Yaesu Temporarily Suspends Production After Earthquake

Production of Yaesu radios at Vertex Standard's factory in Fukushima, Japan, has been temporarily halted due to earthquake damage.


All Vertex Standard employees and their families are said to be safe.

In an open letter to the amateur radio community, Vertex Standard CEO and President Jun Hasegawa expressed his gratitude for the many "kind words and thoughts about us during this difficult time." He reports that all Vertex Standard employees and their families are OK, although the company has not been able to reach its many dealers and subcontractors located near the coast. "We just hope that they are alive," he writes.

Hasegawa also reports that the Yaesu factory in Fukushima suffered "minimal" damage from the earthquake but has been temporarily shut down nonetheless. He says he expects it to be back in normal operation within one to two weeks and asks for everyone's understanding and cooperation.

At this time, there have been no public reports received from any of the other Japanese amateur radio manufacturers.