NHK reported that a small fire broke out at the Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto yesterday afternoon.
Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the fire but it is believed to have been started by a faulty device being charged
The local fire service says the fire, which broke out in a third-floor room, was first reported around 1pm on August 15 and that eight trucks were dispatched to the scene.
Ultimately, however, they weren’t needed because when they arrived some Nintendo employees had put out the fire themselves, with the only damage reported being a few burned tables and chairs.
Interestingly, it was just a few weeks ago at Nintendo’s annual general meeting that the company has discussed some contingency plans for what would happen if Nintendo’s Buildings and assets have ever been threatened. Not that they’ve ever been here, but it’s still interesting reading given the context, or if you’ve ever wondered “how would Nintendo survive a massive disaster?”:
Even if our business continuity caused by a natural disaster, such as can restore operations as soon as possible.
When a disaster strikes, we will convene a Disaster Response Committee, headed by the President, to certify the safety of our employees, protect the integrity of company property, and secure personnel and communications systems for the recovery effort. As part of our development activities, backup copies of critical information such as data from games currently under development are regularly made. This allows us to recover the data as quickly as possible should something happen. In manufacturing, we try to reduce overall risk by dividing operations between several subcontractors whenever possible. This allows us to mitigate the impact on crafting and sourcing of materials in the event a manufacturing partner’s facility is damaged.
In terms of individual business operations, we have always worked to ensure smooth business continuity by constantly reviewing our priorities during emergencies and creating action plans for each department during normal hours. If required, we also carry out civil protection training.
