# Japan’s prime minister visits quake-hit Kumamoto as heat hampers recovery

https://mins.news/en/item/12587

- The Guardian, 2026-08-04 00:59 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/04/japan-earthquake-prime-minister-visit-recovery-heat-sanae-takaichi

> Prime minister Sanae Takaichi has toured Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan nearly a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the area. Recovery work is being slowed by soaring temperatures and insufficient water supplies. Officials say 38 people died in the disaster, including one person who apparently suffered fatal heatstroke while sheltering in a car. The quake also caused widespread damage across the prefecture.