Ten years on from the devastating April 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, the city is finding new ways to keep its lessons alive — including reaching younger generations who were too young to remember it. Kumamoto City’s official YouTube channel has published a new video featuring wink first (TRAINEE), a five-member J-pop group under the TOBE agency, as they discover the story of Kumamoto’s long road to recovery.
The video, released on 18 June 2026, captures two experiences: the group’s performance at the KAB Ekimae Festa 2026 (a street festival held in front of Kumamoto Station) and their participation in a disaster-preparedness lecture. The concept places the young artists in the role of a generation that has no personal memory of the earthquake — and tasks them with understanding and passing on what happened to audiences across Japan.
It’s a thoughtful approach to disaster education: rather than dry statistics, the city is using the appeal of a popular music act to spark curiosity about earthquake preparedness among younger viewers nationwide. For residents in Kumamoto — especially newcomers and foreign visitors — the video also serves as an accessible introduction to how the city has rebuilt and what it has learned. Kumamoto Castle's ongoing restoration is one of the most visible symbols of that decade-long effort.
The video is available now on Kumamoto City’s official YouTube channel. Even if your Japanese is limited, watching it gives a real sense of the community spirit that has defined Kumamoto’s recovery — and a reminder that being prepared for future earthquakes remains a priority for everyone living or travelling here.
Source: Kumamoto City Tourism Guide
