Kumamoto International Archive

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

Bloomberg has a useful explanation of the shindo system for those unfamiliar or who would like to tell their friends and family. The article notes, "At shindo 7, the JMA says, it is 'impossible to remain standing.' People may be 'thrown through the air,' wooden buildings may fall down, and even reinforced concrete walls may collapse."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-19/-impossible-to-remain-standing-japan-s-quake-scale-explained
Tag: Understandingwhathappened
`Impossible to Remain Standing': Japan's Quake Scale
On April 15, the day after the first in a series of damaging earthquakes struck a rural part of southern Japan, all of the nation’s major newspapers carried the same headline: "Shindo 7 in Kumamoto." No further explanation was needed.

"The nuclear village has also overcome massive demonstrations and opposition to nuclear power and revved up a reactor near quake-stricken Kumamoto despite having a dubious evacuation plan and its proximity to active volcanoes."
This article mentions the situation in Kumamoto the nuclear plant in Sendai (near Minamata) but it is primarily about the failure of the media to actively oppose government pronouncements.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/04/30/commentary/japans-meek-media-kowtows-government/
Japan's meek media kowtows to the government | The Japan Times
Last week I compared the Catholic Church in Boston and Japan's "nuclear village" of atomic-power advocates — two powerful institutions that stifled e

May 1st was the 60th anniversary of the official "discovery" of Minamata disease. Each year, there have been two commemorations -- official and unofficial -- on May 1st. The official ceremony is held for certified victims. The need for another unofficial ceremony stems from the failure of the government to recognize the suffering of large numbers of other victims -- people who were poisoned by the disease but are unable to meet the government's stringent certification standards. Today, the unofficial ceremony was held (see attached photo) but the official ceremony was postponed because the governor and other officials could not take time away from dealing with earthquake-related issues.
Actually, there is a potential connection between what happened in Minamata and earthquakes. Tons of mercury-laden sludge have been buried in reclaimed land that now occupies what was once Minamata Bay. For years, it has been pointed out that an earthquake in Minamata could caused large amounts of mercury to be released into the bay once more.
Regardless of whether a quake hits Minamata or not, the Minamata disease issue remains unsettled. Court cases are still pending and patients are still waiting to have the applications for certification adjudicated -- 60 years since the problem was first officially reported.
-- Kirk
http://jp.reuters.com/article/idJP2016050101001442
　水俣病は１日、公式確認から６０年を迎えた。熊本県水俣市の山中にある「乙女塚」では、患者らでつくる「水俣病互助会」などが慰霊祭を開き、約５０人が犠牲者を悼んだ。国は問題の最終解決を目指して未認定患者の救済策を２度にわたって実施したが、今も熊本、鹿児島両県に２千人超が患者認定を申請している。補償を求める訴訟も各地で続き、解決の道は遠い。

Today I went to the consultation event held at the International Center. Mr. Yagi had asked me to come to help with translation but, as it turned out, my services were not needed in that sphere after all and I had time to enjoy the free food, delicious coffee, and talk with many different people. The coffee was provided by Natural Coffee (see link). I had the pleasure of meeting Yukiko Matsuike who runs the establishment. She specializes in fair trade coffee. Her shop was damaged in the quake but she is still going strong. If you are not in Kumamoto or far from her shop but are interested in fair trade coffee, it's also possible to order through her site.
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/naturalcoffeejp/
Natural Coffee
自家焙煎コーヒーショップ・喫茶・スリランカカレー

Recently, I've met a lot of people (journalists, gas company workers, volunteers, etc) who came from other parts of Japan to help with the sudden onslaught of quake-related tasks to be done. As the article indicates, local civil servants will also need all of the help they can get to deal with the mountains of paperwork created by the quake.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/05/01/national/disaster-casualty-certificates-slowed-staff-shortages-kumamoto/
Disaster casualty certificates slowed by staff shortages in Kumamoto | The Japan Times
The issuance of disaster victim certificates in Kumamoto Prefecture is being slowed by staffing shortages at various municipalities. The certificates are n

Shaun O'Dwyer has not only been doing good work with It's Not Just Mud (INJM) -- he has also found the time to write eloquently about it.
A question for Shaun: Do you think the encounter with Prime Minister Abe led to the NHK coverage?
(For those of you who are not aware of the NHK coverage, please see https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1029197617153670 )
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2016/05/01/issues/foreign-volunteers-helping-rebuild-lives-kumamoto/
Foreign volunteers helping to rebuild lives in Kumamoto | The Japan Times
The truth is, as many volunteers are needed as can help the many homeowners who want possessions recovered from destroyed homes, or who need trash and heavy broken appliances pulled out of their otherwise intact dwellings.

In this post I'd like to write a little about the Kumamoto City web page. If you would like to learn about information that has been put up on the city's page but you're not able to read Japanese, I recommend that you do the following:
1. Copy the url (http://www.city.kumamoto.jp/)
2. Go to Google Translate (https://translate.google.com)
3. Paste the url in and hit translate
Actually, the city has already prepared a machine translation of its page (see image) and this is sometimes included in quake related link collections but I recommend that Google Translate be used instead for the following reasons:
1. Google translate allows you to quickly and easily compare the English translation with the original Japanese as you read, but the city's machine translation has no such function.
2. The city's machine translated page is a dead end (it does not contain even a link to the original Japanese information).
I plan to discuss this issue and other related issues with responsible personnel in the city government. I will point out to them that, while it is certainly important to provide information in English, Japanese officials should not assume that foreigners ONLY need English and that giving us the possibility of referring to the original Japanese (or of asking a Japanese friend to check the original Japanese for us) is completely unnecessary. I will also ask them if tax payers are paying for the inferior solution currently available on their web site when a free link to Google translate would have done a better job.
-- Kirk

Kumanichi led with an article titled "Aid Mismatch" which pointed out a few challenges aid centers face:
- Volunteers who arrive without appropriate tools to conduct needed work;
- Lack of long-term volunteers (over a month);
- Poor infrastructure state, with roads crowded and housing lacking;
- Lack of information regarding needs in the still-unfolding disaster.
The article also noted a call for volunteers from the Kumamoto City Fukushi (Welfare) Center for work concentrated at helping elderly clean their houses. This type of volunteer activity would obviate the above concerns, but due to its personal nature, basic proficiency in spoken Japanese is required. The Center's Website (Japanese only) is below. Those in need of more info may PM us. - William http://www.kumamoto-city-csw.or.jp/
社会福祉法人熊本市社会福祉協議会
熊本市社会福祉協議会は、熊本市の地域福祉推進を図ることを目的とする社会福祉法人です。

Joe Tomei here. Beau Retallick has shared his excel sheet for volunteering information that was posted as a photo earlier and you can find a link to it on the Kuma-i FAQ page at:
http://kumamotoi.blogspot.jp/p/blog-page.html
We've also made a google docs folder and we'd like to collect forms and information that people may need for applying for various support available after the earthquake. If you do get a Japanese form that you think might be useful to people, if you can scan it or take a clear picture of it with your phone, please mail it to me at [email protected] and I'll upload it. Please only send blank forms so no one's private information is shared. Thanks in advance.
Kumamoto International: 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake FAQ
For those of you currently living in cramped conditions (shelter, car, etc.), you are at risk for developing economy class syndrome (エコノミー症候群・ekonomii shoukougun). This is a very serious condition that may be deadly, and is believed to have caused one death already.In addition to moving when you can…

Joe Tomei here with something from the mailing list
====
Kumamoto YWCA will have a recycling bazaar on MAY 7!
TIME: 14:00～16：00
PLACE: KUMAMOTO KARYOU KAIKANN
WEST OF KUMAMOTO UNIV,
NEXT TO KUMAMOTO YWCA(2-27-21, Kurokami)
You don't have to register.
ALL THING ARE FREE!
(There are clothes, cups, dishes and small things.)
JUST pay \100 as an admission fee.
We hope to meet a lot of students.
Hoping all of you are healthy and peaceful.
SAYOKO ONO
====

Seán Michael Wilson is a professional writer who lives in Kumamoto. So, it's no surprise that his account of the quake is a good read.
To see a post about an interview with Seán go to
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1022022017871230
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2016/04/20/issues/dispatches-kumamoto-quake-zone/
Dispatches from the Kumamoto quake zone | The Japan Times
Personal accounts relate tales of kindness and resilience after the initial confusion and panic of last week's deadly temblors.

「People tend to recall the terror of disasters and become emotional two to three weeks after such an event, said Yoshikazu Maruyama, who heads the Red Cross Society’s domestic medical relief department and oversees the teams dispatched to affected areas.
“It’s not good to hold back your feelings,” he said, “Exercise and an orderly life will also help.”」
As I have pointed out in several other posts, there will be an event tomorrow (Sunday) at the International Center that will give non-Japanese residents an opportunity to get questions answered, talk about one's feelings and/or situation, and meet people with similar experiences. See the following link for details:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134.25925.123734781033296/1027581700648595/?type=3&theater
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/29/national/social-issues/ptsd-sufferers-increasing-in-quake-hit-kumamoto/
PTSD sufferers increasing in quake-hit Kumamoto | The Japan Times
An increasing number of children as well as adults in parts of quake-hit Kyushu are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, necessitating urgent tre

The photo that the Japan Times stuck on this article is of the most temporary kind of temporary housing (tents) but if you read the article, seeing the name Toyo Ito (2013 recipient of the Pritzker Prize) may make you feel a bit more optimistic. Let's hope he can design beautiful housing that generations to come will enjoy and take pride in.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/29/national/kumamoto-kicks-off-housing-drive-for-evacuees-kyushu-expressway-reopens/
Kumamoto kicks off housing drive for evacuees; Kyushu Expressway reopens | The Japan Times
The Kumamoto Prefectural Government on Friday said it has begun building temporary housing in the village of Nishihara and the town of Kosa for those displ

We've had quite a few aftershocks in just the past 24 hours. Even though the aftershocks themselves may not be strong enough to cause physical harm, they can heighten anxiety and change behavior, as the article indicates.
If you are in Kumamoto City and would like an opportunity to talk with others about how the aftershocks are affecting you and/or other quake-related issues, please consider attending tomorrow's event at the International Center. See the following link for details:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134.25925.123734781033296/1027581700648595/?type=3&theater
-- Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002912602
70% still evacuees due to fear of aftershocks
KUMAMOTO — Many evacuees in Kumamoto city’s shelters said they cannot go back home due to fear of aftershocks and would prefer to remain in the shelters for a while, according to a survey conducted by the city.

The American ambassador to Japan, Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, visited Kumamoto on Friday to encourage relief efforts following the series of earthquakes. During Kennedy's visit, she presented a certificate to our own Sara Brown in gratitude for the efforts Sara and others have made towards helping non-Japanese navigate the disaster. Sara remarked that she was concerned about how non-Japanese speakers would cope and was happy to use her language skills to assist. I hope that Sara will post more about her experience soon. - William
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160429/k10010504151000.html
米ケネディ駐日大使熊本を訪問し感謝状贈る | NHKニュース
アメリカのケネディ駐日大使が２９日、熊本市を訪問し、地震のあと、熊本県内に住むアメリカ人の安否確認などを行った人たちに感謝状を贈りました。

Earlier, I pointed out how the corner stones you see in the picture are continuing to support the Iidamaru Gokai Yagura (飯田丸五階櫓), despite the collapse of the surrounding walls. Until I saw this article, however, I didn't realize that it had become a symbol of determination from which the people of Kumamoto were drawing inspiration. The article calls it the "ippon ishigaki" (the "single-pile stone wall"), a name that is reminiscent of the "ipponmatsu" (single pine tree) of Rikuzen-Takata, which became a symbol of resoluteness and survival after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (http://www.mustlovejapan.com/subject/ipponmatsu_rikuzentakata/).
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ4X2RPCJ4XTIPE004.html
熊本城の「一本石垣」、踏ん張る　被災者「私たちも」：朝日新聞デジタル
　今にも崩れ落ちそうなわずかな石――。熊本県などを襲った一連の地震で大きな被害を受けた熊本城（熊本市中央区）に、かろうじて櫓（やぐら）を支えている石垣がある。二度の大きな揺れに耐えた「一本石垣」は、ま…

Years ago, I watched as a section of a Kumamoto Castle wall was restored: Each stone was numbered and the wall was photographed before being dismantled to ensure that it could be properly reassembled as each stone had to fit in a particular position like a puzzle piece.
Imamura Katsuhiko (76), former head of the Kumamoto Castle General Office, says that the key to restoring the walls is to analyze old photographs and collect experts from around the nation. He also notes that the work difficulty is compounded by the different construction styles used in the various walls - and that that in itself is what makes Kumamoto Castle so historically valuable.
The current administrators of the castle are struggling to secure photographs and records of past restoration to enable this, and a search is on for masons with appropriate skills. I suspect that restoration will eventually result in a use of original and newly-cut stones, particularly as many of the original stones were broken during the collapse. However it works out, this will likely be a decade-long project. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160429015.xhtml

This announcement is about multilingual consultation services offered by the Kumamoto International Foundation, but the notice is posted on the website of Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
By the way, as I posted yesterday, If you would like to have an opportunity to talk with experts and/or other non-Japanese quake survivors directly, please come to the International Center this Sunday:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134.25925.123734781033296/1027581700648595/
http://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_kyotsuu/important/kinkyu02_000225.html
総務省｜外国籍住民のための電話相談と情報提供（Multilingual Information and Advice for Affected Foreigners）
Kumamoto International Foundation is providing information and assistance in English, Chinese and other language for foreigners not to miss available public support Please see hereor the detailed information(English) Please see hereor the detailed information(Chinese)

Roads can be rebuilt but when the land that supported them has fallen away, restoration is made very difficult. :(
-- Kirk
By the way, I had missed this article but found it on the Explore Kumamoto page:
https://www.facebook.com/explorekumamoto/posts/1148664605157769
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604280094.html
Road evocative of Miyazaki's classic anime ruined by quakes：The Asahi Shimbun
ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--A road here nicknamed “Laputa no Michi” (Road of Laputa) because the sceni

Yesterday, Joe introduced a map showing roads that are not available:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1027678297305602
The address of the map is:
http://saigai.jartic.or.jp/view.html
When I looked at it earlier this morning, the expressway was not open but, according to the map at least, it is open now. :)
The map doesn't seem to allow you to ask it for the best route to your destination. I took a look a Google maps, however, and found that information about roads and bridges that have been damaged or destroyed does seem to be reflected in the routes it proposes. As you can see in the second image, when I asked for a route that would normally use the Aso Ohashi Bridge, Google immediately suggested an alternative route.
Generally speaking, it's probably a good idea to avoid contributing to congestion and stay off the roads unless you really need to go somewhere. If you have to drive, however, you might refer to both web maps to make sure you know the best way to go.
-- Kirk