Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that it will not be able to start this year's vehicle production in Japan as planned as some of its suppliers suffered damage from the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the country's Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day.
The automaker had initially planned to start production on Monday, but the plan was scratched after the quake in central Japan, President Koji Sato told reporters in Tokyo, adding that it will decide on the timing by Sunday.
"We hope to make a decision...by assessing the inventory situation," Sato said.
Sato also revealed that 10 dealerships in quake-stricken Ishikawa Prefecture are unable to operate.
