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As of today, it has been three months since the first earthquake hit and, as the article indicates, many people are continuing to live as evacuees.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/14/national/social-issues/kumamoto-cleanup-april-quakes-drags-4700-residents-remain-evacuated/
Kumamoto cleanup from April quakes drags on as 4,700 residents remain evacuated | The Japan Times
About 4,700 people remain evacuated in Kumamoto Prefecture following a series of powerful earthquakes three months ago. Thursday marks three months since t

In Kumamoto, mental health of stressed staff now a big issue：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--The stress of putting in long work hours for recovery operations in the aftermath of earth

A note from our friend and shakuhachiist Jeff Cairns:
Trio CaBiKi will be doing three shows around the beginning of August in Kumamoto: July 31st: TEDxKumamoto-shi; August 1st: Kamitori Pavilion Avant Garden; and August 3rd: Cafe Salon Maia. We will be offering up what we do best: Improvisation. Have you ever heard Korean shamanic drumming with theremin and shakuhachi? Now is your chance! Dong-Won Kim, Jeff Bird and Jeff Cairns are Trio CaBiKi.
A note from the editor, William: For the etymologically bent, the name shakuhachi means "1.8 shaku," referring to its length. It is a compound of two words: shaku (尺), an almost-archaic unit (many traditional Japanese carpenters still use the system; a tatami size is just under 20 square shaku to accommodate floor molding) equal to 30.3 centimeters (about a foot) and subdivided into ten subunits called "sun" （寸). Hachi (八) means "eight" - here, eight sun, or eight-tenths of a shaku. Thus, "shaku-hachi" means "one shaku eight sun" (almost 55 centimeters), the standard length of a shakuhachi. Though shakuhachi vary in length from about 1.3 shaku up to 3.3 shaku, all are referred to as "shakuhachi".

Evacuation advisories have been issued for many areas in Kumamoto (many more than are visible in the screenshot) that are considered to be particularly vulnerable to landslides and/or flooding.
http://crisis.yahoo.co.jp/evacuation/43/
To view an English translation of this page you should open it it Google's Chrome browsers and the right-click on the page to chose "English translation."
-- Kirk

The rain seems to have subsided near my home in Kumamoto City but it may be premature to give the "all clear" when it comes to the risk of mudslides. The dark purple on this map showing mudslide risk is labeled "exceedingly dangerous" (極めて危険).
By the way, on this key the light purple is labeled "hijoni" (extremely) and the highest level (dark purple) is labeled "kiwamete," which I have rendered as "exceedingly." I had trouble thinking of a word that is stronger than "extremely." ;) At any rate, steep inclines probably deserve more respect this evening than a common sense "rain seems to have clear up" observation might led one to believe.
-- Kirk
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/doshamesh/

Earthquake disaster response seminar for non-Japanese residents
Earthquake knowhow:
"Two magnitude-7 earthquakes hit the Kumamoto region and caused a seemingly endless series of aftershocks. The sudden tremors seriously frightened residents who were often left feeling confused and helpless after each and every outbreak.
Some people were so traumatized that they couldn’t even go home or fall asleep for quite some time afterward.
　That’s why we have planned a seminar where we can get together to learn about the actual mechanics of earthquakes and think about what to expect in their aftermath, as well as what to do in general if and when one strikes. So come and brush up on your earthquake knowhow. Who knows? It might just save your life!"
Date：2016, July 16th（Sat）13:30-16:30
Place：Kumamoto International Center　2ＦExchange Lounge
Contents：※English and Chinese interpreters will be present
・Earthquake “experience” talks
・Earthquake mechanics and Kyushu disasters lesson
・Earthquake case studies and tips
・Daily earthquake preparedness presentation
Lecturer：Shiyuki ICHII （Japan IsraAID Support Program）
Participation fee：FREE
Other：There will be disaster response goods on display
All participants will receive a disaster response goody-bag!
【How to apply:】
　　　　Kumamoto International Foundation (KIF)
　　Kumamoto International Center　Planning Team
　　　　　　　　　　TEL:096-359-2121 FAX:096-359-5783
　　　　　　　　　e-mail : [email protected]
ーCiaran

A note from the Kumamoto International incremental restoration desk: a bit of good news for fans of sake and/or very large chimneys: The Yamamura sake brewery in Takamori, founded 130 years ago on traditions extending back to 1762, had its brick chimney badly damaged in the quakes, but removal of the damaged upper three meters has enabled restoration of the remaining lower six. Though the chimney has been unused for decades since the brewery switched from wood to electricity and oil for power, it has become a symbol of Takamori. Next time you're there, swing by and say hello to the brewer master, Mr. Yamamura.
守った！！　れんがの煙突　高森町の山村酒造 - 熊本日日新聞
ひびが入った上部３メートルを切り取り保存された山村酒造の煙突と山村唯夫社長＝高森町　日本酒「れいざん」で知られる熊本県高森町の山村酒造に１３０年ほど前からそびえ、地域のシンボルとして親しまれるれんが造りの煙突が熊本地震で破損したが、被害が大...

Unfortunately, the forecast for tomorrow is severe rain. It seems that extremely moist air from the typhoon to our south is likely to dump buckets of water on us. Stay away from steep mountainous inclines if possible and be on the lookout for flooding if you are near a stream or river.
-- Kirk
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/

I had something to do downtown today so I decided to take the opportunity to follow my own recommendation (https://www.facebook.com/search/123734781033296/stories-by/str/shiyakusho/keywords_posts/intersect/ )
and check out the view from the 14th floor of the Shiyakusho (City Hall Building). My iPhone pictures don't do it justice. It was really worth seeing. The third photo shows the view of the clouds and the sky from the 14th floor today. I could photograph the clouds and the castle separately, but couldn't get them together in one photo. Our human eyes are much more sensitive than an iPhone camera lens so please drop by and check out the view for yourself.
By the way, I'm not sure if it's open 24 hours or not but I'm pretty sure that it is open in the evening and perhaps in the early morning as well, but you need to use the "holiday and after hours entrance" (時間外・時間外), which is located on the side closest to the International Center.
-- Kirk

Thanks to Roland Carlos for posting this excellent compilation of information about upcoming fireworks events on the Kumamoto JET website!
-- Kirk
Summer 2016 Fireworks Kumamoto JET
Summer 2016 Fireworks July 11, 2016 Events Here is a listing of scheduled fireworks events in Kumamoto this summer. As always, please confirm the event information beforehand as schedules are subject to change. While it highlights some of the bigger events in Kumamoto, ask around for smaller firewor...

As was the case in much of Japan, Prime Minister Abe's LDP did well in this election. Interest in the election, however, was surprisingly low, despite the importance of governmental policy to Kumamoto's recovery. The graph shows that Kumamoto's voter participation rate was just 51.46% -- a new low. I'm not sure if the low voting rate has anything to do with the addition of 18 and 19 year olds to Japan's electorate.
-- KIrk
Source: 復興への期待自民に　松村氏、大勝３選
http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/sanin2016_k/article/258074

According to this article, earthquakes that were similar to what we experienced in April have occurred before, but one needs to go back thousands of years in the geological record to find them. This confirms the impression that I've gotten from information I've seen about quakes that occurred in the past several hundred years -- that is, though they were bad, they were not as severe as what hit us this year. I hope to find the time to post details later.
-- Kirk
Three major quakes rocked Kumamoto in 7,000 years：The Asahi Shimbun
MASHIKI, Kumamoto Prefecture--Evidence of three major earthquakes that possibly occurred in the past

Last night's quake felt a bit stronger than anything in the past few weeks but still nothing like what occurred a couple of months ago.
Magnitude: 4.4
Highest JMA level: 4 (in Minami-ku and Nishi-ku of Kumamoto City)
-- Kirk
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/6/20160709180951495-091805.html

Typhoon #1 will likely expend itself over China, but it is still sending some strong rain our way. Due to the counterclockwise rotation of typhoons, the rain tends to whip around the eastern side of Kyushu, hitting Miyazaki particularly hard (as you can see from the below image taken at 14:00). However, take care as heavy rain can be expected in Kumamoto as well, particularly in mountainous areas.

Here's a way for beer drinkers to contribute to the recovery effort: Kirin has promised to donate 10 yen for every can of this beer that is purchased.
熊本地震：一番搾りで復興を支援　キリンビール - 毎日新聞
　キリンビールは６日、主力商品「一番搾り」の売上金の一部を熊本地震の復興支援に充てると発表した。１本当たりの売り上げから最大１０円を提供する。販売目標を達成すれば支援額は計約１億円になる見込みだ。消費者は一番搾りを飲むことで復興支援に参加することになる。

Kumamoto welcomes first foreign cruise ship since deadly April temblors | The Japan Times
A foreign cruise ship arrived at a Kumamoto port on Thursday for the first time since the prefecture was rocked by a series of earthquakes in April. The hu

ロンドンの漱石探訪ツアー
(Kirk here. This Japanese-language post is a follow-up to the English post about this tour that can be found at the following address:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1074101112663320 )
今回、珍しく日本語で投稿することにしましたのは、日本語で行われるツアーのご案内を紹介したいからです。上のリンクをクリックしていただければ、英語での紹介を見ることができます。英語でも書きましたように、今回のツアーでは、ロンドン漱石記念館長の恒松郁生先生のご案内で漱石の軌跡を訪ねることになっています。悲しいことに、ロンドン漱石記念館は来年閉館することになっていますので、二度とないチャンスだと思います。
詳しくは熊本市国際交流事業団のサイトでの説明をご参考ください。
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/event/event_detail.asp?id=2&kiji_id=8582&LC=j
なお、この投稿をシェーするなど、この機会に関する情報を関心を持ちそうなお知り合いの紹介していただければ幸いです。よろしくお願いします。
マスデン
Kumamoto International Foundation
　文豪漱石が、4年3ヶ月を過ごした 熊本には、「草枕」「二百十日」の舞台があります。旧居も残っており、熊本大学 や上熊本に銅像があります。

In September, Prof. Tsunematsu (pictured in this Japan Times article) will lead a tour of sites in London that are associated with Natsume Soseki. Most or perhaps all of the participants in the tour are expected to be Japanese, so non-Japanese participants should have a fairly good command of the Japanese language in order to understand all of the explanations, etc. On a more positive note, I'm sure many of the Japanese participants would appreciate being able to travel with someone whose English is better than his or her Japanese. :)
As the Japan Times article indicates, the Soseki Museum will close, so this will probably be the last opportunity to go on such a tour with an expert guide.
Here's is a link to the tour details (in Japanese):
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/event/event_detail.asp?id=2&kiji_id=8582&LC=j
The application deadline is approaching (July 15th) so if you are interested, please move quickly.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/04/05/arts/soseki-museum-london-close-next-year/
Soseki Museum in London to close next year | The Japan Times
A museum in London dedicated to novelist Soseki Natsume (1867-1916), who spent two years in the British capital, plans to close in September next year due

Thanks to "2016 Kumamoto Earthquake" for this information about plans to build a replacement for the Aso Ohashi Bridge:
"Land, Infrastructure and Transportation Ministry announced location of rebuilding Aso Ohashi.
Aso Ohashi collapsed by Kumamoto Earthquake will rebuild downstream from the original location where red squares are on the map."
The red dots in the image show the location of the planned bridge, a short distance to the south of the Aso Ohashi.
http://www.qsr.mlit.go.jp/n-kisyahappyou/h28/data_file/1467701028.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/2016kumamotoearthquake/posts/258363454532323
-- Kirk

No plans for your summer holiday yet? Not sure where to go or where to stay? Check out the Promote Kyushu Project blog for ideas about hotels, ryokans and more in the Kyushu area.
Thanks,
Celia
http://promotekyushuproject.blogspot.jp/search/label/Travel%20and%20Accommodation
Promote Kyushu Project: Travel and Accommodation