Arai Helmets News
In the following statement, Arai Americas reports on its parent company’s state after the March 11’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake, which subsequently triggered a tsunami in the Northeastern region of the country north of Tokyo.
Arai Helmets’ headquarters are in Omiya, Japan, in the Saitama prefecture, about 45 minutes northwest of Tokyo. This is approximately 200 miles southwest of the Miyagi prefecture, sight of the catastrophe’s major impact.
A company spokesman said that while a few of Arai’s factories sustained minor damage, none of its employees were injured. Arai’s operations and production are going forward, subject only to occasional delays from controlled power outages to conserve electricity, although those have lessened in recent weeks as the situation becomes somewhat more stabilized.
The only other reported effect are some shortages of a few of the materials used in production, although Arai said it that it has sources to fill the need for the time being, and is getting very good cooperation from its regular suppliers whose priority is to do their best to help the company.
Mr. Michio Arai, president and son of the company founder, singled out America for special thanks.
Michio Arai says: "Let me express my cordial thanks to the people of the United States. Our TV showed helicopters of US troops being welcomed by refugees of the disaster, bringing supplies of food, goods, and aid. They were very nice and warm scenes to see. Thank you."
As of Monday, April 25, the death toll is more than 14,300 and there are over 12,000 people missing. The 2011 Japan Earthquake is considered the deadliest natural disaster since the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which claimed the lives of more than 142,000 people.
