Summary of Minister Kaneko's Press Conference

At the August 28, 2026 press conference, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasushi Kaneko gave reports and answered questions about the Kumamoto Earthquake, heavy rain in the Hokuriku region, the next fiscal year's budget, and the West Kyushu Shinkansen.

The press conference presented support measures for recovery and reconstruction from disasters, as well as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's budget request centered on disaster preparedness, economic growth, and regional development.

For the Kumamoto Earthquake response, the government presented a policy combining the rebuilding of livelihoods and businesses, full-scale infrastructure restoration, information provision, and push-style support without waiting for requests from local governments.

The Kyushu Recovery Support Discount will be implemented as a measure to address successive cancellations in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures and the impact on lodging and tourism across Kyushu, including areas unaffected by the disaster, thereby supporting tourism recovery.

The resumption of general vehicle traffic on the Kyushu Expressway and full-line operations of the Kyushu Shinkansen is expected to accelerate recovery and reconstruction throughout the disaster-affected areas and the revitalization of regional economies.

The support package includes emergency housing repairs; discounts on travel and lodging charges; restoration of nationally managed facilities, rivers, water and sewer systems, roads, and ports; restoration of government buildings; cleaning and repair of wells; financial and technical support for railways; and the securing of alternative transportation.

The Kyushu Recovery Support Discount covers lodging travel and other eligible services throughout the Kyushu region, with each prefecture flexibly setting the eligible period and reservation start date.

The FY2027 budget request is built around three pillars: securing the safety and security of the public; achieving sustainable economic growth; and creating regions that make use of their individuality while building a sustainable and vibrant nation. The request includes national resilience, measures to address aging infrastructure, maritime security capabilities, shipbuilding, port logistics, sustainable tourism, and the elimination of transportation deserts.

Restoration of the water mains was completed in Uki City on August 28 and was expected to be completed in Hikawa Town as early as the same day and no later than the following day. Up to 78 teams and approximately 270 water utility engineers per day were dispatched from across Japan, and above-ground piping was also used.

During the heavy rain in the Hokuriku region, 24-hour rainfall exceeded 300 millimeters. Approximately 10 households in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, experienced water outages, flooding occurred along 20 prefecture-managed rivers, 11 landslides were recorded, expressways and national roads were closed, and operations were suspended on 17 conventional railway lines. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism responded through hotlines, TEC-FORCE, liaison officers, JETT, road clearance, and drainage pump vehicles.

For the section between Shin-Tosu and Takeo-Onsen on the West Kyushu Shinkansen, the government confirmed its policy of completing preliminary surveys for the environmental impact assessment procedure during FY2026 and included the necessary costs in the budget request for implementing the procedure from FY2027. Operations between Uto and Yatsushiro on the Kagoshima Main Line are targeted to resume around mid-October, while securing and expanding alternative bus services is also underway.