Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), TSMC's subsidiary in Kumamoto, represents the largest foreign semiconductor investment in Japan's history. The first fab began production in late 2024 on 22/28nm and 12/16nm processes with 55,000 wafers/month capacity. The second fab, with $13.9 billion total investment, broke ground in late 2025 targeting 6/7nm process technology with potential upgrade to 4nm. TSMC is considering a third Kumamoto facility focused on advanced packaging.
JASM employs approximately 2,400 workers and has catalyzed a semiconductor ecosystem boom in Kumamoto Prefecture — equipment suppliers, materials companies, and engineering firms are establishing operations nearby. Sony's adjacent semiconductor factory (image sensors) creates a customer-supplier cluster. The Kumamoto governor visited TSMC headquarters in November 2025 to discuss further expansion.
The JASM investment transforms Japan's position in the semiconductor value chain: from materials and equipment supplier to also hosting leading-edge manufacturing. While Kumamoto's processes are not cutting-edge (that's Rapidus's role), the 6/7nm and potential 4nm capabilities serve critical automotive, industrial, and IoT markets where Japanese companies are major consumers. The combination of domestic production, proximity to customers, and Japan's quality manufacturing culture makes JASM a cornerstone of Japan's semiconductor renaissance.