Ten years ago, foreigners living in Japan were often the recipients of help but not always. Sometimes, foreigners wound up helping Japanese folks. Glad to see that happening this time too -- and I hope purveyors of anti-foreign hate take notice. -- Kirk

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Vietnamese Group Rescues Elderly Woman from Collapsed Home in Kumamoto Earthquake; Hailed as a “Source of Pride” by Vietnamese Media

Following the earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture with a maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic scale, a group of Vietnamese people rescued a resident from a collapsed house in Yatsushiro City. Vietnamese media outlets had reported the story one after another by July 30. With a large number of Vietnamese people living in Japan, some reports praised the rescuers as “a source of pride for the Vietnamese community in Japan.”

According to Vietnamese media, five people who worked at a cauliflower farm encountered the earthquake while on their way home and noticed that a house had collapsed. They knew that an elderly woman lived there alone. After hearing her voice from beneath a fallen wall, they began removing the rubble by hand. With help from nearby residents, they were able to rescue her.

One member of the group said that they acted without regard for the danger and explained, “Unlike in Vietnam, where elderly people often live with their children or grandchildren, many elderly people in Japan live alone.”

As of the end of 2025, approximately 681,000 Vietnamese nationals were residing in Japan. By residence status, approximately 164,000 were Specified Skilled Workers and approximately 190,000 were technical intern trainees. Together, these two groups accounted for more than half of the total.

(Kyodo News)
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