The 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
Life in Japan – Issue 037
This week, I looked again and again at the photographs I took in 熊本（Kumamoto）three years ago.
They show Kumamoto’s rich natural landscape and the places I encountered during my journey. I photographed them again and again because I did not want to forget what I saw in a place I was visiting for the first time.
Kumamoto, where I took those photographs, is now facing a major earthquake.
Every Saturday, in “Life in Japan,” I share Japan’s seasons, everyday life, and the things I notice while living here. The summer heat, seasonal foods, school events, and the scenes found across Japan at different times of the year. Until now, I have mainly written about these familiar subjects.
This Saturday’s article is not about the season in the usual way. Even so, I believe that telling you what is happening in Japan now is also an important part of “Life in Japan.”
News reports about disasters tell us the scale of an earthquake, the number of people affected, and the damage to buildings and roads. Every one of these details is essential for understanding the current situation.
At the same time, the places described as disaster areas had ordinary lives before the disaster. People lived and worked there, and children went to school. They are someone’s hometown and places that hold someone’s precious memories.
For me, Kumamoto is a place filled with beautiful memories from a journey. It is also the place that led me to change the course of my life.
Alongside the damage now being reported, I want to share the beauty that existed in Kumamoto before the earthquake. That is why I am including photographs I took three years ago in this article.
Damage reports continue to be updated. The figures in this article are based on information released by 熊本県（Kumamoto Prefecture）and the 気象庁（Japan Meteorological Agency）on August 1, 2026.
What Is Happening in Kumamoto Now
At 4:27 p.m. on July 28, 2026, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Kumamoto Prefecture. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 16 kilometers, and a maximum seismic intensity of 7 was recorded in 宇城市（Uki City）and 氷川町（Hikawa Town）.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has named this earthquake and the sequence of seismic activity that followed the 令和8年熊本地震（2026 Kumamoto Earthquake）.
In Japan, magnitude represents the overall size of an earthquake, while seismic intensity indicates the strength of the shaking recorded at a particular location.
The Japanese seismic intensity scale has ten levels: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, lower 5, upper 5, lower 6, upper 6, and 7. Seismic intensity 7 represents the strongest level of shaking. A magnitude of 7.1 and a seismic intensity of 7 do not mean the same thing.
By 9:00 a.m. on August 1, 327 earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 1 or higher had been recorded. The Japan Meteorological Agency has said that seismic activity remains high and has warned people in areas that experienced strong shaking to remain alert for about one week after the initial earthquake, as another earthquake could produce shaking as strong as seismic intensity 7.
According to information released by Kumamoto Prefecture as of 2:00 p.m. on August 1, 36 deaths have been reported. Damage has been reported at 3,429 homes, including 181 that were completely destroyed. A total of 9,068 people are staying at 218 evacuation shelters, while approximately 69,400 homes remain without running water. Kyushu Electric Power has announced that electricity has been restored to the high-voltage distribution network affected by the earthquake, although repairs to damaged low-voltage lines and service wires leading to individual homes are continuing.
On the 九州新幹線（Kyūshū Shinkansen）, damage to sound barriers and other structures has been confirmed at more than 200 locations, along with two broken rails and one displaced bridge pier. As I have shared in the past few “Life in Japan” articles, Japan is currently experiencing extremely severe heat. In 九州（Kyūshū）, temperatures have continued to exceed 35°C（95°F）, with some areas nearing 40°C（104°F）.
Kumamoto is also experiencing heat that can be life-threatening without air conditioning. With power and water outages continuing, the risk of heatstroke has become a serious concern for people staying in evacuation shelters, inside vehicles, and in their homes.
In places where water cannot be used freely and air conditioning cannot operate properly, it is difficult to lower the body’s temperature. If people are unable to sleep because of the heat, their physical strength will gradually decline. We must consider not only injuries and damage to buildings caused by the earthquake, but also the effects that life after evacuation can have on people’s health.
Kumamoto Prefecture is distributing drinking water, portable toilets, and portable air conditioners to evacuation shelters and strengthening measures to protect people from the heat.
Kumamoto also experienced a major earthquake ten years ago.
During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, the same region recorded the maximum seismic intensity of 7 twice. Many lives and livelihoods were lost, and homes, roads, railways, cultural properties, and other parts of the region were damaged. A long recovery process began across Kumamoto.
熊本城（Kumamoto Castle）is still undergoing restoration work following the earthquake ten years ago.
During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, all 13 buildings designated as Important Cultural Properties and all 20 reconstructed structures were damaged. Stone walls collapsed at approximately 50 locations. Around 23,600 square meters of stone walls were affected, representing about 30 percent of the total.
The stone walls of Kumamoto Castle cannot simply be rebuilt by gathering the fallen stones and stacking them again. Each recovered stone is assigned a number. Its original position is identified using its shape, size, surviving records, and other evidence before it is carefully returned to its place. Preserving the historical value of Kumamoto Castle while restoring it requires extensive time and specialist research. It is an immense undertaking.
The main keep was restored in 2021, but work is still underway on 宇土櫓（Uto Yagura / Uto Turret）, 飯田丸五階櫓（Iidamaru Gokai Yagura / Iidamaru Five-Story Turret）, 本丸御殿（Honmaru Goten / Honmaru Palace）, and several other stone walls and turrets. The target year for completing the restoration of the entire castle is fiscal 2052. Many people had already spent years on this work and were preparing to continue rebuilding for decades to come when this earthquake struck.
New collapses in the castle’s stone walls have been confirmed following this earthquake. Kumamoto Castle has been temporarily closed until its safety can be confirmed, and detailed surveys of the damage are continuing. The same place where stones that fell ten years ago had been rebuilt one by one has now been struck by powerful shaking once again.
In the middle of a recovery that had been progressing little by little over the course of ten years, Kumamoto was struck by another major earthquake.
What Kumamoto Means to Me
I first visited Kumamoto three years ago.
At the time, I was working as a nurse in 北海道（Hokkaidō）.
As I continued working as a nurse, I became physically and emotionally exhausted. I was tired of thinking about work and about the life that might come afterward. I no longer knew where or how I wanted to live.
When I quit my job, I went to Kumamoto.
I still remember the beauty of the natural landscape I saw there. The vast sky, the mountains, and the sight of water in the landscape. As I looked at the views before me, I felt that I had travelled far away from the life I had known while working.
I also experienced the warmth of the people I met there.
When visiting a place for the first time, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, I am still a traveller. As I spent time in Kumamoto, however, I began to see it as more than a destination. I started imagining myself living there.
I imagined waking up, going outside, shopping, working, and spending my days near those views. Instead of thinking about the next part of my journey, I was thinking about a life that could begin there.
During that trip, I began to want to move to Kumamoto.
Until then, I had never seriously considered living anywhere outside Hokkaidō. It was a significant change for me. My time in Kumamoto gave me the possibility of beginning a life in a new place.
Even after the trip ended and I returned to Hokkaidō, the desire to live in Kumamoto remained. It was no longer the temporary excitement of travel. It became a decision to change the way I lived.
Hokkaidō lies in the north of the Japanese archipelago, while Kyūshū, where Kumamoto is located, lies in the south. Moving from Hokkaidō to Kyūshū is like moving from one end of Japan to the other.
The seasons unfold differently, as do the climate and the plants. It is not a distance from which I could easily return to my former life. Leaving the familiar surroundings of Hokkaidō and moving to Kyūshū was a bold decision for me.
About one year later, I left Hokkaidō and moved to 福岡（Fukuoka）.
I began a job that required frequent business travel, which meant I could not choose Kumamoto as my base. Even so, I chose to live in neighbouring Fukuoka Prefecture, where I could easily travel to Kumamoto.
It was different from my original hope of moving to Kumamoto, but I began my new life in Kyūshū. Kumamoto did not become my address, but it became the starting point of my decision to leave Hokkaidō.
If I had not encountered Kumamoto’s landscapes and people during that journey three years ago, I might never have moved from the north of Japan to the south.
Every photograph in this article was taken during that journey.
At the time, I pointed my camera at the scenes I found beautiful because I wanted to preserve them. I never imagined that, several years later, I would look back at those photographs while watching news of an earthquake.
The landscapes in these photographs show the beauty of Kumamoto as I experienced it. They are also a record of the period when I decided to leave Hokkaidō and begin living somewhere new.
I was not born or raised in Kumamoto, nor do I currently live in the affected area. I cannot speak on behalf of the people who have experienced this disaster.
What Kumamoto gave to my life is something I can describe in my own words.
It reminded me, when I was exhausted, that there were still landscapes I could find beautiful. It made me want to try living in a place I did not know. It gave me the reason to make a decision that would take me from one end of Japan to the other.
For me, Kumamoto is not simply one of the prefectures I have visited. It is a precious place that changed the direction of my life.
What to Do If You Experience an Earthquake in Japan
Finally, I would like to explain what to do if you experience an earthquake while travelling in Japan.
Around Japan, the Pacific Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate are subducting beneath the plates on the continental side. Because Japan is subjected to complex forces from multiple plates, earthquakes occur throughout the country. The truth is that there is no region of Japan that can be described as entirely free from earthquake risk.
Shallow inland earthquakes, such as the current Kumamoto earthquake, occur close to the places where people live and can cause serious damage.
If an earthquake occurs while you are visiting Japan, protect your head first and move to a safe place, such as beneath a sturdy table. Running outside while the ground is shaking can expose you to falling glass, signs, and parts of buildings.
In hotels, stations, shopping centers, and other facilities, do not run toward the exits. Follow the instructions given by staff. Facilities in Japan conduct evacuation drills every year. Try not to panic, and listen carefully to the instructions around you.
If you are inside an elevator, stop it at the nearest floor and get out. If you feel strong or prolonged shaking near the coast, do not wait for a tsunami warning. Move away from the sea and head to higher, safer ground. If a tsunami warning or advisory has been issued, do not return to the coast until it has been lifted.
Even after the shaking stops, stay away from damaged buildings, stone walls, cliffs, and slopes. Rain following an earthquake can increase the risk of landslides.
The disaster information app “Safety tips,” created for international visitors, provides multilingual earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings, evacuation information, and other emergency alerts. I recommend downloading it before visiting Japan and enabling notifications.
The Japan National Tourism Organization’s “Japan Visitor Hotline” operates 24 hours a day and provides assistance in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese for accidents, illness, and disasters.
Telephone: 050-3816-2787
When you arrive at your hotel, check the emergency stairs and evacuation routes. Before going to sleep, keep comfortable walking shoes, your smartphone, a portable charger, any medication you regularly take, and your passport within reach.
It is also a good idea to check the evacuation shelters near your accommodation. Nearby schools and community centers are commonly designated as shelters.
Kumamoto Will Move Forward Again
Kumamoto is strong. Japan is strong too. And people in Japan know how to support one another.
The strength I want to convey does not mean that people remain unaffected when disaster strikes.
People have died. People have lost their homes, and others are still living in evacuation shelters. Places that took many years to restore have been damaged again.
It is the strength to face that reality and continue working to restore daily life and culture. To repair the railways, rebuild the stone walls one by one, and rebuild life within the community. I believe that is the strength Kumamoto has shown until now.
Below are the verified channels for anyone who would like to support Kumamoto. Donations are used differently depending on the recipient.
Relief funds distributed to people affected by the disaster
Kumamoto Prefecture 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Fund
On-site assistance providing food, daily necessities, and support to welfare facilities for people with disabilities
AAR Japan Emergency Response to the Kumamoto Earthquake
Three years ago, Kumamoto’s landscapes and people gave me, when I was exhausted, the possibility of beginning a life somewhere new.
Now, I want to share what is happening in Kumamoto and what makes this place so remarkable.
Kumamoto’s beauty will not be erased by this earthquake. The places that have already been restored remain, as do the skills that have been passed down and the experience of the people who have supported their communities.
Kumamoto will move forward again.
I believe that I will see the beautiful landscapes I encountered three years ago again, along with beautiful parts of Kumamoto that I have yet to discover.
—Written by Sumire