Members of the Taiwanese NGO The Mustard Seed Mission (MSM; 基督教芥菜種會, Headquarters: Taipei), which provided generous support for AAR Japan’s emergency response to the Kumamoto Earthquake, visited Japan on August 11 and 12 to observe the disaster-affected areas alongside AAR staff.

Founded in 1952, MSM supports indigenous communities in Taiwan and carries out relief operations during major disasters both at home and abroad. AAR previously partnered with MSM during the Eastern Taiwan Earthquake in 2024 and the flooding in the same region in 2025. Building on this strong relationship of trust, MSM entrusted AAR with $90,000 USD (approximately 14 million yen) in emergency funds immediately after the Kumamoto Earthquake.

During the two-day visit, the six-member delegation split into two groups to visit facilities for people with disabilities, general evacuation shelters, and BAR.BASE—a local distribution hub set up by AAR to help foreign residents affected by the disaster. On the first day, the team visited disability support facilities in Uki City, including Kumamoto Kosmos-en and Uki Kibou no Ie. Facility staff explained the harsh realities on the ground, such as the mounting stress among residents forced to share small rooms during evacuation, and the uncertainty surrounding repair timelines for residential quarters. At the Ryuhoku roadside station in Ohno, Hikawa Town, the delegation checked out temporary sanitation setups. They observed “manhole toilets”—tents and toilet seats installed directly over sewage manholes—and mobile toilet trailers, taking keen interest in solutions they were encountering for the first time.

A Common Challenge in Assisting Foreign Residents During Disasters

At BAR.BASE, an MSM member noticed the supplies and asked, “Why do the care packages include canned fish from the Philippines?” AAR staff explained that many affected residents in the area are foreign nationals from Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia, so AAR makes a conscious effort to distribute foods suited to their familiar tastes. An MSM member remarked, “Taiwan also has a large foreign workforce, making disaster assistance for them a major priority. It’s a challenge both our countries have in common.”

Heartfelt Thanks for “熊本加油” (“Stay Strong, Kumamoto!”) Messages of Support

On the second day, the delegation visited Torata no Kai, a welfare facility for people with disabilities in Yatsushiro City, as well as the shelter at the Yachiwa Community Center. They observed hot meal distributions organized by AAR and its partner groups and spoke directly with disaster survivors.

At Torata no Ie, staff member Ms.Yamashita described the terrifying moment the earthquake hit: “I was in the middle of driving service users’ home when the roads started cracking all around us. It was terrifying.” She added, “The trauma of the Kumamoto earthquake ten years ago still runs deep, and the loud emergency alerts alone cause some of our service users to panic.” She also noted the immense effort required to secure clean water and ingredients while preparing 120 meals daily for both service users and local neighbors. During her explanation, a noticeable aftershock struck, prompting MSM members to briefly take shelter under tables.

At the Yachiwa Community Center, MSM staff helped hand out somen noodles while listening to evacuees. A 70-year-old man, who had been staying at the shelter since the day of the earthquake, suffered three broken ribs and has been unable to clean up his damaged house. He mentioned receiving an encouraging “加油Jiāyóu” (“Hang in there!”) message from a friend in Taiwan. Looking at an MSM representative with emotion, he said with a trembling voice, “I love Taiwan. At a time when things are so difficult for us, Taiwan reached out to help Japan. I can’t thank you enough.”

MSM staff member Chiang Chung-Wei reflected on the trip, saying, “Seeing the devastation firsthand and hearing directly from the survivors made us fully grasp the immense scale of this disaster. We plan to take the lessons learned here and apply them to our future relief operations.”

AAR Japan will continue delivering the donations and warm support sent from Taiwan and across the globe to the communities affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake. We sincerely appreciate your continued support for our emergency relief efforts.