Kirk here with some amazing news I came across today: The volume of groundwater in Kumamoto is 1.6 that of Lake Biwa. For reference, I’m sharing screenshots of Lake Biwa and Kumamoto Google maps. I think you can get a pretty good idea of just how huge Lake Biwa is – and the volume of water in Kumamoto considerable greater than that! It’s hard to believe but that’s what researchers at Kumamoto University say, according to the following Japanese news report (with video):
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/kumamoto/20230210/5000018246.html
Access to groundwater is an important reason for TSMC coming here (the chip manufacturing process requires lots of water). Recently there’s been talk about a second plant being built:
TSMC’s Second Japan Plant to Reportedly Cost Over $7.4 Billion https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-23/tsmc-s-second-japan-plant-to-cost-over-7-4b-nikkan-kogyo
There’s concern, though, that two huge plants could eventually disturb the natural balance in the water table. Too much paving over of natural areas is another problem for Kumamoto’s groundwater (pavement prevents the necessary seeping in process). So, even though 1.6 the volume of Biwa Lake sounds infinite, it’s not. I hope due attention will be paid to conservation as Kumamoto develops.
P.S. The NHK report about groundwater in Kumamoto says that the Prefecture has budgeted about 2 million US dollars for groundwater preservation.