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The road to recovery is long. -- Kirk
Kumamoto Quake Victims Begin Moving into Temporary Housing
Hikawa, Kumamoto Pref., Sept. 5 (Jiji Press)--Residents of the town of Hikawa in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwes…

This information might be especially useful for families with kids. -- Kirk
JR Kyushu’s Family Train “Aso Boy!” Turns 15 – Fares, Route, and Kumamoto Travel Tips 2026! Tourism Campaign Is On Now | JAPAN TRAVEL GUIDE
Traveling Japan with children ...

Joha 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! ;-)

Marked 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 Yen
September 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/

Thank you Discovery Kumamoto.⸜
(*ˊᗜˋ*)⸝Atsuko

Joe 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 roads
Yūka Family Road (Kumamoto City to Yamaga)
Kumagawa River Cycling Road (Hitoyoshi Station to Yunomae Station in southern Kumamoto)
Milk Road (Aso)
According to this webpage
https://www.welcomekyushu.jp/cycle-in-kyushu/en/courses/detail/38
There are 6 rental places for kumagawa, so any info you have is appreciated!!
Kumagawa River Cycling Road | Cycling Courses | Cycle In Kyushu
Introduction of featured cycling routes that dot each area of nature rich Kyushu. There are many courses where you can rent a bicycle so why not try it?

Kirk 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/1489000616595058
Despite 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
Repairs to a section of an expressway in Kumamoto Prefecture damaged by a powerful earthquake in July will take at least two years, the road's operator said. The magnitude-7.1 temblor damaged a joint on one of the bridge girders of the Minami-Kyushu Expressway in Yatsushiro, creating a 1-meter heigh...

Kirk 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.html
Some good video can be found here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3Sl1rOSpQ

Kirk 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 Difficulties
2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
September 3, 2026
Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto
Note: 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
熊本県などが今回の地震で被災した外国人を対象にした相談会を８月３０日、氷川町で開きました。相談に訪れ...

Kirk 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 |
気象庁は9月1日、8月の天候のまとめを発表しました。それによりますと、「降水量は、北日本日本海側でかなり少なかった一方、沖縄・奄美でかなり多かった」とされるなど地域ごとの差が多くなりました。千葉県や富…

To state the obvious for people who have been here this summer, it's been hot! -- Kirk
"The average temperature in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, reached an all-time high of 26.5 degrees, and Kumamoto City (28 degrees) and Hita City (27.5 degrees) in Oita Prefecture also tied the highest record ever.
This summer, the average temperature across Japan was the fifth highest ever since observation.Accor.. - MK
This summer, the average temperature across Japan was the fifth highest ever since observation.According to Kyodo News and other foreign media on the 1st, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced tha..

I saw something on TV about a young mother who didn't feel she could go to a shelter because she thought her kids would disturb others. So this is filling a real need, I'm sure. -- Kirk
Shelter for Families with Kids Opens after Kumamoto Earthquake
Hikawa, Kumamoto Pref., Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--An evacuation shelter catering to the needs of pregnant women an…

Good news for people who need to travel between Kumamoto and Kagoshima. -- Kirk
Kyushu Shinkansen Reopening Planned for September 18
Kyushu Shinkansen reopening is planned for September 18, with reduced speeds near Shin-Yatsushiro after earthquake damage.

I started Kumamoto International because I felt that Kumamoto could use another way to exchange information in English. But, looking for information in English to share on this page has, ironically, led me to notice that the practice of sharing information ONLY in translation leads to various problems (can't check the translation, difficult to explain what you read to Japanese people who don't know English, etc.). So, I'm glad to see Japanese being used actively in international contexts. Of course, if translations can ALSO be provided, that's even better. -- Kirk
Easy Japanese in focus as way to deliver information to foreign nationals
A survey targeting foreign nationals living in Tokyo found 41.3% want to read information in easy Japanese, higher than 35.9% seeking information in English.

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.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid029ems873TBRSVZficrWx91dws3443XqXGdwV21PuRxstqH1x6cmRTprdfbZCDP4zol
--- 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 ---
熊本地震で被災…外国人の住民対象に行政書士らの相談会　熊本・氷川町（日テレNEWS NNN） - Yahoo!ニュース
熊本県氷川町では、地震で被災した外国人の住民を対象に、県や行政書士らによる相談会が開かれました。 相談会には、地震で被災したベトナムやフィリピン国籍の住民や、外国人を雇用する企業の担当者が訪れ、職

This may be particularly important for readers of this page who are not here now but are interested in coming (or coming back). -- Kirk
Cabinet approves travel discount program for battered Kyushu | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
The Cabinet approved a comprehensive support package on Aug. 28 that includes a “Kyushu reconstruction discount program” to bolster tourism to the region that suffered a major earthquake last month.

Joha posted about a session planned for foreign residents in Uki that will be held on the 6th (Thanks Joha!). This is a similar event that is scheduled for Sunday.
--- start quote ---
We will hold a consultation session for foreign residents living in the Yatsushiro and Hikawa areas.
I’m afraid of another earthquake, I can’t sleep at night.
My visa renewal is coming soon, what should I do?
How should I dispose the trash generated by the earthquake.
And many other topics. Anyone is wellcome!
Water and some supplies will be also distributed.
Supported langauges：English・Tagalog・ Vietnamese・Indonesian・Khmer・Spanish
Date:30 August,2026. Sunday. 11:00-13:00(Last registration: 12:00)
Location:Hikawa town hall
--- end quote ---
P.S. I was only able to pull this thumbnail image from the announcement so, unfortunately, the QR codes cannot be read. :(
https://www.kuma-koku.jp/support-center/page382.html?type=top

Good new for those who need to travel between the two cites frequently.　The article says that this is "in response to the impact of the Kumamoto Earthquake and the suspension of Kyushu Shinkansen services." -- Kirk
JAL Adds Temporary Flights Between Fukuoka and Kagoshima Following Kumamoto Earthquake - TRAICY Global
Japan Airlines (JAL) Group has added temporary flights on the Fukuoka–Kagoshima route in response to the impact of the Kumamoto Earthquake and the suspension of Kyushu Shinkansen services. A total of 122 flights will operate from September 1 through 13. Aircraft used will include the Embraer E190,...

This article is behind a paywall but the title gives us a clear idea of what is being reported on. I've become more aware recently of how Japan too is preparing to equip the Jieitai (Self-Defense Forces) with drones for military applications. Like many technologies the good and the scary come together. -- Kirk
How the Kumamoto earthquake raised the profile of a Japanese drone maker
Liberaware drew on lessons from past disasters but faces hurdles to scaling up output

Gamers come together to support sake brewery in Misato-machi. -- Kirk
Touken Ranbu Fandom Rallies to Save 250-Year-Old Kumamoto Sake Brewery After Earthquake Plea Goes Viral
A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on July 28, 2026, and rescue efforts are still underway to help the region recove...