This may be important news for anyone out there who is looking for a place to stay. -- Kirk
2026-08-04 20:42 JST 2026 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 accommodationsFollowing the great earthquake in Kumamoto, Airbnb.org has begun providing free accommodations as emergency shelters to support victims and rescuers. https://www.travelvoice.jp/english/airbnb-org-provides-victi … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 2 · Shares: 1 ← 2026-08-04 20:39 JST 2026-08-05 14:12 JST → Around this time … 2026-08-05 20:21 JSTThis 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｜ 2026-08-05 19:29 JSTKirk here with something I got from the International Center about temporary housing:Municipal housing for people whose house has been damaged from Kumamoto Earthquake 2026Kumamoto 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, 2026Lobby at 1st floor of Kumamoto city Hino Kimi Cultural CenterAddress: 394-1 Maibara, Jonan-cho, Minami-ku, Kumamoto 861-4214, JapanAugust 8, 2026Kumamoto City Hall 14F Special VenueAddress: 1-1, Tetori Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi(Kumamoto city and outside city residents)August 9, 2026Kumamoto City Hall 14F Special VenueWeekdays from August 10th (except weekends and national holidays)Kumamoto City Hall 9th Floor Municipal Housing Management Center・Reception time10am 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 10amwill 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 Housing096-328-2461Kumamoto International Foundation4-18 Hanaba-cho Chuo ward Kumamoto 860-0806096-359-2121[email protected] 2026-08-05 16:59 JSTHere'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/ 2026-08-05 16:18 JSTKirk here sharing another example of hate speech. The article is from NHK:https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015196331000It'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 InformationAugust 4, 2026, 8:19 p.m.2026 Kumamoto EarthquakeFollowing 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 2026-08-05 14:12 JSTIn 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. -- KirkJapan reports damage to 53 cultural assets after Kumamoto quake 2026-08-04 20:42 JSTThis may be important news for anyone out there who is …Airbnb.org provides victims and rescuers of the Kumamoto earthquake with free accommodations (this post) 2026-08-04 20:39 JSTNews about interns in Kumamoto is often bad so I was glad to come across this story with a happy ending. -- KirkKumamoto quake reinforces bonds between farmer and Filipino interns - The Mainichi 2026-08-04 20:26 JSTI 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. -- KirkKumamoto quake survivors risk heatstroke as temps top 40C | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News 2026-08-04 19:27 JSTKirk 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 CityAt 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) 2026-08-04 12:30 JSTJoe 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. 2026-08-04 08:03 JSTKirk 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
