Posts

Kirk here with some notes on COVID-19 and the rain. First, the prefecture had 271 positives today, a new record (see Japanese video in link). Also, earlier today, William wrote about the rain in Yamaga. I heard on the news today that the amount of rain they have received since all of this started has just passed the 1 meter mark. They said (on RKK) that this is the first instance on record of any part of Kumamoto getting over a meter of rain in the month of August.
Yamaga has already had quite a few landslides (again, according to the RKK report I saw). It seems that those landslides didn't destroy property or cause loss of life. The Unzen Onsen area (just a short ferry ride from Kumamoto Port) experienced a tragic landslide and has one fatality confirmed and at least one other person that they are searching for.
新型コロナ　過去最多となる２７１人の感染確認（熊本）（TKUテレビ熊本） - Yahoo!ニュース
新型コロナウイルス、感染拡大に歯止めが利かない状況です。 熊本県内では17日過去最多となる２７１人の感染が新たに確認されました。 また、熊本市内の放課後児童クラブで新たにクラスターが発生しています。

William. It rained 905.5mm in Yamaga between 8/11 and 8/16 - almost a friggin' meter. To put that in perspective, that is equivalent to four years of rainfall in my hometown of Los Angeles - in six days. More rain is expected mid-week.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/357005

Kirk here with a minor earthquake report. This quake didn't cause any damage and so normally I wouldn't mention it. But, with slopes in Kumamoto being so soggy, the possibility of earthquakes is something to think about. Personally, I would avoid driving on roads that go through mountainous areas until things dry up. Stay safe!
https://www.jma.go.jp/bosai/map.html#11/32.732/130.605/&elem=int&contents=earthquake_map&lang=en

Kirk with more weather. It's calm where I am in Kumamoto City but we're not quite out of the woods yet. The image is one I took from the following website, which is run by the prefecture:
https://portal.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/
What you see is only a sample. There are warnings for most areas in Kumamoto. One reason is that we're forecast to get more heavy rain between now and noon tomorrow. And, of course, in regard to landslides or "sediment disasters" (a rather awkward direct translation of the Japanese 土砂災害), the fact that many areas are already more-or-less saturated means that the additional weight of some newly fallen rainwater may be all that is needed to trigger a landslide. If you're in a vulnerable area, play it safe!
P.S. There was an earthquake earlier this evening. I didn't feel it but I saw something about it on a news program I had recorded. If we have the bad luck to have some more serious shaking before things dry out, that will probably trigger lots of landslides. The 2016 quakes trigger lot of landslides all over the place even though the ground wasn't particularly wet at the time.

William. The last time I visited the Aso museum a couple of decades ago, it was a few dusty rocks on a shelf. Seems like it's changed. Kumanichi reports on the installation of a huge touch-screen panel which will introduce visitors to the volcano and the Aso Geopark. Looks like it's time for another visit. https://kumanichi.com/articles/355289

Kirk with more weather. Here's a quote from the following page, which also has an English-language video:
"In the town of Yamato, Kumamoto Prefecture, 51 millimeters of intense rain fell during the hour until 8 a.m. on Monday.
The Meteorological Agency says a lingering rain front brought intense precipitation to much of eastern and western Japan intermittently through Sunday. Rivers overflowed and mudslides struck some locations.
Mudslide alerts remain in place in some parts of Saga and Kumamoto prefectures in Kyushu."
More downpours pound Japan's Kyushu region | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
A weather front is bringing more downpours to Japan's southwestern region of Kyushu, which has been drenched by torrential rain in recent days.

William. Slipping through our fingertips are the penultimate memories of the war and what Japan was prior to that. My prior neighbor, who we called "tonari no ojisan," had been stranded on a southeast-Asian island and was forced to eat insects to survive (he was an accountant, not a fighter; he taught my children how to use the abacus); later, he became a captain in the Imperial Guard (those who protect the emperor), but he died, alone except for us, here in Kumamoto. In our harried, modern world, most have forgotten those who buttressed the previous generation. I had planned to interview tonari no ojisan on tape for posterity but postponed it, and now it is too late. An historical lapse.
But if you are a Kumamoto resident, nothing will benefit you more than befriending an elderly citizen who will gladly impart what it was. It's a one stone, two birds thing: they have a listener, and you can listen. Kumanichi reports on the finding of some wartime material and the importance of direct communication with the person who provided it. Be proactive in this. It is up to all of us to ensure the past does not slip through our fingertips.
戦没者遺品保管難しく　遺族の高齢化進む　活用期待、博物館に寄贈も | 熊本日日新聞社
　熊本市中央区の竹野惠子さん（８１）は昨年１１月、父續［つづき］さんの遺品を中央区の県護国神社に寄贈した。４４歳の陸軍少尉だった續さんは１９４４年、インドネシアで戦病死。遺品は手帳や軍の経歴書、勲章な...

Kirk here. William mentioned watching high school baseball in a comment (well, he wasn't actually watching it in a comment but he mentioned it there ;) ) and that reminded me that the game between Nagasaki and Kumamoto Kogyo should be coming up soon. In fact, it's scheduled to start tomorrow morning at 8 AM. It was originally to be played on the 13th but was rescheduled because of the rain.
Here's a related Kumanichi article (in Japanese):
https://kumanichi.com/articles/350468
And here the Koshien schedule (also in Japanese:
https://www.hanshin.co.jp/koshien/highschool/summer2021/schedule.html
熊工ナイン「初戦突破めざす」　夏の甲子園開幕 | 熊本日日新聞社
　第１０３回全国高校野球選手権は１０日、兵庫県西宮市の甲子園球場で開幕した。昨年は新型コロナウイルス禍で中止となり、２年ぶりの開催。開会式に臨んだ熊本県代表の熊本工は選手１８人がマスクを着けて入場行進...

Hi friends, Atsuko here.
Today is Obon but I don't go back my hometown, Nagomimachi, this year.
At Obon, my mother makes and serves あんつけだご ANTSUKEDAGO. ANTSUKEDAGO is mochi dumpling with Anko paste.Some call it Ankodango, Ankomochi.
I can't go back so made it by myself and share you.
We make mochi dumpling from 白玉粉 Shiratamako. 上新粉Jyoushinko, もち粉 Mochiko are also OK.
Put some water into Shiratamako powder and mix it.
mixed well and make small balls.
Put them into hot water and boil them.
When they go up, pick up and put them into cold water.
Mixing Anko kan or topping 黒みつKuromitsu and きな粉 Kinako.
(Anko kan has cooked and tasted Anko.)
My mother makes Anko by herself, from Azuki been but this is easy way, recommended!
Hoping you also enjoy Japanese Obon.(*Ü*)
Shiratamadango
https://chefjacooks.com/en/shiratama-dango-mochi-balls/

Kirk here. Between the rain and COVID-19, we've had a lot of disconcerting news lately. I'm hoping to be able to report on lighter topics soon but, in the meantime, here's some more bad news:
"An official in Kumamoto, south-western Japan, said a 76-year-old man was missing after trying to secure his fishing boat."
Japan rain: Nearly two million residents told to seek shelter
Some provinces are under evacuation alerts as experts warn of "unprecedented" rainfall.

William here. Kumanichi provides some frightening statistics: those initially diagnosed with the corona virus in Kumamoto have surpassed 200 daily for the first time. More frightening, the percentage of hospital beds devoted to corona patients has surpassed 60%. And this is just as the new Delta variant, which apparently has a higher contagion rate, appears.
One important note: Being vaccinated does not mean your body is cleared of the virus, or even that you cannot catch the virus (if you do catch it after being vaccinated, you're likely to be asymptomatic). It simply means that your body is conditioned to recognize the virus as a threat and neutralize it rapidly. (As an example, it is likely that the percentage of those infected with corona in California and Florida are roughly the same, but most Californians are vaccinated and masks are mandatory, while the rate in Florida is low and mandating masks is illegal; this would explain why California is reporting 141.1 new coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents, less than one-fourth that of Florida’s rate of 653.8 weekly; in comparison, for Kumamoto City, the current rate is apparently 74.5). So even if you've been vaccinated twice, continue to wear a mask. Not only will it help those around you (you may still be infectious even if vaccinated), it also may help prevent you from catching a different strain.
The point is, now is precisely not the time to let your guard down.
NIID (the National Institution of Infectious Diseases) has periodic English-language updates on covid: https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/en/2019-ncov-e/10556-covid19-ab45th-en.html
and here is the Kumanichi article on which this post is based: https://nordot.app/799108156839346176?c=92619697908483575
熊本県「病床不足しない」　県内の新型コロナ感染、最大想定200人超え ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県内の１日当たりの新型コロナウイルス感染確認が１３日、初めて２００人を超えた。県が５月下旬に立て...

UPDATED on Aug. 18th:
Chuck Waterman here: Just a hopefully helpful informational post about my process in getting back to the US this week.
1) Got the two Pfizer shots as early as possible. (I'm in Group 2). That meant that the morning after I arrived here it had been two weeks after the second shot and I'm able to walk down the rsidential streets here without wearing a mask and associate with my close family (also vaccinated) without one. Only waving and saying hello to people in the neighborhood from the distance of acrosee the street, though, and everyone is still wearing masks in stores, but not in restaurants in MI.
2) Got to the Rendaiji Clinic to get my PCR test at 9 AM (opening time) the day before my flight. Had to return at 6PM (normal closing time) to pick up my results. They gave me a bilingual PCR test results form with all the needed details and an ENGLISH signature by the doctor! Cost: 33,300 yen. 25,000 + extra fees for same day processing and bilingual form.
tinyurl.com/RendaijiClinic = Map
蓮台寺クリニック 3 Chome-4-3 Rendaiji, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0055, Japan
Added 8/18:
American Airlines has a downloadable app called Verifly. They asked for passport number etc and then asked me to scan or send a photo of my PCR test. After they received that they said, You're ready to fly!
When I got to FUK, Skymark (an American partner) didn't even ask to see my PCR paperwork, and they checked my luggage through to Detroit! At NRT, I had to show my PCR paper very briefly, and then got boarding passes for the last two flights. Except for the flight in Dallas departing one hour late and landing me in Detroit at 11:30 PM, the rest of the whole trip wqas very smooth and easy to deal with!
It was amusing to see this sign at the Dallas airport:
Free Vaccinations: Go to Terminal C2.
蓮台寺クリニック · 3 Chome-4-3 Rendaiji, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0055, Japan

Kirk here with some information about evacuation sites. Kumamoto Prefecture now shows evacuation levels visually on a map. The page can be switched to English and also shows the location of evacuation centers. As I wrote before, even if you live in an area where evacuation is recommended, whether your not you should actually go to an evacuation center may depend a good deal on the characteristics of the particular location or neighborhood you are in. Still, I think this map should be useful if you're wondering whether or not your particular area is safe.
https://portal.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/

Fiona here. If the non-stop rain is leaving you with mountains of washing that just won't dry, it might be time to try out a Japanese 'coin laundry'. I experienced my first one today and was blown away by the stylish decor and relaxing ambience. If not for Corona I would have happily spent a couple of hours here reading a book, and I may do so in the future, with or without laundry. It's called The Laundry Lounge and is located in Asoda, Kita-ku, not far from Hikarinomori. Use of the dryer cost 100 yen for ten minutes, instructions all in Japanese I'm afraid, except for 'Push' and a 'How to use the washing machine' mural on the wall. The place also doubles up as a plant and furniture store, and has several shops nearby to kill time while you're laundry is spinning.
https://laundry-lounge.com/concept

Hi,friends,Atsuko here.
Let’s guess,where I was. (I took these photos on July 28.)
The straight road leads to ......
My school is along this street.
I miss the blue sky and white clouds and humid summer in Kumamoto.
We become little bit nervous because of Corona pandemic, heavy rain and the damage, vaccines pain...
Sharing blue sky photos with my hope to be fine for everything.
Please be safe, smile lots!
Who is the first one?
How many hint pictures you need to answer??
Please answer at comments.(*^^*)

Kirk here with a graph showing the amounts of rain that have fallen in the past three days as of 9 AM this morning. Kumamoto hasn't had the largest amounts -- Saga and Nagasaki have had more -- but records have been set all over. The numbers are in millimeters, so spots that have gotten the most rain would have close to a meter of water on the ground if none of it had drained away. There's a lot more to report but I'll stop here for now.
総雨量1000ミリ超えも　8月ひと月分の3倍の雨　川の氾濫発生　命を守る行動を(気象予報士 日直主任)
きょう14日(土)は、福岡県、佐賀県、長崎県には「大雨特別警報」が発表され、佐賀県内を流れる六角川で氾濫発生。今後も同じような場所で非常に激しい雨が降り、さらに災害エリアが広がる恐れも。命を守る行動をお願.....

Douglas here, posting this at Kirk's request. As a Scotsman, I like rain. I was born when it rained, I played in the rain and grew up in the rain and have, for the past 20 years, been enjoying the rain in Kumamoto. I realise that there is a dangerous and sad side to too much rain. But for me, rain let's me see things that most people miss completely. Yesterday Megumi and I went out in the rain and the following video is our first edit of the video sequences we shot at the Takahashi Inari Jinja , Kumamoto.
Takahashi Torrential Rain.mp4
The weather forecast for yesterday and the next 5 or 6 days was rain, rain, torrential rain and more rain. So, yesterday Megumi and I decided it would be a good…

Kirk here with news about COVID-19. Kumamoto hit a new record today: 207 new cases in a single day. The image is from the following NHK page:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/data/
I heard on RKK that most of the new cases in Kumamoto are of the Delta strain. That report can be found here:
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a5c792c5434398b1f3e25bc07c75cacec588d04b
Speaking of the Delta strain, there was some important national news today that may come to affect Kumamoto. The following Japan Times article has the following headline:
First Japan case involving lambda COVID-19 variant linked to Olympics
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/08/13/national/lambda-olympic-case/
It's beginning to look like warnings about holding the olympics in the middle of a pandemic were correct. Here's a quote from another article:
"Some scientists have warned that the [Lambda] strain could be more transmissible than the Delta variant."
https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/lambda-variant/

Kirk with another update on the rain. The images are from the following TKU video (click on the click to view the Japanese video; it includes reports on several different kinds of damage). I heard on RKK that the rain loosened the earth that the roots were clinging to and that that led to the tree's collapse. If the tree had fallen in a slightly different direction, it would have damage the walls shown in the second picture. Those walls were severely damaged in the 2016 earthquake and repairs on them had just ended.
https://www.tku.co.jp/news/?news_id=20210813-00000007

Kirk here with a little video (in Japanese) about some damage (roads washed out, water outages, etc.) in Amakusa. My impression of the overall situation in Kumamoto is that the rain has taken many rivers close to flood level but, for now, most levees are holding.
熊本 川増水で道路崩落のおそれ 断水も
　熊本県天草市では川が増水し道路が崩落する被害が出ています。　この影響で水道管が破損し、およそ３３０世帯が断水しています。 　「恐ろしいですよ。こんなこと今まであまりなかったです。家の前が崩れていたの.....