Toyota, other major Japanese firms hit by quake damage, supply disruptions

Can't be helped. The whole country is susceptible to this kind of damage, so no matter where you build, it will happen anyway.

They learned nothing from the supply chain issues during 3/11, when car production globally suffered shortages of parts. Even a few weeks extra inventory of parts would prevent this.

Toyota pioneered LEAN manufacturing techniques and just-in-time deliveries. They work very well to save money, because it doesn't tie up money in inventory just sitting there waiting to be used, but can create huge problems it times like this. On the flip side, say the parts had been ready to go, but then damaged in the quake. Then not only would they have lost money due to the material cost, but they would have lost the labor cost sunk into those parts as well. Sometimes you can't plan around natural disasters.