Joe Tomei here. William already posted a short note about the 5th anniversary of the Kumamoto Earthquakes, but I’d like to pass this from Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland, JET program Prefectural Advisors, that has an interesting Kumamoto-i connection. Sara Kubota, the ALT mentioned below and appearing in the video, had iirc just joined us on Kumamoto-i a month or two before the earthquake, and when it hit, she posted a steady stream of messages and announcements. Her work was recognized by the Embassy and she met the US ambassador at the time, Caroline Kennedy.
It may also be a good time to invite people to become editors here. If you are interested, please send me a DM.
==== Today marks 5 years since the first of two powerful earthquakes struck Kumamoto Prefecture, causing loss of life and incredible damage across the prefecture.
In the confusion that immediately followed the earthquake, the Kumamoto JET community pulled together and supported each other. In addition, one year later, a fundraising drive called “JETs Rally for Kumamoto!” saw both current and former JETs raising funds for the recovery effort.
Although there are still 400 people living in temporary housing, almost 99% of residents who lost their homes have found new housing, and several important milestones have been achieved. The main keep of Kumamoto Castle has been completely reconstructed, and vital infrastructure such as the Aso Ohashi bridge has been rebuilt and re-opened, re-connecting Kumamoto to Minamiaso. According to a survey conducted by Kumanichi Newspaper, 81% of residents feel a sense in their daily lives that Kumamoto has recovered from the earthquakes.
To mark this important milestone, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has created a video to share about Kumamoto’s recovery to the world, and we have been asked to share that video with everyone. A former Kumamoto JET, Sara Kubota, makes a feature appearance. Sara provided critical information to the foreign community over social media in the aftermath of the earthquake.
You can check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qn2zLjh04E
Please feel free to share the video with your family and friends. Wherever you are in the world, we hope that you are safe and healthy. When you are able to come back and visit Japan (we hope before long), your second home, Kumamoto will be waiting for you!
