Thank you Discovery Kumamoto.⸜ (ˊᗜˋ)⸝Atsuko
2026-09-05 16:11 JST 2026 Thank you Discovery Kumamoto.⸜ (ˊᗜˋ)⸝Atsuko ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 1 · Comments: 1 ← 2026-09-05 10:55 JST 2026-09-05 17:53 JST → Around this time … 2026-09-05 20:11 JSTJoha here: Free tickets are still available for the friendly match between the KUMAMOTO VOLTERS and the TAIWAN BEER LEOPARDS (what a wonderful name!) via the QR code shown in the image. I’m more of a football guy myself, but CHEERS to everyone! ;-) 2026-09-05 17:53 JSTMarked increase (up 51.1%) in foreign arrivals at Kumamoto Airport this year. -- Kirk --- start ChatGPT translation ---Foreign Arrivals in Kyushu Rise 20.4% in July to 427,649, Helped by Weak YenSeptember 4, 2026, 10:07 a.m.The Kyushu District Transport Bureau announced that the number of foreign nationals entering Kyushu in July was 427,649, up 20.4% from the same month a year earlier, according to preliminary figures excluding cruise-ship passengers granted temporary shore leave.The increase is believed to have been driven in part by the weak yen. This was the first time that the number of foreign arrivals in Kyushu in July exceeded 400,000.By airport, Fukuoka Airport recorded 334,630 foreign arrivals, an increase of 16.3%, while Kumamoto Airport recorded 28,467, up 51.1%.The runway at Kumamoto Airport was temporarily closed following the Kumamoto earthquake on July 28, but officials said it was unclear what effect the earthquake had on the number of foreign arrivals.Meanwhile, the bureau also released finalized figures for May. The number of foreign arrivals that month was 501,401, down 5.8% from a year earlier.Against the backdrop of worsening Japan-China relations, including the suspension of direct flights, the number of arrivals from China fell sharply by 84.9%, to 18,818.--- end translation ---https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/kyushu/news/20260904-GYS1T00011/ 2026-09-05 16:11 JSTThank you Discovery Kumamoto.⸜ (this post) 2026-09-05 10:55 JSTJoe here with a bleg. I have a friend coming to visit who is a bicyclist and I’m wondering if there are any places that rent good bikes to use on one of these bike roadsYūka Family Road (Kumamoto City to Yamaga) Kumagawa River Cycling Road (Hitoyoshi Station to Yunomae Station in southern Kumamoto) Milk Road (Aso)According to this webpagehttps://www.welcomekyushu.jp/cycle-in-kyushu/en/courses/detail/38There are 6 rental places for kumagawa, so any info you have is appreciated!!Kumagawa River Cycling Road | Cycling Courses | Cycle In Kyushu 2026-09-04 13:17 JSTKirk here. Joe and I have posted about what made the Myoken Bridge in Yatsushiro resilient enough to only fail partially and not collapse completely. Here's the address of my post (which was nowhere near as popular as Joe's but has more detail; it's the first in a series of four with links to the follow-ups in a comment):https://www.facebook.com/1379708514190936/posts/1489000616595058Despite the good safety features, it looks like it will take a while to fix.Quake-damaged expressway in Kumamoto to take at least 2 years to repair 2026-09-04 10:21 JSTKirk here.Fire Occurs at Quake-Hit Nippon Paper Plant in Kumamoto https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026090300985/fire-occurs-at-quake-hit-nippon-paper-plant-in-kumamoto.htmlSome good video can be found here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3Sl1rOSpQ 2026-09-04 10:09 JSTKirk here. Here's an article about a consultation session we announced here. The English translation from ChatGPT:--- start translation ---Foreign Residents Affected by the Earthquake Seek Advice About Their Concerns and Difficulties2026 Kumamoto EarthquakeSeptember 3, 2026Kumamoto Prefecture and other organizations held a consultation session in Hikawa on August 30 for foreign residents affected by the recent earthquake. Those who came for consultations spoke about difficulties in their daily lives and concerns about their jobs.(August 30 / Hikawa Town Hall)This was the first consultation session of its kind held since the July earthquake. It was organized by Kumamoto Prefecture and the Kumamoto International Association in cooperation with organizations including the Kumamoto Prefecture Administrative Scriveners Association and the Organization for Technical Intern Training.Interpreters for English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and other languages were also available. They listened to the difficulties and concerns currently facing foreign residents in the disaster-affected area and offered advice aimed at finding solutions.Saori Kitada, Assistant Manager, International Affairs Division, Kumamoto Prefecture:“We learned that foreign residents are dealing with psychological anxiety as well as concerns that are particular to their circumstances as foreign nationals. So we arranged a consultation session like this one with the cooperation of a variety of specialized organizations.”Ms. Uyen (ウエン), from Vietnam, whose workplace in Hikawa was affected by the disaster, was worried about whether she would be able to continue working.Nguyen Thi Thu Uyen (グエン ティ トゥ ウエン), Hikawa resident / agriculture:Interviewer: “Things like losing your water supply?”Uyen: “Yes. There wasn’t much food either, and the roads became impassable.”Interviewer: “So you haven’t really been able to do farm work?”Uyen: “Right.”Jomari (ジョマリ), who is from the Philippines, came to the consultation session with friends he lives with in Yatsushiro.Lidem Jomari Tamondon (リデム ジョマリ タモンドン), Yatsushiro resident / construction worker:“When there is shaking, I can’t sleep at night. When there’s an aftershock at night, we say things to each other like, ‘Did you feel that?’ What we’re having trouble with is water for everyday life — for cooking and doing laundry. We still can’t use the bath.”Aya Yamaguchi had accompanied the people seeking consultations. She provides support for foreign technical intern trainees.Aya Yamaguchi, Seibu Business Cooperative Association:“This gave them a place where they could express exactly how they were feeling directly in their own language, so we decided to take part.”After hearing Jomari say that they were having trouble getting water, AAR Japan — the certified nonprofit organization Association for Aid and Relief, Japan — told them about a place near where they lived where they could obtain water. The organization also said it could deliver a water tank to them right away.Nineteen people came for consultations during the two-hour session.Daniel Martinez (ダニエル マルチネス), International Affairs Division, Kumamoto Prefecture:“A lot of people seem to be saying that their families are very worried about them, or asking what they should do if another major earthquake occurs. Foreign residents tend to stay within their own communities, but I would like to encourage them not to limit themselves to that — to build good relationships with Japanese people as well and work toward living together as part of the same community.”(Yatsushiro)Three hours after the consultation session ended, a water tank arrived for Jomari and the others.Takumi Takagi, AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan), a certified NPO:The character 高 in his name is written using the variant form known as はしごだか.“No matter where an earthquake happens, or where there is flooding, we go anywhere in Japan to help. We also work around the world.”Aya Yamaguchi:“There was a small barrier that prevented them from simply going and getting water, and they had already experienced a situation in which they couldn’t obtain it easily. I think that is probably why they had not been able to go to the water distribution point.”(After receiving water)Jomari and the others:“Thank you very much.”Aya Yamaguchi:“Even when there is a language barrier, I want to continue supporting them so that we can stay close to them and help in whatever way we can.”The organizers said they received questions about matters specific to foreign residents, including residence status and housing. People who have only recently arrived in Japan often cannot communicate easily in Japanese, which must leave them feeling especially vulnerable. Hopefully, the support they need will reach them properly.Further consultation sessions for foreign residents are scheduled for Sunday, September 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Education Hall in Uki City, and in Yatsushiro City in October.The date and time of the Yatsushiro session are still being arranged.© Television KumamotoNote: Katakana is shown in parentheses after foreign personal names where the exact spelling or romanization cannot be confirmed from the Japanese article alone.--- end translation ---地震で被災した外国人が不安に思っていることや困りごとを相談【令和8年熊本地震】 | NEWSjp 2026-09-03 10:09 JSTKirk here. Yesterday I shared an article that gave average temperatures for the past three months. This article gives the averages for August and includes this sentence:--- start quote ---Temperatures were also extremely unusual. Western Japan experienced sweltering heat day after day, and in Kumamoto, where the Kumamoto earthquake occurred on July 28, the monthly average temperature was 30.8°C—the highest ever recorded in any month since observations began in 1890.（気温もかなり極端な分布となり、西日本は連日うだるような猛暑が続き、7月28日に熊本地震が発生した熊本では月間平均気温が30.8度と、1890年の観測開始以来通年で観測史上1位の高さとなりました。）--- end quote ---【8月天気まとめ】極端だった2026年8月の天候 記録的豪雨相次いだ一方で西日本では「月間降水量ゼロ」の地点も 熊本など観測史上1位の高温に対し東京の熱帯夜は1993年以来の少なさ |