• The Wall Street Journal, Monday, March 14, 2011 9:46 AM

Besides automakers, Sony has shuttered six production facilities even though only one sustained major damage. The economic consequences of the disaster are likely to be long-term. A fifth of the country's nuclear energy capacity is off line and Japan's oil refineries are also hobbled. Kirin, Asahi and Sapporo breweries, which account for 40% of Japan's beer production, are down. Tokyo shares are also way down in early Monday trading. But scholars who study how countries deal with natural disasters say -- not surprisingly -- that rich countries rebound more strongly than poor ones -- Haiti and the Indonesia region of Aceh, being the most recent examples.

Also at issue are global supply chains, as Japan plays a big role in global production, making a fifth of the world's semiconductors, plus cars, paper, steel, beer and everything from machine tools and solar panels. Extended shutdowns there could mean shortages of key components for manufacturers in other markets.

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