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Google translation of an e-mail I received:
"Amakusa Disaster Risk Management Division
I have issued an evacuation advisory to the entire city Amakusa 7 4:00 July
In addition, I established the Amakusa disaster response headquarters at the same time
In Amakusa region, and it is with heavy rain once in '50
Please have to evacuate to a safe place, such as a second floor in a house or shelter, designated as soon as possible.
Contact: Amakusa Disaster Risk Management Division Phone 0969-22-1111"
The situation in Amakusa was on NHK's national news this morning. Here's the Japanese message (for which no URL is listed):
"天草市防災危機管理課
7月7日4：00に天草市内全域に避難勧告を発令しました
また、同時刻に天草市災害対策本部を設置しました
天草地域では、50年に一度の大雨となっています
速やかに指定の避難所、または家屋内の2階などの安全な場所へ避難へしてください。
お問い合わせ先：天草市防災危機管理課 電話0969-22-1111"
Here's some more evidence about what is wrong will the prefecture's notification system. The colorful image is from the web
http://www.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/GmnDsp.exe?M100A0S0N1P0
and the text image is of information sent out via e-mail, though it can also be found in an archive on the web:
http://www.anshin.pref.kumamoto.jp/rireki/saigai/430000.html
The two types of information (both of which are put out by the prefecture!) use completely different terminology. The lack of a proper correspondence in the information available at the two sources is, at the very least, confusing.
Flood warnings have been issued for many areas in Kumamoto. For details, see the screenshot, which is of a Google translation of a message sent out via the prefecture's e-mail warning system.
http://www.anshin.pref.kumamoto.jp/rireki/saigai/430000.html
I've come to the conclusion that the most reliable way to get disaster information, even if you don't understand Japanese, is to sign up for the Japanese e-mail warnings at the following address:
http://www.anshin.pref.kumamoto.jp/
If you can't read the Japanese on this page, just send it through Google translate or a similar site:
https://translate.google.com
Then, when you get a message in Japanese from the prefecture, run it through Google translate. It would be nice if the prefecture could set up a system to do this automatically but, well, I wouldn't hold my breath.
This page indicates that there are flooding warnings for Amakusa and Minamata and heavy rain warnings for other areas.
http://www.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/GmnDsp.exe?M600
First of all, if you live in the Ushibuka area and are anywhere near a steep incline, don't take the time to read this post -- just move to an area where you are safe from mudslides.
The rest of this message is for people who have more time to think about disaster prevention and problems with how Japan and Kumamoto prefecture disseminate disaster information.
I just posted about a Japanese-language notice I received:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/667477256659043
This prompted me to go to the following page
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/349.html
where the map you see with yellow and red can be found. The red indicates that warnings have been issued for those areas. Unfortunately, there are no details as to what kinds of warnings have been issued and what one should do and clicking on the red areas doesn't work.
The map with mostly white ares and a few yellow and red can be found at
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/doshamesh/349.html?areaCode=349
It indicates the risk of "sediment disaster." Ushibuka is shown in red which is defined as "Equivalent to Heavy Rain Warning." How is one supposed to know that "Equivalent to Heavy Rain Warning" means "move to an area where you are safe from landslides"?
The Japanese map (which includes the purple areas) is better in that it shows the area in which people should consider evacuating (it's the part of the purple area that looks likes it's covered with chicken-wire fencing).
http://www.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/GmnDsp.exe?M100A0S0N1P0
One problem is that the overlap between the chicken-wire pattern and the colors is confusing. Also, you can click to find definitions of terms but in many cases what you should do is still unclear.
Thus, disaster information is not only insufficient and confusing in English; Kumamoto Prefecture also needs to improve in how it puts out information in Japanese. In sum, here are four problems:
1. Emergency e-mail messaging is only done in Japanese. If the system were automated properly, evacuation notices could be generated instantaneously and sent to people in the language of their choice. This would involve some preparation, but, when a disaster struck, English, Korean, and Chinese messages would be generated as quickly as messages in Japanese.
2. Web information is not coordinated with e-mail warnings.
3. In both Japanese and English, web pages use words like "warning" without adequately explaining the action that affected persons should be taking.
4. Social media (at least as far as I know) is not being utilized. Social media has the advantage of being a "push" media (new messages are included in news feeds) so, like e-mail, social media posts are more likely to reach people who are not yet aware that there is a danger.
The Japanese text below is from an e-mail I received today at 5:30 PM (14 minutes ago). It says that 6891 households (14303 people) in Ushibuka (in Amakusa) have been advised to evacuate.
天草市
平成２６年７月６日１７時２０分に、天草市牛深地域（６８９１世帯、１４３０３人）に避難勧告を発令しました。
対象地域の住民は、速やかに指定の避難所へ避難してください。
お問い合わせ先：天草市防災危機管理課
This image indicates that the typhoon is predicted to hit Kumamoto on Wednesday morning:
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/1408l.html
The times are shown in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). This is good for international scholars but a little confusing for those of us who actually live in Japan. You need to add 9 hours to UTC. I wish that they would give English speakers the option of viewing the information with Japanese times. If the government's primary concern were to provide information to help foreign residents protect themselves, I would think the need for such an option would occur to them.
If you can read Japanese and/or would like to see information presented with local times, you can go to the Japanese page:
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/typh/
A Category 4 (131-155 mph [114-135 kt] winds) tropical storm is predicted to his Kumamoto in about 72 hours. A lot could change between now and then but it's a good idea to be cautious. I'll post updates here. The image I'm sharing in this post comes from
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com
I recommend it as a good source of information as the storm approaches.
I have more relevant links under "Typhoon Information" in the "Weather" section of my Kumamoto Links page:
http://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~masden/links.html
There are a few aspects of the weird "exorcism" case that make it even weirder. One that I mentioned yesterday is the fact that it is the second case in just a few years to have occurred in Kumamoto in which a water-related death was caused by something done as part of an "exorcism":
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/666556710084431
The second thing that makes it even weirder is that the husband of the victim, who has been arrested for his role in the death of his wife, is not the sort of person one would normally imagine to be prone to believe in "exorcism"; he is a Ph.D holding scientific researcher at a local university. The English media reports just say "a university in Kumamoto" but the Japanese reports are not making any secret of the fact that the man is an associate professor at Sojo University:
https://www.sojo-u.ac.jp/faculty/department/microbial/introduction/002212.html
I saw a TV report in which representatives of Sojo University, quite understandably, expressed their bewilderment at how a scientist could have been taken in by an exorcist.
福田 耕才 准教授 | 教員紹介 | 応用微生物工学科 | 生物生命学部 | 崇城大学
崇城大学 生物生命学部応用微生物工学科 の教員 福田 耕才 准教授の紹介です。酵母線状プラスミド、可動遺伝子、テロメア、ミトコンドリア、紫外線感受性、宇宙放射線、耐塩性酵母、パン酵母、ストレス応答
It was only a few years ago that a girl died in Kumamoto in a similar "exorcism." Here's part of an article from 2011:
"Teenage girl dies in Japan 'exorcism'
A 13-year-old girl suffocated after she was strapped down and doused with water by her father and a monk who were trying to expel an "evil spirit", Japanese police said Tuesday.
Fifty-six-year-old monk Kazuaki Kinoshita and the girl's 50-year-old father Atsushi Maishigi were accused of what police described as "waterfall service": strapping the victim *** to a chair and dousing her face with water."
http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2014/07/japan-woman-dies-at-hands-of-professional-exorcist/
Japan woman dies at hands of professional exorcist
TOKYO, Jul 4 - Japanese police probing the death of a woman who reportedly died after being forced to a drink a lot of water, have arrested an 81-year-old professional
There have been some interesting posts to this page by members recently. In case you've missed them, please check them out:
English teacher wanted for summer camp
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/666015470138555
Chomsky on Article 9
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/397878313686191
Any bars or discos to recommend?
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/666021820137920
Looking for a bicycle with kid's seat and chiropractor.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/665967196810049
In regard to the last post, I don't think the chiropractor needs to be attached to the bicycle. :)
The conclusion of this little video is that "you can't trust the news feed on Facebook." I demonstrate how, judging from the news feed, one post from this page seems to be hidden on a news feed. I've read that the news feed on Facebook is a little like search results on Google; there's some algorithm that determines what you will see and when. I would prefer something more straight-forward, at least when you tell Facebook to "just give me the items in chronological order," a function that they seem to have but, unfortunately, is not reliable.
Kumamoto's record surpassed by Morioka
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/style/AJ201406300020
Morioka percussionists set world record for largest number of drummers - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
MORIOKA--Thousands of percussionists assembled here on June 29 in a cacophony of drums to become recognized by the Guinness World Records for having the world's largest number of Japanese drummers playing at the same time.
Here's a notice about a fireworks show to be held in Misumi on the 19th.
http://www.city.uki.kumamoto.jp/q/aview/34/7241.html
みすみ港祭り - 宇城市
Kumamoto YMCA is now accepting applications for responsible Foreign and Japanese English Teachers for our 2014 Autumn Courses with possible paid trainings from August. This job opening can also lead to the possibility of a Full Time Position for the school year 2015~2016.
For details go to
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12929
Yahoo! Groups
Sometimes it is good to look at national issues from a local perspective. In regard to the Abe administration's move toward recognizing Japan's right of collective defense (a major change in the interpretation of Japan's pacifist constitution), at least 157 regional assemblies in Japan have passed resolutions in opposition or calling upon the government to deliberate carefully:
http://www.jcp.or.jp/akahata/aik14/2014-06-30/2014063001_03_1.html
The article I'm introducing is from the Akahata, which is put out by the Communist Party, but the same fact was conveyed on NHK's evening news last night. It seems, though, that none of Kumamoto's regional assemblies have passed such a resolution.
There has been some protest, however. Here's an Asahi article, with video, that describes one such protest in downtown Kumamoto:
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG5K5KJPG5KTIPE010.html
If you are interested in this issue, you may be interested in something I wrote on my own Facebook page about the self-immolation protest that occurred in Tokyo on Sunday:
https://www.facebook.com/kirk.masden/posts/10154291534875655
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unNFuZ2LXEA
集団的自衛権の行使容認、許さない 熊本で緊急抗議活動
安倍晋三首相が集団的自衛権の行使の検討を表明してから初の週末となった５月１７日、各地で抗議集会などがあった。 【記事はこちら】http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG5K5KJPG5KTIPE010.html ※朝日新聞社の動画の改ざんや、許可なく商用・営利目的で利用することを禁じます。
Check this page out for information about opportunities to study Japanese:
http://consortium-kumamoto.jp/rn/2014/06/19/six-days-intensive-japanese-course-on-daily-life-japanese-for-beginners/
【Kumamoto International Foundation】Six Days Intensive Japanese Course on Daily Life Japanese for...
We are now offering an intensive 6 day basic Japanese course for people who have just come to Kumamoto and hav…
Here's a video about Goshoura in Amakusa (Japanese narration):
http://youtu.be/1QuwTn4DB70
天草御所浦の魅力 ～伝統のとんとこ漁と離島文化～ Fascinating Goshoura, Amakusa
大小18の島々からなる天草市御所浦町（ごしょうらまち）には、「とんとこ漁」というユニークな名前の伝統漁法があります。 天草の豊かな海でとれる新鮮な海の幸、そして島特有の文化と歴史が楽しめる御所浦町の魅力をご紹介します。 Fascinating Goshoura, Amakusa -Traditional Tont...
Jikei Hospital (the hospital that has been operating the so-called "baby post") in Kumamoto City is in the news again:
"In fiscal 2013, there were 131 such children, compared to 199 in fiscal 2012 and 153 in fiscal 2011. By prefecture, Osaka had the largest number with 120, followed by Tokyo with 102 and Saitama with 48. All 26 cases in Kumamoto Prefecture were children left at a foster care facility for abandoned newborns at Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto City."
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001385627
483 children abandoned in last 3 years, survey shows - The Japan News
Nearly 500 children have been found abandoned or neglected by their parents in the three years through March this year, according to a nationwide survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
