TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co. said Friday it will temporarily suspend operations at three vehicle plants in Japan as demand is falling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Japanese automaker has already been suspending operations briefly at some factories in the country since February.

The company said it will halt production at its key Oppama factory in the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, for three days in April and on May 1.

Production will be halted for 13 days in April and on May 1 at the Tochigi plant in the eastern Japan prefecture of Tochigi.

At subsidiary Nissan Motor Kyushu Co.'s plant in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, night shifts will be suspended for 21 days in April. Production at the Fukuoka plant will be fully suspended on May 1.

Honda Motor Co. will stop production on April 16-17 at the Sayama plant in the city of Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, due to parts shortages.

The company will suspend motorcycle production on April 13-14 at the Kumamoto factory in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, in response to falling demand in Europe.

Due to supply chain disruptions, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will halt its minivehicle production line at the Mizushima plant in the city of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, between Friday and April 10.

Suzuki Motor Corp. is set to idle all five plants in Japan between Wednesday and April 3.

JIJI Press