NEWSWORTHY
Documentary to chronicle Kumamoto village's travails recovering from 2016 quakes
A filmmaker is working on a documentary about people fighting to rebuild their community following the powerful earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture two years ago. "I want to pass on to future generations the efforts by the local people who are struggling to move forward," says ...
U.S. military helicopter makes emergency landing at Kumamoto Airport
A U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing at Kumamoto Prefecture's main airport on Wednesday afternoon with no casualties or air traffic disruption reported, the Defense Ministry said. An oil cooling system apparently malfunctioned on the UH-1 multipurpose helicopter, forcing it to land to avoid ...
Kin of last confirmed victim of Kumamoto quakes mark second anniversary of disaster
The family of the last confirmed victim of the powerful earthquakes that rocked Kumamoto Prefecture in 2016 marked the second anniversary of the main quake on Monday. Takuya Yamato, 59, his wife, Shinobu, 50, arrived with their eldest son Shogo, 25, near the spot in ...
Residents renewed their commitment to increase reconstruction efforts two years after a string of earthquakes killed more than 250 people in the prefecture.
Vast, bioclean Kumamoto silkworm factory aims to revive Japan's sericulture sector
In an upland valley in Kumamoto Prefecture, a huge, dark-silver-colored flat building is home to silkworms that are raised all year round. Believed to be one of the world's biggest bioclean silkworm factories, it was completed in April 2017 at a cost of ¥2.3 billion ...
28% of municipal government buildings still at risk from earthquakes: survey
Nearly 30 percent of the nation's municipalities had not completed seismic reinforcement work on their main buildings as of the end of 2017, a survey by the internal affairs ministry shows. Of the 494 municipalities whose buildings fail to meet earthquake-resistance standards, 346 plan to ...
Mount Aso's crater area reopened to tourists after volcanic activity calms
Local authorities reopened a crater area of Mount Aso on Wednesday to tourists for the first time in over three years following diminished volcanic activity and the installation of safety measures. The crater on the 1,592-meter active volcano had been one of the most popular ...
There's a lot more to the 89-year-old Instagrammer than her wacky selfies.
B. League boosts Kumamoto recovery
Sometimes, the combined efforts of government officials, volunteers, local residents and sports leagues team up to produce a certifiable winner. Such was the case with the second annual B. League All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium. All in all, the weekend was ...
Fallen rock proves to be blessing in disguise for quake-hit Kumamoto
Masuki Iwamoto had to stop harvesting chestnuts for a time, after one of the April 2016 earthquakes that jolted Kumamoto Prefecture left a fallen boulder blocking his route through the forest. But at the suggestion of a disaster relief worker the rock has been blasted ...
Drive to push Kumamon mascot imagery overseas hits snag in Japan over usage fees
Kumamoto's drive to promote its popular black bear mascot Kumamon overseas by allowing foreign companies to use its image rights has been met with complaints from local businesses. Firms in the prefecture, which previously enjoyed the rights exclusively and for free, said clients overseas have ...
Hometown hero Shintaro Kobayashi steals the show at B. League All-Star Game in Kumamoto
The players didn't take themselves too seriously during the second annual B. League All-Star Game. Instead of focusing on lock-down defense for the full 40 minutes, they aimed to please. They put the focus on scoring points in a hurry with an emphasis on razzle-dazzle ...
