TSMC expansion draws Japanese onsen promoters to Taiwan

台積電擴建吸引日本溫泉推廣商來台

Kumamoto and Yamaguchi prefectures promote Kikuchi and Nagato Yumoto onsens


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TSMC's plant in Kumamoto has attracted Japanese hot spring operators to Taiwan for promotion, CNA reported on Sunday.

Taiwanese travelers to Japan reached 5.04 million from January to October this year, setting a record high. Hot spring operators from Kumamoto and Yamaguchi prefectures promoted Kikuchi Onsen and Nagato Yumoto Onsen to Taiwanese tourists on Sunday.

Chu Chun-yen (朱俊彥), a Kumamoto-Kaohsiung exchange promotion advisor, said Kikuchi Onsen preserves its Showa-style architecture. He said the nearby Kikuchi Park is also a popular cherry blossom viewing spot.

Chu said Kikuchi Onsen, despite its relatively short 70-year history, was named one of Japan's Top 100 Hot Springs in 2012. According to Chu, local legend says the hot spring was discovered when a "white dragon" emerged from the site.

Yamaguchi's Nagato Yumoto Onsen, with a 600-year history, has become a popular destination for travelers since its renovation in 2017. It ranked among the top 30 in Japan's Top 100 Onsen last year.

Taiwan was the top source of tourists to Kumamoto last year, with about 310,000 visitors, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Direct flights are available from Taiwan to Kumamoto, the agency said.

TSMC opened its first Kumamoto plant in February, with construction on a second plant set to begin in early 2025. The investment for the two plants is approximately NT$630 billion (US$20 billion), per Yahoo News.