An ode to Japanese resilience, and why you should still visit Hiroshima and Kurashiki

Record rainfall in western Japan battered the town of Kumano in Hiroshima prefecture, causing a massive landslide that instantly ended lives and flattened homes in the area.
The roads of Mabi district in Kurashiki, Japan, are lined with water-damaged furniture, and garbage bags full of mud-soaked clothing, books and utensils that residents have thrown out. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM
The school hall of Nima Elementary School in Kurashiki, Japan, has been converted into a makeshift evacuation shelter. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM
Walter Sim
Japan Correspondent
Updated
Jul 16, 2018, 05:30 AM
Published
Jul 14, 2018, 11:27 PM
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

KURASHIKI (OKAYAMA)/KUMANO (HIROSHIMA) - The first sign that something was amiss during my drive from Kurashiki to Hiroshima came at highway pitstops and in some convenience stores, their shelves stripped entirely of bottled water.

Next was a closed-off portion of the Sanyo Expressway which meant a lengthy detour.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

ST One Digital

 $9.90/month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Available for
iPhones and iPads
Available in
Google Play

MCI (P) 066/10/2023. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2024 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

Back to the top