Toyota to Resume Production in Japan Next Week

Toyota Motor Corp. says most of its assembly plants in Japan will resume output on April 25.

The company began idling the facilities last weekend after two major earthquakes on Thursday and Saturday—both of them centered in southern Japan—disrupted the company’s domestic supply chain. The temblors killed at least 46 people and injured an estimated 1,100 others.

Toyota says it was able to recover sooner than expected by obtaining parts from other factories in Japan or importing them from overseas facilities. The company expects to ramp up production at most plants by April 28.

But two Lexus luxury car plants will remain idle for an undetermined longer period. The facilities include the Miyata factory near the epicenter of the first quake, which suspended operations last Friday, and the Motomachi facility in central Japan. The two factories make Lexus luxury NX and RX crossovers, ES and GS sedans and CT hybrids.

A third Toyota facility, which produces Lexus IS and LS sedans, RS coupes and GX crossovers, is scheduled to return to full-scale operations on April 28, according to the carmaker.