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The United States has dispatched Marines and at least four Ospreys to aid in delivering supplies to the heaviest-hit regions. It is unknown when or how their aid will be used. http://www.militarytimes.com/story/breaking-news/2016/04/17/japan-earthquakes-us-marines-disaster-relief/83153730/
Japan earthquakes: U.S. Marines launch disaster relief teams
Editor's note: This story was originally published April 17, 2016, at 9:25 a.m. EST.

Food will be offered at the Kumamoto International Center today (April 18th, 2016) at 6pm. Help spread the word. If you know another language, please translate so that all foreigners in Kumamoto have a chance to get this information.

From Ryoma Iihoshi
I live in Kikuyo-machi, near Hikari-no-mori Station. If any of you around Kikuyo-machi and Koshi-shi needs English-Japanese translation or any other help, feel free to message me.
We have all the lifelines here although water is not clear enough. You should not drink unclear water directly. But, I can provide boiled filtered water.
The map below shows open/closed supermarkets today. The blue dots indicate open stores (food and water might not be available though).
熊本で営業しているスーパー　(4/16

Remember to take photos of damage to your home BEFORE you clean up so that you can get a disaster victims certificate, to be used in insurance claims.
http://www.clair.or.jp/tabunka/shinsai/pdfdata/mesbasic11-EN.pdf

The Kumamoto Water Bureau announced it expects water supply to all areas of the city restored sometime during today, Monday. Ours in Oe was restored last night; nice to be able to flush the toilet, but the pressure remains too low to trigger our water heater. Low pressure in addition to individual infrastructure problems, particularly for high-rise buildings, may continue. http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160417031.xhtml

Useful information about various emergency services available to people in Kumamoto:
http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2146092614752858601
2016 熊本地震 / KUMAMOTO EARTHQUAKE EVACUEES SERVICE - NAVER まとめ
2016 熊本地震 / KUMAMOTO EARTHQUAKE EVACUEES SERVICEのまとめ

Kirk here. Everyone in Kumamoto knows that we have been having lots of aftershocks. This graph helps put that experience in perspective. It shows we have now had 165 quakes of over magnitude 3.5, more than the other earthquake disasters shown on the graph. They are as follows:
2004, Niigata
2008, Iwate and Miyagi
1995, Hanshin (Hyogo Prefecture)
2005, Offshore Fukuoka
I don't see anything about the 2011 disaster that caused the nuclear meltdowns, so assume that there were more quakes in that case.
This graph is taken from an article in the Asahi Shimbun:
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ4K6QB7J4KUTIL01M.html

From Sayuri Goto
Hospital (Obstetrics and Gynecology) info (from TV 17.04. 2016)
Hospital (Obstetrics and Gynecology) info@ Kumamoto (by TV 18.04. 2016)
1. Kumamoto daigaku fuzoku Byoin Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto, Chuo Ward, Ho...

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Hopeful news!
Kumamoto City is trying to have water restored to the whole city by tomorrow afternoon.
Same rules apply: If it's not clear, don't drink it. Try running it for a minute or so and see if it clears up. Compare the color of the water with any bottled water you may have on hand.

From Sayuri Goto
If you are looking for a place to stay (shot or long period), you could check this page.
I will update this page as soon as I find other information.
Places to live (for shot and long period)
1. You can find places to stay on free in this page.https://www.airbnb.jp/dis...

From Sayuri Goto
Bath info@ Kashima (in aeon mall Kumamoto)
They just started providing their service on the 17th. Was free today but we will update tomorrow as to whether or not that has changed.
https://www.facebook.com/suisyun.kashima/
イオンモール熊本にある天然温泉スーパー銭湯の嘉島湯元水春です。天然?

From Sayuri Goto
Road map (by Toyota)
I put explanation in English here.
Road Map (by Toyota)
It shows the situation of roads:The colors explain that the road could pass t...

Here's an article with photos from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/16/474488487/photos-rescuers-search-for-survivors-after-powerful-quakes-hit-southern-japan
PHOTOS: Rescuers Search For Survivors After Powerful Quakes Hit Southern Japan
Two major quakes hit southern Japan barely a day apart, killing at least 41 people and flattening at least 90 homes. Now, rescue crews are searching for survivors and assessing the damage.

From Tomoko Davies Tanaka
Information on how to donate for Kumamoto from overseas.
CLICK HERE to support 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Fund
Support '2016 Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Fund' by donating or sharing today!

The renewal of the museum gives us a good excuse to visit Minamata and check it out. Personally, I'll be taking a group of students in May.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604010045.html
Redesigned museum retells tragic mercury poisoning story：The Asahi Shimbun
MINAMATA, Kumamoto Prefecture--Understanding Minamata disease is made easy for children at the redes

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[The supermarkets/ convenient stores in operation]
-super markets-
Ion Kumamoto chu-oh (Kumamoto city chi-oh ku)
Ion Uki (Uki city)
Ion yatushiro(Yatsushiro city)
Ion Amakusa (Amakusa city)
Ion Kumamoto (Kashima town)
Ion Kikuyo (Kikuyo town)
Ion Nishiki (Nishiki town)
Home wide Mifune (Mifune town)
Max Value Tasaki(Kumamoto city Nishi ku)
The big express Shindo Kawara
The big express Kawashiri(Minami ku)
Max value Nishikumamoto
Max value Miyukifueda
Max value Nagamine (Higashi ku)
Max value Nagaedanchi (Koshi city)
Max value Yamaga (Yamaga city)
Max value Arao(Arao city)
Max value Sakurayama
Max value Yatsushiro(Yatsushiro city)
Max value Hikari no mori(Kikuyo town)
Red cabbage(Kumamoto city chi-oh ku)
Daiki(Chu-oh ku)
Rocky (these branch stores written below until 6pm)
Suizenji (Chu-oh ku)
Motoyama
Kawashiri (Minami ku)
Tamana (Tamana city)
Kamoto (Yamaga city)
Nagasu(Nagasu town)
Hondo(Amakusa city)
Ushibuka
Saizu
Ashikita (Ashikita town)
Minamata koga(Minamata city)
Minamata Minami fukudera
Hitoyoshi(Hitoyoshi city)
Yume mart (these branch stores written below are open until sold-out)
Obiyama(Chu-oh ku)
Kuhonji
Nagamine(Higashi ku)
Tasaki (Nishi ku)
Yamaga (Yamaga city)
Higashi Yamaga
Ushibuka(Amakusa city)
Kagami(Yatsushiro city)
Hitoyoshi(Hitoyoshi city)
Taragi(Taragi town)
Yume town (these branch stores written below are open until sold-out)
Ooe(Chu-oh ku)
Arao (Arao city)
Tamana (Tamana city)
Yatsushiro (Yatsushiro city)
Sun live Maryahoku (these branch stores written below are open until sold-out)
Hondo
Yatsushiro
Hinagu
Hitoyoshi
Ashikita
Mifune
and other 11 stores out of 20 branches
Iwasaki Ace (these branch stores written below are open until sold-out)
Kotohira( Kumamoto city)
Hanazono(Nishi ku)
Shimasaki(Chu-oh ku)
Namikizaka
Shinnabe(Higashi ku)
Kamikumamoto(Nishi ku)
Tamukae(Minami ku)
Kawashiri
Cosmos (these branch stores written below are open until sold-out)
Matsue
Mugishima
Takada
Hondo kita
and other 32 stores out of 82 branches
-convenient stores-
Seven and eleven (286 stores out of 289 branches until sold-out)
Family mart (79stores out of 163 branches until sold-out)
Lawson (58 stores out of 141 branches until sold-out)
Notes:
Most of the stores are under the shortage of supply (especially the water and food) and you may need to stand in a line to enter there.

I just got off the phone after talking with Anastasia Becchio, a journalist at Radio France International in Paris. If you are a French speaker (from any country) and would be willing to do an interview with her, you can either
* send her and e-mail at [email protected]
* search for "Anastasia Becchio" on Facebook, or
* write a note below indicating your willingness to be interviewed.
Feel free to respond in French.
-- Kirk

About trash disposal in Kikuyo.
Thanks to JET Roland Carlos
The info is in Japanese here: http://www.town.kikuyo.lg.jp/soshiki/8/h28-saigaigomi.html.
The basic details is that you can bring any garbage there made as a result of the earthquake (such as damaged plates, roof tiles, metal, etc.). They are asking you to sort the trash as best as you can before bringing it in.
The seven types are:
- items like wooden shelves or boxes
- broken plates, pottery, glasses
- tiles, bricks, blocks
- threaded items
- Takiron, which is a type of plastic you can usually find on floors (here's a picture - http://www.touei-ind.co.jp/materials/img/img10.jpg)
- metals
- other trash
Here's a pin for the location: https://goo.gl/maps/6Aoi8GqYUBz
The space will be open from 9-5 until Wednesday. You will need your driver's license to prove you live in Kikuyo. No bag is necessary but they will not take regular burnable/plastic trash.
平成２８年熊本地震被害による一般家庭から出るごみの受け入れについて - 菊陽町公式ホームページ
　熊本地震被害による瓦、ガレキ類などのごみについて、下記のとおり受け入れを行います。