Kumamoto International Archive

Archive of the Kumamoto International Facebook group, 2011–present.

If you're interested in volunteering (you may need to be able to understand Japanese to participate), this website (in Japanese) may be of interest. -- Kirk
宇土市社会福祉協議会 | 災害ボランティアの募集開始について
トップ災害ボランティア関連情報災害ボランティアの募集開始について災害ボランティアの募集開始についてこのたびの災害により被害を受けられた皆さまに、心よりお見舞い申し上げます。宇土市社会福祉協議会では.....

Here's the English version of Kumamoto City's page about how to donate. Even though the page is translated the thumbnails you see and the pages they take you to regarding Furusato Nozei (Hometown tax payment) are all in Japanese.
Kumamoto City
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/kiji00372174/index.html
Here is a similar page for Kumamoto Prefecture
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp.e.qp.hp.transer.com/soshiki/27/274572.html?_ga=2.130187023.1891056844.1785999191-797217835.1785999191
And for Yatsushiro City
https://www.city.yatsushiro.lg.jp.e.xl.hp.transer.com/bousai/kiji00326782/index.html
As I look at these now, it occurs to me that it may be difficult to donate from outside of Japan. Not sure about that at this writing.
-- Kirk

More strange news. -- Kirk
Japanese Adult Film Actress Donates 3 Million Yen to Kumamoto; Faces Backlash as 'Dirty Money' - The Asia Business Daily
A famous Japanese adult film actress has come under fire after delivering tens of millions of won worth of donations and relief supplies to victims of

Here's something I didn't expect. If your Nintendo product was damaged in the quake, you're in luck. -- Kirk
--- start quote ---
Regarding Nintendo products owned by customers affected by the recent earthquake, we will provide repair services as follows.
Target customers
Individual customers residing in areas where the Disaster Relief Act was applied due to the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake.
--- end quote ---
Nintendo announces free repairs for those affected by Kumamoto earthquake, donating 50 million yen to Red Cross
https://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-announces-free-repairs-for-those-affected-by-kumamoto-earthquake-donating-50-million-yen-to-red-cross/

Literally a "feel good" story. -- Kirk
Japan temple in quake-hit area opens pool to children deprived of summer fun - The Mainichi
HIKAWA, Kumamoto -- A temple in this disaster-hit town is opening its own plastic pool on its grounds to children every day, offering them a moment of

Here's a crazy idea circulating on X (Elon Musk's misinformation machine) that I wasn't aware of. -- Kirk
Claims of man-made quake spread online in Japan after Kumamoto disaster
Experts dismiss the theory as unrealistic in technological, financial and practical terms. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The fireworks shows that had been planned for Ezuko in Kumamoto City toward the end of August has been canceled to enable city workers to focus on recovery efforts. -- KIrk
熊本市『江津湖花火大会』中止　復旧を優先　南区中心に数千戸の被害見込む【令和８年熊本地震】 (26/08/04 19:00)
地震発生から1週間を迎え、熊本市の大西一史市長は４日に臨時会見を開きました。　熊本市では死者はいないものの、人的被害は６１...

This video shows a house that was severely damaged but still partially standing suddenly collapsing -- several days after the quakes! Fortunately, the people in the area knew it was a dangerous building so everyone kept their distance and no one was hurt. -- Kirk
【時間差倒壊】地震でダメージ受けた建物がしばらく経って崩れることも　傾いた建物には絶対に近づかないで！　八代市は応急危険度判定を進める　2026年熊本地震 | 熊本のニュース｜
今回の地震で被害を受けた建物が、しばらく経ってから崩れました。建物に近づくのが危険な場合があります。

Kirk here with something I got from the International Center about temporary housing:
Municipal housing for people whose house has been damaged from Kumamoto Earthquake 2026
Kumamoto City is going to provide temporary housing for people have difficult situations to live due to damage from Kumamoto Earthquake 2026.
【Eligible applicants】
People who suffered more than half-broken damage to house by Kumamoto earthquake in 2026, and cannot continue to live.
As a general rule, you will need a disaster certificate issued by the municipal government. (more than half-broken, copy is also acceptable) In case of your situation, you may submit the certificate at a later date.
【Period of occupancy】
In principle, it will be for up to six months. (You can renew the contract for 1 year maximum.)
【Payment for housing】
Rent, Parking fee and security deposit are waived.
Common area maintenance fee　and water and utility cost are responsible for residents.
【How to apply】
Your application will be accepted at some places.
(the counter will be different place Kumamoto city resident and outside of Kumamoto city resident)
It will be first-serve, first-come basis.
Housing for which you have applied to move in will be closed.
【Reception period and place】
(Kumamoto city residents)
From August 6 and 7, 2026
Lobby at 1st floor of Kumamoto city Hino Kimi Cultural Center
Address: 394-1 Maibara, Jonan-cho, Minami-ku, Kumamoto 861-4214, Japan
August 8, 2026
Kumamoto City Hall 14F Special Venue
Address: 1-1, Tetori Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi
(Kumamoto city and outside city residents)
August 9, 2026
Kumamoto City Hall 14F Special Venue
Weekdays from August 10th (except weekends and national holidays)
Kumamoto City Hall 9th Floor Municipal Housing Management Center
・Reception time
10am to 4pm (all venues)
(If all of you come before 10am at reception, there will be a draw to determine the order of application and accept.)
Person who comes after 10am
will be a first-serve and first-come basis when the order of people who came at the reception by 10am finished.
【what you need to bring】
・Copy of a disaster certificate
・Your identification(driver’s license, my number card that shows you live in an affected area)
・application documents(Application for Permission to Use Administrative Property,　Written Pledge)
※if agent apply on behalf, you will also need below;
・ID card of the agent　
・Power of Attorney (who delegates what to whom)
【others】
Please note you will need to prepare furniture, home appliances, curtains.
In municipal housing, you may not own animals as your pets, and feed wild animals. (such as cats, dogs)
【Inquiry】
Division of Municipal Housing
096-328-2461
Kumamoto International Foundation
4-18 Hanaba-cho Chuo ward Kumamoto 860-0806
096-359-2121
[email protected]

Here's a video from NHK with various information about how the quake has affected foreigners in Kumamoto. The image you see is from an interview with Ms. Katsuya of the International Center. -- Kirk
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20260804154251995/

Kirk here sharing another example of hate speech. The article is from NHK:
https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015196331000
It's basically a good article but it could be better. Instead of the slightly sensationalist question ("Did Foreign Nationals Steal Food from a Convenience Store?") it might have been worded as follows: "Beware of False Information: Foreign Nationals Falsely Accused of Stealing Food from a Convenience Store." The question is problematic because it seems to imply that the rumor MIGHT be true. Of course, it could be that the person who decided on the title of the article is someone other than the person who wrote it. Still, . . .
Also, I'd like to point out that the hateful post from which I took the image is calling for "severe punishment" for the supposed thieves. I too am in favor of "severe punishment" but for the idiots who spread these sorts lies on the internet -- not for the falsely accused.
--- Start ChatGPT translation ---
Kumamoto Earthquake: Did Foreign Nationals Steal Food from a Convenience Store? Beware of False Information
August 4, 2026, 8:19 p.m.
2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
Following last month’s Kumamoto earthquake, false information has been spreading on social media claiming that “Indonesians stole” food from a convenience store. False reports of crimes and other harm tend to spread easily after disasters. Even when people encounter emotionally provocative posts, it is important to remain calm, refrain from sharing them without verification, and check information provided by public authorities and news organizations.
On July 31, following the earthquake that registered a maximum intensity of 7 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Kumamoto Prefecture, false information was posted and widely shared on X. The post included a video showing people resting in a parking lot and convenience-store crates containing food, accompanied by claims such as, “Indonesians stole entire crates from FamilyMart in the disaster area.”
Some of the posts have since been deleted, but at least one was viewed more than 11 million times.
The video was filmed in the parking lot of the Kumamoto factory operated by Fuji Baking, a major bread manufacturer. In response to an inquiry, the company explained:
“We understand that factory employees were resting outside because the power was out at their dormitory and it was hot inside. The food had been distributed to employees because it could not be delivered to convenience stores. No theft occurred.”
The information being circulated was therefore false.
False reports of crimes and other harm have repeatedly spread following disasters, and similar misinformation is circulating in connection with the latest Kumamoto earthquake.
Even when a post provokes a strong emotional reaction, people should check who posted it and what kind of material the account normally publishes. When the source is uncertain, it is important not to share the post casually, but instead to remain calm and verify the information through public authorities and news organizations.
--- end ChatGPT translation ---
This image comes from the following racist X post: https://x.com/dextuchiboukou/status/2084821827088728513

In addition to Kumamoto Castle, this article mentions Aoi Aso Shrine, Tsujunkyo Bridge, Misumi West Port, and Manda Pit. I have no details to share about those important facilities now but I hope to able to provide more information later. -- Kirk
Japan reports damage to 53 cultural assets after Kumamoto quake
Kumamoto Castle may face further restoration delays as officials assess damage spanning National Treasures and World Heritage components.

This may be important news for anyone out there who is looking for a place to stay. -- Kirk
Airbnb.org provides victims and rescuers of the Kumamoto earthquake with free accommodations
Following the great earthquake in Kumamoto, Airbnb.org has begun providing free accommodations as emergency shelters to support victims and rescuers.

News about interns in Kumamoto is often bad so I was glad to come across this story with a happy ending. -- Kirk
Kumamoto quake reinforces bonds between farmer and Filipino interns - The Mainichi
HIKAWA, Kumamoto -- Two Filipino technical interns escaped unharmed after a powerful earthquake hit this town on July 28, bringing tears of relief to

I just posted about the record temperatures and said that I hadn't see a report in English that mentioned the fact that it was a record. However, this report does. -- Kirk
Kumamoto quake survivors risk heatstroke as temps top 40C | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Temperatures surpassed 40 degrees Celsius in Japan's western prefecture of Kumamoto on Monday, breaking prefectural heat records. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the area last week. Officials advise people there to watch out for heatstroke and the possibility of more quakes.

Kirk here. Several reports in English mentioned that the temperature in Kumamoto City rose above 40C yesterday but I couldn't find one that mentioned that it was a record, as many of the Japanese-language reports did. Oh, and I didn't notice until just now that the city broke the all-time record two days in a row! Looks like global warming to me.
--- start translation ---
Kumamoto Prefecture Records Its First-Ever Day of Extreme Heat; 40.0°C in Kumamoto City
At 2:24 p.m. today, August 3, the temperature in Kumamoto City reached a high of 40.3°C, marking the first time on record that Kumamoto Prefecture has experienced a day of such extreme heat.
Warm air aloft, intense sunshine, and easterly winds that make it difficult for cooling sea breezes to reach the area have combined to produce dangerously high temperatures that could be life-threatening.
Kumamoto City had only just set a new heat record yesterday, August 2, when the temperature reached 38.9°C—the highest recorded since observations began in 1890. The city has therefore broken its all-time temperature record on two consecutive days.
--- end translation ---
【速報】熊本市で40.3℃　熊本県で史上初の酷暑日(気象予報士日直主任)
今日3日、午後2時24分、熊本市では最高気温が40.3℃に達し、熊本県で観測史上初めての酷暑日となりました。

Joe Tomei here. Alex and a few others have asked about what needs to be donated in terms of the disaster response. I spoke to Andrew Mitchell (I hope I'm tagging the right Andrew) and some people here at Gakuen and the basic answer is there is no need for supplies from the outside, but you are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross. This is my speculation, but I suspect there were disaster supplies laid in for this and challenge isn't getting supplies, it is delivering them to the people in need. However, when the disaster response is over, I imagine that restocking will be important. I realize that is not as satisfying as being able to donate, but one thing I appreciate here in Japan is the kaizen mindset where making small, continuous, positive changes are focussed on to drive long-term improvement.

Kirk here. I haven't been able to post much about the castle so this article is welcome. It includes a YouTube video of a stone wall crumbling. That said, even though the Smithsonian is a reputable institution, I can't endorse the article without reservation. For one, the title is sensationalistic and oversimplifies what happened: "This 400-Year-Old Impenetrable Japanese Castle That Survived a Samurai Siege Just Crumbled in an Earthquake." No, the "castle" didn't just crumble. There are probably other issues that I haven't noticed yet but, even so, it has some good links to other material so I'd recommend checking it out if you are interested in the castle.
This 400-Year-Old Impenetrable Japanese Castle That Survived a Samurai Siege Just Crumbled in an Earthquake
In 1877, a force rebelling against Emperor Meiji attacked Kumamoto Castle on Japan's southern Kyushu island

Kirk here. Translation is not a simple matter. 負けません (makemasen) is translated as "will not lose." But this usage of "makeru" is not the win/loss record of a sports team; it's about being "beaten" or "defeated" by the quakes, either of which sound a bit more natural in English. Or, you could say "Kumamoto will never give up." I imagine there are lots of other free translations that might work.
Earlier, I asked if people were using AI in the quake and most of the responses were negative. My own sense, however, is that the more powerful paid-for models (not what you get for free) have improved tremendously. ChatGPT 5.6 Sol (High) offered this analysis:
--- start quote ---
“Kumamoto won’t lose” is a close literal translation and works as a slogan, but in English it can prompt the question “lose what?” Here, 負けません means something closer to “will not be defeated,” “will not be beaten,” or “will not give in.”
For a caption, I might write:
As earthquakes continue to strike Kumamoto Prefecture, a cosplayer at the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya over the weekend holds a sign reading, “I came from Kumamoto. Kumamoto won’t give in.”
--- end quote ---
Which brings me to my take on AI and translation in the media:
Simply throwing something at AI and then publishing it without reviewing it is irresponsible. But, now that we have AI, assuming that your linguistic skill is adequate (when it isn't) and not taking the time to run a translation by AI to check for problems (e.g. "lose" vs. "be defeated") before publishing is also irresponsible.
https://japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/kumamoto's-unbreakable-spirit
P.S. If you're interested, my previous post about AI and the comments I received are here:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid029fXHhpf9chd4U9rFyekLw1LwfAdsGkFELFt7Wt6jJB2b8MZGrqqKz2E8QtiQGpc2l
Kumamoto's unbreakable spirit
As quakes continue to hit Kumamoto Prefecture, this cosplayer at the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya on the weekend holds a sign that says "I came from Kumamoto. Kumamoto won't lose."

This disaster has made me aware of Vietnam+ (the website publishing this article I'm sharing here), which publishes in several languages, and VIET JO, which publishes in Japanese. -- Kirk
Vietnamese community in Japan gradually returns to normal after earthquake disaster
The cities of Yatsushiro and Uki were among the hardest-hit areas. Around 1,000 Vietnamese nationals live in Yatsushiro and about 350 in Uki, most of them technical interns and specified skilled workers employed in agriculture.