emergency needs of foreign residents the factory has brought with it.

The town of Kikuyo, with a population of over 44,000, has seen a sharp increase in foreign residents in recent years with the establishment of a factory by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. People from Taiwan make up the largest group, followed by China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.