http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605120018.html
2016-05-12 19:33 JST 2016 http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605120018.html Top spinning fun eases trauma of Kumamoto quake victims：The Asahi ShimbunNISHIHARA, Kumamoto Prefecture--Yuichiro and Koichiro Sato thought their traditional Japanese top-sp https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605120018.html?utm_i … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 4 · Comments: 0 ← 2016-05-12 17:18 JST 2016-05-12 21:34 JST → Around this time … 2016-05-13 03:58 JSTEast Asian Football Federation to support Kumamoto … 2016-05-12 22:47 JSTWord has it that the pond at Suizenji Park is now either half-empty or half-full (rigth photo) depending on your perspective - but either is a huge improvement on the mostly-empty situation of the last few weeks (left). Kumanichi quoted a Kumadai professor whom I won't name because he stated, basically, "Maybe it's the recent rain, or maybe it's something else. We don't have the data," which, frankly, is something any of us could have said. I'd guess that sediment is beginning to plug the gap between the upper and lower aquifers - but then again, I'm the one who assured you on 4/14 after the 6.5 quake that things were unlikely to get much worse. Grain of salt. - Williamhttp://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160512012.xhtml 2016-05-13 05:36 JSTToyota to continue production at Japan plants after Kumamoto … 2016-05-12 21:34 JSTQuake damage makes rice planting in Kumamoto all but … 2016-05-12 22:06 JSTIt's after 9 PM and I'm preparing for the three classes I teach on Friday -- just as I was one month ago when the first quake hit. It's been a busy month and we've exchanged lots of different kinds of information and ideas but the thing I'd most like to say now is that there hasn't been any nastiness -- absolutely none. Even before the quake the vast majority of participants in this page have always been nice, but occasionally there would be a snide comment and once in a while someone would even get pretty angry at me for some reason or other. But those folks seem to have found other forums to frequent and everyone else has been really supportive and cooperative. I started this page on my own a few years ago and then asked my friend and colleague Joe Tomei to come on to help me manage it. More recently I think you've seen posts by William, Sara, Ciaran, Daniel, Levy, Charmaine and Jackie. Thanks to everyone, editors and readers, for pulling together and making the best of a bad situation! Let's hope Mother Nature decides to chill out and not give us anything scary to write about for a while. :)-- Kirk 2016-05-12 19:33 JSTTop spinning fun eases trauma of Kumamoto quake victims：The … (this post) 2016-05-12 17:18 JSTHighly recommended. Go to the following Google Earth blog page for many striking images and comparisons:http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2016/05/the-kumamoto-earthquakes.html 2016-05-12 13:56 JSTWilliam here with two articles from the Kumanichi regarding road access to Minami Aso. As you're likely aware, the main bridge crossing Tateno Gap, Aso Ohhashi (阿蘇大橋), has gone bye-bye, with its supports tumbled and its span collapsed, resulting in a severing of the main access road, Route 57, a road running through the gap with a moderate grade. The current main detour runs from Akamizu on the caldera floor up the inner edge of the caldera to Milk Road and from there down the outer edge to Ozu. Not only is this road very steep and windy, it also is single-lane in each direction and lacks shoulders, meaning vehicle breakdowns immediately result in massive traffic jams. The article reports a 9-kilometer jam which required six hours to clear after a truck delivering supplies broke down.The second article discusses Aso Choyo Ohhashi (阿蘇長陽大橋), a bridge built in 1997 which runs to the south and below Aso Ohhashi. This bridge survived the earthquake with its supports and span intact and could serve as a main conduit if repairs are made - in particular, landslides block the route from the west, and a one-meter gap exists between the bridgehead and road to the east. The article notes, though, that repairing this bridge could result in a vastly faster link to Minami Aso in a relatively short amount of time.The first link and the photo below are of the Aso Choyo Ohhashi; the second, to the current detour, which includes a map. http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160511012.xhtmlhttp://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160512004.xhtml長陽大橋、早期復旧を 「阿蘇大橋の代替に」－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム 2016-05-12 11:56 JSTHere's information on how friends of Kumamoto Gakuen University can help it recover.http://www.kumagaku.ac.jp/english/2016earthquakeKumamoto Gakuen Earthquake Recovery Assistance Fund｜KUMAMOTO GAKUEN UNIVERSITY 2016-05-12 07:43 JSTTo see more posts related to evacuees' pets and other animal related issues, click herehttps://www.facebook.com/search/123734781033296/stories-by/str/pet/keywords_posts/intersect/-- Kirkhttp://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605100070.htmlKumamoto evacuee centers introduce pet care programs：The Asahi Shimbun 2016-05-11 23:26 JSTThis article discusses the following criticisms of the Abe administration's response to the quakes:1. Statement issued on April 15th that people should be encouraged to stay indoors (to see a good Japanese article about this go to http://mainichi.jp/articles/20160416/k00/00m/040/150000c)2. Refusal to shut down nuclear reactor to our south3. Opportunistic connection of quakes with "need to fix the constitution"It doesn't mention the delay in designating the Kumamoto earthquakes as "a disaster with extreme severity" (激甚災害指定 -- gekijin saigai shitei):https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1025249570881808Nor does it say anything about the idea that Abe is ultimately responsible for having chosen a leader for NHK that called for the exclusion of experts that failed to parrot Abe administration positions:https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1027579233982175Abe was also pretty late in coming to Kumamoto. I heard from a reliable source that the Chinese ambassador came to check on students here but that it had to kept quiet because Abe had not yet deigned to pay us a visit.I guess you can tell that I agree with the critical thrust of the article. :)-- Kirkhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/05/09/commentary/japan-commentary/abes-questionable-handling-kumamoto-quakes/Abe's questionable handling of the Kumamoto quakes | The Japan Times
