Heavy Snow Causes Japan's Automakers Problems

TOKYO December 25, 2005; Japan Today reported that heavy snow that has hit a wide area of the Japanese archipelago forced Toyota Motor Corp and other major automakers to suspend operations in various parts of the country on Friday.

Toyota suspended operations at all of the 15 factories run by the automaker and its affiliates in Japan, company officials said. Heavy snow also forced Honda Motor Co, Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Daihatsu Motor Co to temporarily halt operations Frida