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This just in . . .
"I've started a new blog and thought that the Kumamoto International page might be interested in sharing it. The blog is a collection of links to articles about which tourist attractions/restaurants/cafes/businesses are open again since the Kumamoto Earthquake. It's a bit rough and ready at the moment, but I'm working on it and hoping to add many more articles in the days to come, particularly if I can get hints from the public about other places to write about. So please take a look and if you think that this would be of interest to the followers of Kumamoto International, please feel free to share the page so more people can access the information available. Thanks, Celia."
As an example of one of the interesting posts from Celia's blog I'm linking to her article about Reigando Cave which seem to have weathered the quakes very well.
http://promotekyushuproject.blogspot.jp/2016/05/kumamoto-tourist-attraction-reigando.html
Promote Kyushu Project: Kumamoto Tourist Attraction - Reigando Cave

Today, William introduced us to a Kumanichi article about a possible man-made cause of the landslide that took out the Aso Ohashi:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1037456022994496
I saw a report on NHK today about this as well. Huge quantities of water from facilities operated by Kyushu Electric may have played a role in two landslides:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160513/k10010519991000.html
The landslide of the other side of the Aso Ohashi killed two people.
None of the articles I read about this mention the possibility that one of the earlier quakes might have caused a leak that, by moistening the soil of the slope, would have made it more susceptible to a landslide when the 7.3 magnitude quake hit. The third image I'm posting shows that the Minami Aso area experienced 5 lower shaking during the quake that hit on the 14th and it's possible that that caused some leaking. Of course, this in only speculation on my part but water, steep slopes, and earthquakes are a dangerous combination so the possible influence of such a leak is something that definitely needs to be looked in to.
Finally, the first two images you see are from a video news report that can be found here:
http://news.tv-asahi.co.jp/news_society/articles/000074703.html
-- Kirk

This update on the damage to the castle also includes a video.
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605120037.html
Knockout blows to Kumamoto Castle by quakes fully revealed：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--The last time the famed castle here took such a battering was when samurai burned down the

The Kyushu Electric Power Company, or Kyuden (九電), runs a hydroelectric power plant in Minami Aso (a map is at the link) shaped like a Y, with the upper two branches being concrete-lined feeder streams to a holding pond at the junction which feeds into a pipe running down the mountain face to the generation unit.
According to the Kumanichi, the right branch of the feeder streams ruptured following the April 16th quake, releasing about 10 million cubic liters of water (the article notes this is equivalent to 400 25-meter swimming pools) to the top of the hill which subsequently collapsed in the landslide that severed the train line and Route 57 and also destroyed the Aso Ohhashi bridge.
Flow to the right branch of the feeder streams has been halted, though the power plant is able to continue functioning solely with flow from the undamaged left branch. Authorities have not yet been able to establish a relationship between this leak and the landslide, but investigations continue. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160513003.xhtml
九電発電所から大量の水流出　阿蘇大橋上の斜面－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

Toyota to continue production at Japan plants after Kumamoto quakes
Toyota had stopped production lines last month for a week following the deadly earthquakes in Kumamoto.

East Asian Football Federation to support Kumamoto earthquake relief efforts | The Japan Times
The East Asian Football Federation will donate $20,000 to the Kumamoto Football Association to aid recovery efforts following the recent earthquakes th

Word has it that the pond at Suizenji Park is now either half-empty or half-full (rigth photo) depending on your perspective - but either is a huge improvement on the mostly-empty situation of the last few weeks (left). Kumanichi quoted a Kumadai professor whom I won't name because he stated, basically, "Maybe it's the recent rain, or maybe it's something else. We don't have the data," which, frankly, is something any of us could have said. I'd guess that sediment is beginning to plug the gap between the upper and lower aquifers - but then again, I'm the one who assured you on 4/14 after the 6.5 quake that things were unlikely to get much worse. Grain of salt. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160512012.xhtml

It's after 9 PM and I'm preparing for the three classes I teach on Friday -- just as I was one month ago when the first quake hit. It's been a busy month and we've exchanged lots of different kinds of information and ideas but the thing I'd most like to say now is that there hasn't been any nastiness -- absolutely none. Even before the quake the vast majority of participants in this page have always been nice, but occasionally there would be a snide comment and once in a while someone would even get pretty angry at me for some reason or other. But those folks seem to have found other forums to frequent and everyone else has been really supportive and cooperative.
I started this page on my own a few years ago and then asked my friend and colleague Joe Tomei to come on to help me manage it. More recently I think you've seen posts by William, Sara, Ciaran, Daniel, Levy, Charmaine and Jackie. Thanks to everyone, editors and readers, for pulling together and making the best of a bad situation! Let's hope Mother Nature decides to chill out and not give us anything scary to write about for a while. :)
-- Kirk

Quake damage makes rice planting in Kumamoto all but impossible | The Japan Times
Damage to rice paddies in quake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture has left many rice farmers unable to plant seedlings this spring. The string of earthquakes that ro

Top spinning fun eases trauma of Kumamoto quake victims：The Asahi Shimbun
NISHIHARA, Kumamoto Prefecture--Yuichiro and Koichiro Sato thought their traditional Japanese top-sp

Highly recommended. Go to the following Google Earth blog page for many striking images and comparisons:
http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2016/05/the-kumamoto-earthquakes.html

William here with two articles from the Kumanichi regarding road access to Minami Aso.
As you're likely aware, the main bridge crossing Tateno Gap, Aso Ohhashi (阿蘇大橋), has gone bye-bye, with its supports tumbled and its span collapsed, resulting in a severing of the main access road, Route 57, a road running through the gap with a moderate grade. The current main detour runs from Akamizu on the caldera floor up the inner edge of the caldera to Milk Road and from there down the outer edge to Ozu. Not only is this road very steep and windy, it also is single-lane in each direction and lacks shoulders, meaning vehicle breakdowns immediately result in massive traffic jams. The article reports a 9-kilometer jam which required six hours to clear after a truck delivering supplies broke down.
The second article discusses Aso Choyo Ohhashi (阿蘇長陽大橋), a bridge built in 1997 which runs to the south and below Aso Ohhashi. This bridge survived the earthquake with its supports and span intact and could serve as a main conduit if repairs are made - in particular, landslides block the route from the west, and a one-meter gap exists between the bridgehead and road to the east. The article notes, though, that repairing this bridge could result in a vastly faster link to Minami Aso in a relatively short amount of time.
The first link and the photo below are of the Aso Choyo Ohhashi; the second, to the current detour, which includes a map.
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160511012.xhtml
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160512004.xhtml
長陽大橋、早期復旧を　「阿蘇大橋の代替に」－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

Here's information on how friends of Kumamoto Gakuen University can help it recover.
http://www.kumagaku.ac.jp/english/2016earthquake
Kumamoto Gakuen Earthquake Recovery Assistance Fund｜KUMAMOTO GAKUEN UNIVERSITY
Many of the students, faculty and staff of Kumamoto Gakuen have suffered greatly as a result of the recent earthquakes. In addition, several facilities on our campus have been damaged and will require major repairs and reinforcements before they can be used again. Nonetheless, we have been happy t...

To see more posts related to evacuees' pets and other animal related issues, click here
https://www.facebook.com/search/123734781033296/stories-by/str/pet/keywords_posts/intersect/
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605100070.html
Kumamoto evacuee centers introduce pet care programs：The Asahi Shimbun
With thousands of people still living in evacuation centers after April's series of earthquakes in K

This article discusses the following criticisms of the Abe administration's response to the quakes:
1. Statement issued on April 15th that people should be encouraged to stay indoors (to see a good Japanese article about this go to http://mainichi.jp/articles/20160416/k00/00m/040/150000c)
2. Refusal to shut down nuclear reactor to our south
3. Opportunistic connection of quakes with "need to fix the constitution"
It doesn't mention the delay in designating the Kumamoto earthquakes as "a disaster with extreme severity" (激甚災害指定 -- gekijin saigai shitei):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1025249570881808
Nor does it say anything about the idea that Abe is ultimately responsible for having chosen a leader for NHK that called for the exclusion of experts that failed to parrot Abe administration positions:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1027579233982175
Abe was also pretty late in coming to Kumamoto. I heard from a reliable source that the Chinese ambassador came to check on students here but that it had to kept quiet because Abe had not yet deigned to pay us a visit.
I guess you can tell that I agree with the critical thrust of the article. :)
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/05/09/commentary/japan-commentary/abes-questionable-handling-kumamoto-quakes/
Abe's questionable handling of the Kumamoto quakes | The Japan Times
The Abe administration is making a shameful attempt to use the Kumamoto earthquakes to further and unrelated political agenda.

I saw this on NHK's evening news. It's a map that shows areas in Kumamoto where liquefaction (ekijoka; 液状化) occurred. It says that the total affected area is about 40 times the area of Tokyo Dome. If you want to read a Japanese article about this or see the news video go to
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160511/k10010516871000.html
One thing that came out on the news broadcast was the connection with water, both streams and groundwater. One of Kumamoto's greatest strengths -- plentiful groundwater -- seems to work against it when there's a big quake.
The article also says that we need to be aware that liquefaction can cause hollow spots to form underground (especially where sand spurted out during the quake) and that such hollow spots may collapse suddenly long after they were formed.
Also, William posted about liquefaction the other day, so take a look at that if you are interested in the topic:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1033793100027455
-- Kirk

The Environmental Ministry confirmed yesterday that disaster victims whose houses were classified as "half destroyed" or above are eligible for full reimbursement for the cost of removing debris from their land even if the work has already been completed at their own expense. Applications for reimbursement should be accepted at your local town office. http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160510010.xhtml
家屋解体個人負担なし　半壊以上、補助対象拡大－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

I posted this quite some time ago but should have referred back to it again today. In a pinch, this link the puts the Yahoo page through "Rikai" (http://goo.gl/zHJQDn) may be helpful.
-- Kirk

One further note regarding health and wellness during this period of time when there may be a more-than-usual reliance on ready-to-eat foods and a less-than-usual intake of vegetables: During a conversation (today) with a cardiologist in Kumamoto, I learned that there has been a fairly large uptick in the number of patients coming to him with very low Vitamin K levels. He attributed this phenomenon to the recently disrupted diets and lifestyle patterns. Normally, low Vitamin K isn't too problematic. However, for patients taking blood thinners, this can result in dangerously high PT-INR rates (increased risk of bleeding). So, in the spirit of Mother's Day, eat your vegetables, especially if you have low Vitamin K levels. -Jackie

This is quite peripherally related to Kumamoto, but please bear with me. Being without a TV for the first few weeks following 4/16, we went full-radio and noticed a definite shift of auditory sentiment towards traditional, uplifting songs. Just now on our newly-delivered TV is a music program dedicated to Kumamoto which contained, of course, Sakamoto Kyu's "Ue o Muite Arukō" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets). This reminded me of his appearance on the Steve Allan Show in 1963.
Though the war had ended 18 years previously, the audience clearly gives a very cold reception, but Kyu-chan barrels through with his indomitable light-hearted spirit. Better is the following interview: Despite his poor English, his ear for timing and what made people laugh surpassed language, absolutely winning over the entire house.
We're facing some tough times here in Kumamoto, but 上を向いて歩こう! For a deep smile, please enjoy this memory of Kyu-chan. - William
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpBtU4rAYWo
坂本九 踊り明かそう Steve Allen Show TALK
Odori akasou Japanese Joke USA-TV Show 1963-8-13