Language barriers hinder quake relief for Kumamoto’s foreign residents

Although government statistics show some 31,000 foreign nationals resided in the southwestern Japanese prefecture as of January 1, only three of the 19 municipalities surveyed said they had such arrangements in place. — AFP pic

First Published: Monday, 24 Aug 2026 9:00 PM MYT

KUMAMOTO (Japan), Aug 24 — Many foreigners in Kumamoto Prefecture may have had difficulty in obtaining information in the aftermath of last month’s magnitude-7.1 earthquake, as only a few municipalities in the hard-hit areas had services specifically designed for non-Japanese residents, a Kyodo News tally showed yesterday.

Although government statistics show some 31,000 foreign nationals resided in the southwestern Japanese prefecture as of January 1, only three of the 19 municipalities surveyed said they had such arrangements in place.

The findings underscore the need for local governments to extend support to people made particularly vulnerable in disasters, especially due to language barriers.

The quake registered the maximum level 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in Uki and Hikawa, killing 38 people.

The Kumamoto city government started an emergency email service for foreigners based on lessons learned from the major quakes that struck the prefecture 10 years ago, when many foreigners were unable to receive the support they needed.

Since the M7.1 quake that struck the prefecture on July 28, the city has issued disaster damage certificates to about 680 people registered with the system.

It also opened a shelter for foreigners at the Kumamoto City International Center, where some 20 people took refuge.

Kikuyo, the host town of a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant, opened a social media account in December that provides information in simple Japanese, responding to feedback from its growing foreign population.

Another municipality, Yatsushiro, also has opened a webpage providing information on evacuation shelters and supplies, while people registered with the Line messaging app can receive necessary information.

The hardest-hit Uki and Hikawa have not launched specific disaster information services targeting foreigners yet.

Even among the three municipalities with foreigner-friendly services, language barriers remain as significant obstacles for information transmission.

A Vietnamese man in Yatsushiro had to share food and beverages with compatriots after he obtained them from his acquaintances.

“We would like to deliver supplies to as many people as possible, but it is difficult to create an opportunity for everyone to know what we do,” said an official at a shelter in Yatsushiro. — Bernama-Kyodo