Four technical interns in Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, are continuing cucumber harvests despite ongoing power and water outages following a major earthquake [1].
This situation highlights the vulnerability of agricultural labor and food supply chains when critical infrastructure fails during extreme weather conditions.
The earthquake, which struck on July 28 [1], reached a maximum seismic intensity of seven [1]. The disaster caused the collapse of warehouses and dormitories, leaving the workers without stable housing and cutting off essential utilities [1].
Workers are now forced to commute between emergency shelters and vinyl greenhouses to maintain the crop [1]. This labor is being performed under severe weather conditions, with morning temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and forecasts predicting highs of 35 degrees Celsius or more [1].
Local officials noted the unexpected duration of the infrastructure failure. Kazushi Hayata, head of the city's crisis management division, said he initially expected recovery within a few hours, but power outages lasted for several days [2].
The lack of basic utilities has created a precarious living environment for the farm workers. One farmer said that while life is currently difficult due to the lack of water, they feel anxiety about their future livelihood when considering the impact on the harvest [1].
Agricultural output in the region remains at risk as workers balance survival in shelters with the physical demands of farming in the heat [1].
“Power outages lasted for several days.”
The reliance on foreign technical interns in Japanese agriculture creates a specific humanitarian risk during natural disasters. When dormitories—often managed by employers—collapse or lose utility access, these workers face double displacement: they lose their homes while remaining tethered to the land to prevent total crop loss. This intersection of infrastructure failure and extreme heat underscores the need for more resilient housing standards for migrant laborers in disaster-prone regions.
