[Photo Report] Kumamoto Earthquake: Vibrant Fresh Flowers at Graves Without Headstones… Daily Life Returns to the Disaster Area, but “Challenges Remain”
Walking Through Disaster-Prone Japan [Part 2]: Areas Without Water Supply Remain; Obon Arrives Amid Toppled Tombstones… Aid via Large Ferries and Training Ships Begins
August 28 marked one month since the Kumamoto Earthquake, which recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7. In the disaster-stricken area, where daily high temperatures have exceeded 35 degrees Celsius and heatstroke alerts have been issued amid the sweltering heat, the scars of the earthquake remained visible everywhere.
The Current Situation: Power Outages and Water Shortages
Visiting a cemetery in Hikawa Town, adjacent to Yatsushiro City, we found that about 90 percent of the gravestones had toppled over (second photo).An employee at a local stone masonry shop lamented, “We need a crane to right the gravestones. With this many, I’m not sure if we’ll be able to finish the work by the end of the year…” Even under these circumstances, it appears some disaster victims visited to honor their ancestors during Obon, as vibrant fresh flowers were offered at graves where the headstones were missing.
Meanwhile, with the opening of the Kyushu Expressway, the supply of food and daily necessities has recovered to the point where people can lead daily lives much as they did before the earthquake. Convenience stores and supermarkets are reopening one after another, and some stores have even resumed 24-hour operations.
Daily living infrastructure is also gradually being restored.Power outages, which at their peak affected more than 48,000 households, have been almost entirely resolved. Water outages, which at their peak affected more than 100,000 households, have been reduced to about 2,000 households. Even in Yatsushiro City—where more than 25,000 households, the highest number in the prefecture, were without water—full restoration of water and sewer services was announced on the 26th.
However, unexpected water-related problems have also arisen. In Yatsushiro City, nearly half of the approximately 120,000 residents rely on well water rather than tap water for daily use. However, it is reported that many of these wells have become unusable due to the earthquake.
Amid this situation, assistance from the sea has become a lifeline. A visit to Yatsushiro Port revealed that the “Kaikō,” a marine environmental maintenance vessel owned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, had docked there and was providing large quantities of drinking water to residents.
The large ferry “Hakou II,” chartered by the Ministry of Defense, opened its accommodations to the public, while the training ship “Hiroshima Maru” from the Hiroshima National College of Maritime Technology opened its onboard bath facilities to provide residents with a place to bathe. Takahiro Tamura of the National Institute of Technology, who was overseeing operations on site, explained:
“From 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., we’re letting 40 to 50 people take a bath each day. We’ve also opened the dining hall and are distributing free retort-packed meals in the hope that they’ll help with daily living.Since we’re doing this work in between summer vacation, we can only stay for a short time, but seeing so many people leave here happy—especially given that there are still areas where water issues haven’t been resolved—makes me feel it was worth doing.”
When I spoke to a woman in her 50s who had come to the boat to use the bath, she replied with a smile:
“I was really struggling because I ran out of water for daily use, so I’m truly grateful. Soaking in the warm water really refreshed me. I’m going to go back and do my best with the recovery efforts.”
A month has passed since the earthquake, and many changes are taking place in the disaster-stricken areas. What surprised me most was the number of residents willing to speak with the press. Immediately after the disaster, everyone was struggling just to survive, making interviews difficult, but this time, many people were eager to share their stories. I sensed the strong resolve of the people of Kumamoto to overcome this massive earthquake and move forward.
Although there are still mountains of challenges ahead, the day when peace returns to the disaster-stricken areas is not far off. This reporter was convinced of that.
From the September 11–18, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO： Masahiro Kawayanagi