Kirk here. Here's a video report (with a complete translation below by ChatGPT) on the consultation session for foreign residents of Hikawa that we announced earlier on this page. A similar one for residents of Uki is coming up on the 6th.
--- ChatGPT translation starts ---
Consultation Session Held in Hikawa, Kumamoto, for Foreign Residents Affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake
August 30, 2026, 8:06 p.m.
In Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, a consultation session was held for foreign residents affected by the earthquake, with officials from the prefectural government and administrative scriveners providing assistance.
The session was attended by Vietnamese and Filipino residents affected by the earthquake, as well as representatives of companies that employ foreign nationals. Prefectural staff and administrative scriveners explained support programs provided by the national and prefectural governments for foreign residents and listened to participants’ concerns and difficulties regarding life after the earthquake.
According to Kumamoto Prefecture, approximately 290 foreign nationals live in Hikawa. This was the first consultation session of its kind held for foreign residents in the town since the earthquake.
One foreign resident who came for a consultation said:
“This is the first time since coming to Japan that I have experienced such a major earthquake. I haven’t been able to sleep very well, and I’m frightened. Talking about it here at the consultation session helped me feel calmer.”
Similar consultation sessions are scheduled to be held in Yatsushiro and Uki in the future.
--- translation ends ---