The typhoon has gone and it has cooled down a bit.
Posts
Kirk here with a link to a YouTube video about Kumamoto. The video editing is very well done. On the other hand, it's not always easy to figure out how to find the places shown in the video.
Kikikuru (Japan Meteorological Agency's Disaster Hazard Distribution) shows landslides, flooding, rivers likely to overflow, and flooded areas.
Here's Joha. Here's an online Hazardmap provided by Kumamoto prefecture. To be prepared for a network breakdown an offline one would make more sense, yet, I thought this one might be better than nothing.
Atsuko here.
Cassie here. I’m sure most of you have heard, but typhoon number two is approaching us. It’s moving slowly but they expect it to affect us from tomorrow night to Thursday night. Be careful.
Kirk here with an article I recommend highly. Here's a blurb to give you a sense of the piece:
Here's an extended article for One Piece fans. -- Kirk
Kirk here with some statistics about our local tram:
Kirk here. Cassie has already posted about this (thanks Cassie!) but I found this English-language article with updated information so I thought I'd share it.
Cassie here. Last night the Shinkansen was shut down at Shin Tamana station. This was on the route from Osaka to Kagoshima. It says that someone was hit by the train. Living in Tokyo I heard this a lot. I don’t hear about suicides as much on trains in Kumamoto. It doesn’t say suicide specifically but they usually don’t say the word. No matter how it happened it’s so tragic. I am coping and pasting the Japanese article I found in here.It’s from Kyodo news and I found it in my yahoo weather app.
Cassie here. It seems 46 people including high school students went swimming in Amakusa on August 13. Since then they have become sick with stomach problems like diarrhea and nausea. They have been receiving medical treatment. This is the Japanese article below. So be careful when swimming in rivers etc. and avoid swallowing water.
Kirk here. "TSMC estimates that its two wafer fabs in Kumamoto will consume approximately 8 million cubic meters of groundwater daily by 2028, which accounts for about 5% of the region’s current annual groundwater supply." 5% of the groundwater supply every 4 years or so would suck it dry in about 80 years if if weren't for recharging. The article says that TSMC will redirect its used/waste "water into fallow fields" so that it can seep into the aquifer (i.e. recharge it) but my guess is that it's going to be easier to get the water out of the aquifer than it will be to put it back in.
Kirk here with strange news of a convenience store worker being involved in the apprehension of a suspect in Kumamoto.
Cassie here about a local restaurant. Today I went to Wah Gwaan with a friend in Ueki. It’s a Jamaican restaurant with a great atmosphere. The staff are really friendly. We actually stayed for 2.5 hours until they closed for their break time before dinner. There is also easy parking available in front of the restaurant. I had the fish and chips because I can’t eat spicy food.
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Kirk with an English translation (ChatGPT) of this Japanese news article about improving life in Kumamoto for foreign residents:
Atsuko here. This is a great spot for parents who are tired of their children not being able to leave the media during summer vacation.
Kirk here. I received this inquiry about accommodations near Aso Farmland from someone who is concerned about animal welfare. Please respond in a comment if you have any information to share.
"Located on the charming island of Kyushu, Kumamoto boasts a cost-efficiency rating of 8.3 out of 10. With Mount Aso (one of the world’s largest active volcanoes on its periphery that lends the prefecture its title of ‘The Land of Fire’), 17th-century castle grounds, and traditional onsens, Kumamoto promises a well-rounded getaway in Japan."
