2026 Kumamoto Earthquake (28 July 2026): news roundup
For anything affecting your safety, evacuation or the whereabouts of family, always check the Japan Meteorological Agency and local authorities directly. This page is a secondary roundup of news headlines and is refreshed every 12 hours.
Earthquake overview
- Time
- 16:27 JST, 28 July 2026
- Epicentre
- Kumamoto region, Kumamoto Prefecture (32.6°N, 130.7°E), depth about 10 km
- Magnitude
- JMA magnitude 7.1
- Maximum intensity
- JMA shindo 7 (Toyono, Uki City and Shimaji, Hikawa Town)
- Name
- Named "the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake" by the JMA at 19:30 JST on 28 July 2026
- Tsunami
- A tsunami advisory was issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas at 16:29 JST and fully lifted at 18:10 JST the same day
Headlines from Japanese news outlets
Last collected: 2026-09-18 03:01 JST
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The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a donation ceremony in Taipei on the 17th to hand over relief funds for the reconstruction efforts following the Kumamoto earthquake. Over 300 million Taiwanese dollars (approximately 1.464 billion yen) was collected from individuals, companies, and organizations. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung stated that there is a friendship like family between Taiwan and Japan.
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Following the Kumamoto earthquake in July, a list of relief donations collected by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Taiwanese citizens was handed over by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Jia-long to Representative Kazuyuki Katayama of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association's Taipei office on the 17th.
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Just restored... 211 Jodo Shinshu temples damaged in Kumamoto earthquake
Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha (Kyoto City, Shimogyo-ku, head temple: Nishi Honganji) has revealed that 211 of its temples were damaged in the Kumamoto earthquake (as of the 9th). Of these, 178 temples are located within Kumamoto Prefecture. The damage is particularly concentrated in the central part of the prefecture, with eight main halls collapsing in Yatsushiro City and neighboring Hiikawa Town, among other areas.
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Following the Kumamoto earthquake with a maximum intensity of 7, explosions occurred at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a large commercial facility in Kajima-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture, and it has continued to be closed. It has been learned through an interview with Aeon on the 12th that Aeon has offered all of its tenant shops the option of temporarily cancelling their contracts.
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In response to the significant decline in tourists due to the Kumamoto earthquake, a revised budget plan that includes expenses for Kagoshima Prefecture's unique tourism support measure, Kagoshima Tourism Support Discount, was approved at the prefectural assembly that convened on September 11. Subsidies for trips that include accommodation will start accepting reservations from the 14th.
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Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education and Tokyo Women's Junior College of Physical Education's rhythmic gymnastics clubs will hold an in-school presentation event at the arena in the university grounds in Kunitachi, Tokyo, on the 12th and 16th to support victims of the Kumamoto earthquake and Chiba heavy rainfall, among other disasters. The event will feature 89 club members as well as junior and youth athletes.
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Half a month after the Kumamoto earthquake on July 28, Sakata Kozuyuki, the 48-year-old head of the Kiryu Daiichi high school baseball club, headed to his hometown. A native of Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture, which observed intensity 6-strong, he was confronted with the damage and felt a sense of powerlessness, but strongly reaffirmed his determination to always look on the bright side.
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In Kumamoto Prefecture, where railway services were damaged in the Kumamoto earthquake and substitute bus services continue, commuting times for high school and university students have been significantly prolonged. The JR Kagoshima Line section between Uto in Uto City and Yatsushiro in Yatsushiro City, which normally takes about 25 minutes, is currently out of service, and the substitute bus takes 1 hour and 50 minutes, with some high school students having to wake up as early as 4 am to arrive at school on time. The suspension of local train services is expected to continue for 10...
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By the 6th, Kitakyushu City had dispatched a total of 605 personnel to the affected areas of the Kumamoto earthquake, which recorded a maximum intensity 7 on July 28. It has been over a month since the earthquake. Through the efforts of Kitakyushu City personnel working to support the affected areas, we explored the current state of the disaster-stricken region and the challenges that should be considered in preparation for emergencies.
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How many multipurpose toilets that anyone can use are installed in elementary and junior high schools. Public schools also serve as designated evacuation centers in times of disaster, but in the Kumamoto earthquake, some people avoided evacuation due to the toilet environment. The Asahi Shimbun surveyed 61 municipalities across the country and found that...
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In the July Kumamoto earthquake, disaster wells supported the lives of victims. While the water supply system suffered significant damage and widespread water outages occurred in the affected areas, all 16 disaster wells in Kumamoto prefecture's Yatsushiro city and Ushibuka city, which were hit by intense shaking, remained intact and were utilized as a source of water for daily life. Amidst the challenge of securing water during disasters, the government is promoting the use of groundwater as an alternative water source.
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In Kumamoto Prefecture's Hiikawa town, which recorded intensity 7 in the Kumamoto earthquake, the town's specialty Yoshino pears were shipped to Taiwan this month, as part of an initiative that has been ongoing since 2004. Many pears fell from the trees due to the earthquake, and the outlook for shipping had been tough, but the Taiwanese side accepted them as a form of support.
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The Kumamoto prefectural police and fire department conducted an on-site inspection of the fire at the smokestack of Nippon Paper's Yatsushiro factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, with a team of around 20 people on the 7th. They took aerial footage using a drone and are also proceeding with interviews of those involved. The fire may have occurred during work to cut off steel pillars around the smokestack that were damaged in the July Kumamoto earthquake, and they are proceeding to determine the cause.
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Earthquakes have been occurring one after another in Kumamoto and the Tokyo metropolitan area, among other places. Overseas, large-scale earthquakes have also caused damage in countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, and Indonesia. Are there differences in disaster prevention measures from country to country, asks Professor Sho Rajib of Keio University, an expert in environmental disaster mitigation.
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The Kumamoto earthquake has directly hit Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture, which suffered immense damage in the July 2020 Kyushu heavy rainfall. Over six years have passed since the heavy rainfall disaster in Kumamoto Prefecture, which claimed the lives of 67 people, including two disaster-related deaths, but reconstruction is still only halfway complete, particularly in the southern part of the prefecture along the Kuma River, which overflowed. What are the thoughts of those who have experienced two disasters, the heavy rainfall and the earthquake?
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A fire that broke out at Nippon Paper's Yatsushiro factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, on the 3rd, was extinguished in the early hours of the 4th after partially burning down a smokestack. At the time, work was underway at the factory to cut through a steel framework as part of the demolition of a smokestack that had collapsed in the Kumamoto earthquake, according to reports. The prefectural police...
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A fire that broke out at Nippon Paper's Yatsushiro factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, on the 3rd, was extinguished around 0:30 am on the 4th, about 6 and a half hours after it started, according to the Yatsushiro Wide Area Fire Department. At the scene, 10 workers were dismantling a smokestack, but all of them evacuated safely. The police and fire department will conduct an on-site inspection on the 7th to investigate the cause of the fire.
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In response to the Kumamoto earthquake with a maximum intensity of 7, the government held the first meeting of the "Headquarters for Disaster Reconstruction" led by Prime Minister Kazuyo Takai at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on the 4th. The Prime Minister explained the purpose of the headquarters as building a support system from a medium to long-term perspective.
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At around 5:55 pm on the 3rd, a report was made to 119 from a person related to Nippon Paper's Yatsushiro factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, stating that a fire had broken out during demolition work on a smokestack. According to Kumamoto Prefectural Police Yatsushiro station, 10 people were cutting the smokestack damaged in the Kumamoto earthquake at the time of the incident, but no one was injured. The fire was extinguished at around 9:25 pm, and the police and fire department are investigating the cause.
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A fire was reported at the Nippon Paper Yatsushiro mill in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, where a chimney was damaged in the July Kumamoto earthquake. At around 5:50 pm on the 3rd, an employee called 119, saying a fire had broken out during demolition work on the chimney. According to the Yatsushiro Wide Area Administrative Association Fire Department, the fire occurred in the chimney being demolished...
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In response to the significant decline in tourists following the Kumamoto earthquake, Kagoshima Prefecture will introduce its own accommodation discount scheme from mid-September, without waiting for the start of the nationally-led Kyushu Fukko Oen Wari discount. The prefectural assembly, which convenes on the 11th, will consider a supplementary budget bill that includes 452 million yen in project costs for emergency measures.
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One month has passed since the Kumamoto earthquake on July 28. In the Tachii district of Himuka, Kumamoto Prefecture, Hamada Yasuhiro, 64, a district chief and farmer whose family has been farming for three generations, gazed at the sun-scorched rice and slumped his shoulders, saying the year's rice crop has been completely destroyed. Normally, the rice ears would be laden with grain by now, but
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The 97th Intercity Baseball Tournament held its second round at Tokyo Dome on the 2nd, where Otsu-cho's Honda Kumamoto lost to Yokohama City's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries East 0-5, failing to advance to the top 8 for the first time in 5 years. Veteran player Shota Inagaki, in his 15th year since joining the company, made the following comments.
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In the areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake, a support center for people with disabilities, the Kumamoto Earthquake Disaster Area Center for People with Disabilities, has been established to rescue those who are unable to speak out for themselves and are seeking help. Many people with disabilities are still struggling, unable to receive administrative support and are at a loss amidst the rubble. Local welfare organizations, as well as support groups from outside Kumamoto Prefecture, have begun activities in the affected areas.
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In response to the Kumamoto earthquake with a maximum intensity of 7, the government decided at its cabinet meeting on the 1st to newly establish the "Extraordinary Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Headquarters" headed by Prime Minister Kazuyo Hayashi, aiming to build a mid- to long-term support system for recovery and reconstruction in the affected areas.
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September 1 is Disaster Prevention Day. In the event of large-scale disasters such as the Noto Peninsula earthquake or the Kumamoto earthquake, damaged nursery schools and schools are forced to close, leaving working parents who are raising children unable to continue working. This is particularly true for local governments and medical institutions that are required to respond immediately after a disaster.
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In the Kumamoto earthquake, a fault displacement of over 30 kilometers appeared on the ground surface due to an active fault. Directly above it, a large step formed on the highway, the rails of the Kyushu Shinkansen were pulled apart, and an elementary school building was destroyed and became unusable. Many homes were tilted or destroyed.
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Bridge girders on roads fell off, chimneys broke, and houses collapsed in various locations, highlighting the terror of active faults, as seen in the July Kumamoto earthquake. It is said that there are approximately 2,000 active faults nationwide that can cause massive earthquakes, and it is difficult to live avoiding them.
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Never Give Up message of support for Kumamoto displayed at Tokyo Dome during intercity baseball game
The 97th Intercity Baseball Tournament held its first round on the 31st at Tokyo Dome, and in the second game between Chofu, Tokyo's Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Otsu, Kumamoto's Honda Kumamoto, a message of support for Kumamoto, which suffered significant damage in the July earthquake, appeared on the electronic scoreboard on the left wing fence.
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On July 28, a Kumamoto earthquake with an intensity 7 tremor was observed in Himuka, Kumamoto Prefecture. Tanaka Tofu Shop, which had been closed due to water outages, reopened on the 24th, about a month later. Along with her husband, Toshiaki Tanaka, 76, the shop has been in operation for about 50 years, and they have been working together.
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One month has passed since the Kumamoto earthquake. According to the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education, the number of public kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools in the prefecture that suffered damage such as cracks in school buildings has risen to 359, but classes are expected to start at all public schools by September 1. Meanwhile, evacuation centers are still being used by people who have been forced to flee their homes.
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In response to the Kumamoto earthquake, a joint public-private project called Cultural Supporters, centered on the Agency for Cultural Affairs, is soliciting donations to cover restoration costs for cultural properties. The project is supporting three cultural properties located in Kumamoto Prefecture, including a nationally designated place of scenic beauty.
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It has been one month since the Kumamoto earthquake, which caused immense damage. Village head Masao Murayama, 87, and his wife Yoshiko, 85, who have run a gas station in Yatsushiro's Chittocho, Kumamoto Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas, for 60 years, said everyone will come back, so we cannot just leave it closed.
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To boost slumping tourism demand due to the Kumamoto earthquake, the government decided on a support package at a cabinet meeting on the 28th, which includes the Kyushu Fukko Oen Wari discount on travel expenses to the Kyushu region. A reserve fund of 15.1 billion yen is allocated for the discount.
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The government decided on the 27th to create a discount travel program, tentatively called Kyushu Support Discount, to boost tourism demand which has been declining due to the Kumamoto earthquake. This includes providing up to 3 million yen to households whose homes were completely destroyed and financial support for affected businesses.
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JR Kyushu announced that the Kyushu Shinkansen line between Kumamoto in Kumamoto City and Shin-Minamata in Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, which has been suspended due to the impact of the Kumamoto earthquake, is expected to resume operations from September 18, marking the resumption of services on the entire line for the first time in about one and a half months.
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JR Kyushu announced on the 27th that it plans to resume full operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen on September 18, which has continued to be suspended between Kumamoto and Shin-Minamata due to damage from the Kumamoto earthquake. The restoration of the area around Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture, where the viaduct and station building were severely damaged, is taking time, and currently...
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It has been 28 days since the Kumamoto earthquake, marking one month. Key industries such as automobiles and semiconductors have achieved early recovery, thanks to preparations based on lessons learned from 10 years ago. On the other hand, damage was extensive near the epicenter, and the impact on corporate activities still remains. The path to recovery is slow-going.
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Pets have become an integral part of the family. With approximately 16 million dogs and cats alone nationwide, many pets in the Kumamoto earthquake disaster area are also living in evacuation with their owners. The experience of living with pets, which provide emotional support to their owners, varies depending on the municipality where they have evacuated to.
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The Emperor and Empress are expected to visit the affected area by the end of September to offer condolences, following the Kumamoto earthquake which recorded an intensity of 7. Their Majesties, who are concerned about the victims, had hoped to visit the area at an appropriate time, and the Imperial Household Agency had been coordinating with Kumamoto Prefecture and other parties.
Official sources
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Articles are selected from the public RSS feeds of Japanese news outlets when they mention both Kumamoto and earthquake or disaster related words. Every 12 hours the headline, publication time and the sharing metadata the outlet publishes for the article (og:description and og:image) are stored. No article body text is reproduced. Every headline links to the original article.
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