Toyota, Mitsubishi to halt production at some Japan plants due to typhoon

Toyota Motor Corp plans to halt production on Monday morning at 12 plants in central Japan due to a typhoon that is hitting the area, spokesman Ryo Sakai said on Sunday.

The 12 plants, which include four vehicle factories as well as engine and automotive parts plants, are all Aichi prefecture in central Japan. Toyota will decide whether to resume production later on Monday depending on the weather conditions, Sakai said.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp also plans to halt production at its Okazaki plant in central Japan on Monday morning and afternoon, spokesman Manabu Yamanishi said.

Nissan Motor Co, Honda Motor Co, Suzuki Motor Corp and Mazda Motor Corp plan to operate their factories as usual, company spokesmen said.

Typhoon Phanfone, which was downgraded from an earlier status of a super typhoon, is moving northeast at 25 kph (16 mph) towards central and eastern Japan after lashing parts of the Kyushu and Okinawa islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Sunday.