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Hi Atsuko here with Yahoo typhoon forecast.
台風4号（2022年）の進路予想 台風情報 - Yahoo!天気・災害
台風の進路予想図や概況を確認できます。台風による災害の防止・軽減に台風情報をご活用ください。

William Typhoon update: its center has been moving southward, currently expected to pass over Sasebo. However, it is more of a tropical storm so will likely result in a welcome breeze and showers.

William Kumanichi updates us on Tateno Dam, which, at its current height of 40 meters (its final height will be 87 meters), is said to resemble a fortress. About half done now, it is scheduled to be completed in April 2023.
立野ダム巨大な〝要塞〟　渓谷にそびえる壁、高さ87メートルに　2023年4月完成予定｜熊本日日新聞社
　国土交通省九州地方整備局（九地整）は6月18日、白川上流で建設中の国営立野ダム（熊本県南阿蘇村、大津町）の本体工事現場を地元住民や報道関係者に公開した。ダム堤のコンクリートの積み上げは計画の半分を終え、...

William A bit more about springs and where to find them: if you've found Kakibaru (柿原), which we wrote about the other day, you're in a good place for a walk. Leave your car and follow a small road up a gentle hill which is now, sadly, shadowed by the elevated four lanes of Ueki Bypass, to eventually connect via the Kumamoto Nishi Kanjyo Sen (熊本西環状線, a ring road to the west of Kumamoto and on to Amakusa). After a short, pleasant walk, you'll come across Narudo-ji Temple (成道寺).

Kirk here with an article that includes some good information on spots to enjoy nature in Kumamoto.
5 Spots to Experience the Outdoors in Japan’s Northern Kyushu
Northern Kyushu is a perfect destination to combine hiking with Japanese cultural experiences.

Hi! Kirk Here. I thought I had posted the following to the page yesterday but wound up posting as myself (which put it with the "Guest" posts). William has already announced basically the same news but here's my version:
Japan hit by scorching heat as rainy season appears over | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Japan is experiencing scorching heat as the rainy season appears to have ended in much of the country.

William Kumanichi announces that this year's rainy season, at 17 days, was the shortest on record. This has pleased some, such as farmers eager to get their summer crops in early, but has dismayed others, such as a woman who runs a coin laundry shop (drier use has evaporated). Beer garden operators are also happy.
観測史上最短の梅雨、夏場の水不足は…　熊本県内　一足早い夏空に歓迎の声も｜熊本日日新聞社
　熊本の今年の梅雨は、観測史上最短の17日間となった。梅雨明けが発表された28日、県民からは「夏場に水不足になるかも」と心配する声と、一足早い夏空の到来を歓迎する声が上がった。

William I was never a fan of Parco: the maze of merchandise with no windows, low ceilings, and tiny elevator struck me as a fire deathtrap. Kumanichi announces its replacement (11 floors above ground, 1 below, with the 3rd-11th hotel space) using amusing phrases. Its official name is a mouthful: "OMO5 Kumamoto by Hoshino Resort," with OMO5 pronounced "omo faibu" 「OMO5（おもふぁいぶ）熊本　by　星野リゾート」. The article also mentions, "OMO is the first in Kyushu to be positioned as a 'city hotel that raises the tension of travel'" (OMOは「旅のテンションをあげる都市ホテル」との位置付けで九州では初めて。) Two thoughts: whichever employee came up with that phrase should be fired, and the company should change its name to OMG. Still, it's gotta be better than Parko.
熊本パルコ跡地の新ホテルは「OMO5」　星野リゾート、23年春に開業｜熊本日日新聞社
　星野リゾート（長野県軽井沢町）は27日、2023年春に熊本市中央区の熊本パルコ跡地に開業予定の新ホテル名を「OMO5（おもふぁいぶ）熊本　by　星野リゾート」と発表した。

William with a quick quake update. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (which oversees earthquakes, too), an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of M5 or stronger may occur within a week of Sunday's quake.

Kirk here. The other day, the Ushibuka Haiya Matsuri came up in a conversation with some students. That prompted me to search for what might be available on the internet. I was pleasantly surprised to find this detailed article in English. I didn't realize that Ushibuka Haiya-Bushi had spread all over Japan.

William with a quick note for seismologicophiles: A fault system bisects Japan vertically, running from Ibaraki down to the coast off Kagoshima called the Japan Median Tectonic Line https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Median_Tectonic_Line. It's composed of a smattering of right-lateral strike-slip faults moving at a rate of about 5–10 mm/yr. It angles north-east/southwest from Beppu, under the volcano, and to the south of Kumamoto City, where it splits into two faults: the Futagawa, which runs along the north of the Uto Peninsula, and the Hinagu, which runs through Yatsushiro. This evening's quake was likely a rupture of the Hinagu fault.

Kirk here reporting that we just had an earthquake (21:48). Misato was "lower 5" (5-) on the Japanese shido scale, which is strong enough to cause damage -- hopefully minor is this case. The magnitude was 4.7. Interestingly, Misato is slightly north of the epicenter. Other points closer to the epicenter seem to have had less shaking. Of course, I guess that makes sense if one considers that geological factors (sandy soil vs. solid rock base, etc.) have a lot to do with how much shaking happens.

William Lil' info on that quake you just felt: epicenter Yatsushiro, depth 10km, magnitude 4.7, 5 weak on the Japanese scale.

William A bit more about springs and where to find them: Kakibaru (柿原) is a neighborhood on the eastern flank of Mt. Kimpo, whose weight causes water to gush out in lots of places, one of which is called お手水の森 (ochyōzu no mori). The strange pronunciation is due to a legend: apparently, Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto (the main god of Ichinomiya Aso Shrine, who I wrote about the other day) used the spring for ablutions (sacred washing of hands); both that action and its location are referred to as お手水, ochyōzu (most shrines have お手水 for washing hands or rinsing out one's mouth before prayers).

Olivia here,

William In my post about Takamori Tunnel, a reader had commented on a phrase used in the accompanying article describing Takamori as "a town where God enjoyed his honeymoon.” There is a reason for this, and, searching for it, I found that translating the "Aso Daimyōjin no Hanashi " (阿蘇大明神の話) from Aso Shrine's (in Isehaya) Website would be the simplest method. Then it occurred to me that the Website lacks an English mirror site, so I thought I would send them my translation and offer to translate the rest of their site for free. The site address: http://www.asojinja.jp/kami.html

Fiona here, starting a thread for those planning international travel this summer to ask questions and share advice. To kick things off, I'd like to ask if anyone has used the PCR test service offered at Kumamoto Airport and whether it's recommended for onward journeys overseas.
木下PCR検査センター 熊本空港店｜阿蘇くまもと空港 オフィシャルサイト
阿蘇くまもと空港の公式サイトです。フライト情報、路線別時刻表、交通アクセス、施設サービスの情報などをご案内しています。

Hi Atsuko.

In a post near this one, I tried to reply to William Baerg on the subject of how Yatsushiro Museum translated its Japanese name. I could not post any images supporting my observations. I will now try again to upload the images here. If I do not succeed I will delete the post.

William A bit more about springs and where to find them: The photo below taken from Yakuinbaru (役犬原) is legible if enlarged enough (an aside: the kanji 原, usually "hara," is only pronounced "haru" in central/southern Kyushu). In a nutshell: ①There are many springs around Mt. Aso; ②This is due to Aso's unique geology; and ③They are useful for various purposes.