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Another innovation with roots in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 . . .
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/04/28/from-box-to-bed-this-simple-item-is-improving-conditions-for-kumamoto-earthquake-victims/
From box to bed: This simple item is making life easier for Kumamoto earthquake victims
With the ability to withstand the weight of up to 20 people, this bed doesn't mess around!

If you have a smartphone, it may contain a CMOS image sensing device manufactured by Sony in Kikuyo. Their facility has been offline since the quake, but the Sony president has announced plans to resume at least partial production by the end of May. Underlining the severity of the damage, he also noted that the 20 billion yen insurance coverage for the plant may not be sufficient to cover restoration. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160428/k10010502701000.html
ソニー 地震で操業停止の熊本工場 来月末再開へ | NHKニュース
大手電機メーカーのソニーは、一連の地震によって操業を停止している、熊本県にある半導体の主力工場について、来月末をめどに一部の生産を再開する見…

Joe Tomei here, this, from Woody Hodgson, who's helping us with the yahoo groups mail list, is a real-time update of traffic conditions around Kumamoto.
http://saigai.jartic.or.jp/view.html?lat=32.789827&lng=130.741667&zoom=15&pr
参照画面 - JARTIC 災害道路交通情報

The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 was a terrible tragedy but lessons learned and initiatives begun then are now bearing fruit in Kumamoto.
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604280007.html
Food truck from Fukushima feeds quake victims in Kumamoto：The Asahi Shimbun
TAKAMORI, Kumamoto Prefecture--A “meals on wheels” truck that provided hot food to victims of the 20

Another milestone . . . 1,000 quakes of level 1 or higher.
http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2760458.html
「気象庁 一連の熊本地震の活動、震度１以上が１０００回超に」TBS　News i
　気象庁の観測によりますと、今月１４日に熊本県益城町で最大震度７の激しい揺れを観測して以降、一連の熊本地震の活動で震度１以上を観測した地震の数は２８日午前８時３３分ごろ、熊本県宇城市で震度１を観測したことで、１０００回に達しました。回数は午前９時現在、あわせて１００１回を数えています。（28日09:27）

Facebook and other internet tools are useful for gathering and sharing information but there's no substitute for physically being with people we can talk to, especially people who have the specialized knowledge we need. Our friends at the Kumamoto City International Center have scheduled such an event for this Sunday (May 1st), from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Whether you have questions about getting assistance from city government, problems with visa status, legal issues, difficulty finding an apartment or other issues related to your residence, or would like someone you can talk to about your anxiety and/or concerns about the earthquakes, you will be able to find someone to talk with at the Kumamoto City International Center this Sunday. It will also be a nice opportunity to socialize with other earthquake survivors, enjoy some Sri Lankan curry, and pick up some free relief supplies. See the appended flier for the details.
Hope to see you there!
-- Kirk

As was the case with the 2011 Tohoku earthquake disaster, citizens need to go beyond government pronouncements to be truly informed. For this and other reasons, Momii's history of deference to government positions is very troubling.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604270059.html
NHK chief urges staff to exclude experts’ views on quake coverage：The Asahi Shimbun
The Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) president not only instructed subordinates to toe the government

I recently saw a TV program in which onsen proprietors in Kurokawa were interviewed about the sudden drop in guests visiting the area. The earthquake caused some damage but, as this blog post indicates, most establishments are up and running. They are, however, really suffering as a result of the disappearance of tourists. If you've got a little money to spare and would enjoy some world-class bathing, keep the Kurokawa area in mind.
-- Kirk
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/update-3-on-kurokawa-onsen-after-recent-earthquakes/
Update #3 on Kurokawa Onsen after Recent Earthquakes
My contact at Wakaba Inn in central Kurokawa and the staff at the Visitor Center are happy to report that most inns and baths are OPEN AS NORMAL . Please se

The Kumamoto JET page is probably the best single source of information on volunteering, donating, transportation and other quake-related information that I'm aware of.
-- Kirk
http://kumamotojet.com/shin/index.php/2016/04/28/april-28-updates/
April 28 Updates Kumamoto JET
April 28 Updates April 28, 2016 News Here is a summary of some the latest earthquake related news/updates. If there is any information you need specifically, please contact the PAs and we will try and get it out to you. Volunteering The Kumamoto City Volunteer Center is registering volunteers to hel…

Here's another article about the child care situation.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/parents-troubled-as-nurseries-remain-closed-in-quake-hit-kumamoto
Parents troubled as nurseries remain closed in quake-hit Kumamoto
Nearly 90 nurseries and kindergartens in areas of southwestern Japan remain closed in the wake of recent earthquakes due to…

If you have a need, please don't be afraid to ask!
There are many organizations searching for recipients. This message is from member Monaco Speed. Please contact if you need anything his group is offering.
"Hi everyone, we have many things to give away. At the moment they are in kamikumamoto at the resurrection and life church, if you can't go there we can deliver it to you.
Food
Gas cartridges
Baby milk powder
Gas stoves
Diapers and more"

William here with a science fun fact! I had noticed that some furniture in my house migrated quite far from its original position, while other stayed put. It occurred to me that this may be due to the wave function of a quake. Though the face and back of a wave have the same energy, wave movement endows the face with more power, and thus objects would tend to move away from the epicenter. I ran this theory by a Kumadai mathematician pal, who agreed. This explains why furniture closest to the epicenter ended up in the middle of the room (if it didn't fall over), while that against the far wall stayed against the wall. Think about your own situation for more fun!

This is an editorial from the Yomiuri Newspaper about how the government should respond to the disaster.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002906564
Supplementary budget should address needs of quake victims in Kumamoto
The government has decided to compile a supplementary budget for fiscal 2016 to facilitate recovery from the Kumamoto Earthquake.

I'm not very good at interpreting these numbers, but I have no doubt that Kumamoto has taken a very big hit, no matter how you look at it.
--- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/27/business/kumamoto-farms-forestry-suffered-¥23-6-billion-damage-quakes/
Kumamoto farms, forestry suffered ¥23.6 billion damage in quakes | The Japan Times
The twin quakes that slammed Kyushu this month caused at least ¥23.6 billion of damage to agricultural and forestry businesses in Kumamoto Prefecture, the

If you want to use Kumamon's image in a fundraising campaign, it'll be easier now. :)
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/27/national/kumamotos-kumamon-muscles-quake-fundraising/
Kumamoto's Kumamon muscles in on quake fundraising | The Japan Times
Prefectures hit by the recent quakes in Kyushu are relaxing controls on their popular mascots so that businesses and public sector entities can use them to

Though I haven't been able to do anything to help, I understand that my university (Kumamoto Gakeun) is accommodating persons with physical handicaps.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604270006.html
Kumamoto shelters unable to accept special needs evacuees：The Asahi Shimbun
A number of evacuation centers in the quake-hit city of Kumamoto have been unable to accept individu

A Nikkei reporter walked 12 kilometers round trip to reach Tawarayama tunnel and provided several interesting photos that will give you an idea of the extent of the damage. He noted that, though the interior clearly shows a large amount of debris, whether that is due to minor issues with the concrete lining or more major structural damage remains unknown. In addition to tunnel damage, several bridge decks were pulled away from their road abutments, and landslides have taken away much of the road. No restoration timeframe has been set for obvious reasons. - William
http://kenplatz.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/cntnews/15/041500329/042600031/
マグニチュード（M）7.3を記録した熊本地震の本震から1週間がたった4月23日、筆者は日経コンストラクションの取材班第2陣として、熊本県西原村にいた。構造物被害の全貌が次第に明らかになるなか、一つだけ一般の報道では確認できない被害情報があった。俵山トンネルの「崩落」だ。

When it comes to expressions of pride in Kumamoto and determination to rebuild, Kumamoto dialect has become the language of choice. In this post I'd like to introduce three such expressions. I hope that this post might help non-Japanese people who are not yet fluent in Kumamoto-ben learn a little dialect and then actually use these expressions in conversation to express solidarity with friends who were born and raised here. If my explanations about Kumamoto-ben are not quite right, I hope the experts reading this will correct me.
1. がまだすばい！くまもと (Gamadasu bai Kumamoto)
がまだす（gamadasu）is basically the same as がんばる (gambaru) -- "do your best," "work hard," etc.
ばい (bai) is similar to "よ" (yo) or "ぞ" (zo) in standard Japanese, a suffix that is a little like a verbal exclamation mark, indicating emphasis or, in this case, determination. So, がまだすばい！ is
close to がんばるぞ！in standard Japanese -- "I'll do my best!" or "We will do our best!"
https://www.facebook.com/55kumamoto/
2. 負けんばい熊本（Makenbai Kumamoto）
負ける (makeru) is the verb for losing or being defeated. 負けん would be 負けない (makenai -- "will not be defeated") in standard Japanese. As I explained in regard to "がまだすばい！" , "ばい" (bai) indicates determination. So, all together, 負けんばい is a strong expression of determination not to be defeated, not to let this get us down.
https://www.facebook.com/kumamotokankoushinzentaishi/posts/850782261715378
3. どぎゃんかしよう！(Dogyanka shiyo)
どぎゃん (dogyan) is Kumamoto-ben for どう (doh) in standard Japanese. So, for example, "どぎゃん言うと" (dogyan iu to)" means "どう言うの？" (do iu no -- "How do you say it?") in standard Japanese. In this case, I think that "どぎゃんかしよう！" means about the same as "どうにかしよう" ("Let's find a way!") in standard Japanese. (If I'm wrong, I hope someone will correct me.) This column in the Kumanichi (the local Japanese paper) is soliciting messages about problems to be solved or insights gained through volunteer work, etc. so the theme "Let's find a way!" fits the problem solving thrust of the column.
https://www.facebook.com/KUMANICHIs/photos/a.438935026193855.1073741828.438505469570144/1037759626311389/?type=3&theater
By the way, if you understand the words "こう" "そう" ああ" and "どう" in standard Japanese, the following should make sense to you:
こう --> こぎゃん
そう --> そぎゃん
ああ --> あぎゃん
どう --> どぎゃん
So, all together now, がまだすばい！！ :)
-- Kirk

The lack of daycare has put a lot of working people in a real bind.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/27/national/89-day-care-centers-17-quake-hit-kumamoto-communities-remain-closed/
89 day care centers in 17 quake-hit Kumamoto communities remain closed | The Japan Times
As many as 89 day care centers in 17 municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture remain closed as aftershocks continue in the region, it was learned Wednesday. B

"Oyama pledged to donate the ¥14.4 million top prize to the disaster-hit area."
A true winner! :)
-- Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002901182
Oyama delivers for Kumamoto
ITO, Shizuoka — In the end, Shiho Oyama did plenty for Kumamoto Prefecture by staying put. Having considered skipping the Fujisankei Ladies Classic and heading to the earthquake-ravaged prefecture, Oyama stuck around instead, then went on to win the tournament. Oyama pledged to donate the ¥14.4 mill…