Language barriers hinder quake relief for Kumamoto’s foreign residents
KUMAMOTO (Japan), Aug 24 — Many foreigners in Kumamoto Prefecture may have had difficulty in obtaining information...
Kumamoto Prefecture faced challenges in delivering earthquake relief information to foreign residents following a magnitude-7.1 quake last month, according to Kyodo News. Only three of the 19 surveyed municipalities had services designed for non-Japanese residents, despite a total of 31,000 foreign nationals residing in the region as of January 1.
The quake hit Uki and Hikawa with maximum level 7 intensity, resulting in 38 fatalities. The Kumamoto city government launched an emergency email service for foreigners, issuing disaster damage certificates to about 680 registered individuals and opening a shelter at the Kumamoto City International Center, accommodating around 20 people.
Kikuyo town opened a social media account for simple Japanese information, and Yatsushiro introduced a webpage and Line app service for disaster updates. However, language barriers persist as significant obstacles, with a Vietnamese man in Yatsushiro having to share supplies with compatriots due to lack of information.
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