Many foreigners have hard time obtaining disaster info in Kumamoto quake

Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan experienced a magnitude-7.1 earthquake last month, resulting in 38 deaths and leaving many foreigners in the region struggling to obtain necessary disaster information. According to Kyodo News, only three out of 19 surveyed municipalities had services specifically designed for non-Japanese residents. Government statistics indicate that approximately 31,000 foreign nationals resided in Kumamoto Prefecture as of January 1.

The Kumamoto city government launched an emergency email service for foreigners following lessons learned from major quakes that struck the area 10 years ago. Since the July 28 quake, the city has provided disaster damage certificates to around 680 registered foreigners and opened a shelter for them at the Kumamoto City International Center.

Kikuyo, a town hosting a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant, opened a social media account in December providing simple Japanese information. Yatsushiro municipality also launched a webpage offering details on evacuation shelters and supplies, while residents of the Line messaging app can receive relevant information. However, language barriers continue to pose significant challenges for information transmission, even in the three municipalities with foreigner-friendly services.