Taiwan has raised and delivered over NT$300 million in public donations to help Japan's Kumamoto region rebuild after a major earthquake — good news for Kumamoto residents and a sign of deepening Taiwan-Japan ties.

• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Kumamoto in late July, and Taiwan's foreign ministry launched a public fundraising drive that topped NT$300 million within a month.
• Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung handed the money to Japan's representative in Taiwan, Kazuyuki Katayama, with the full amount going to reconstruction.
• Taiwan's president, vice president, and premier each gave personal donations, and the government separately gave NT$5 million directly to Japan.
• Kumamoto matters to Taiwan because TSMC and its chip suppliers have set up there, so a growing number of Taiwanese now live and work in the area.
• Japan's side called it part of a "cycle of goodwill," pointing to past mutual aid after the 2011 Tohoku quake, the 2024 Noto quake, and the 2025 Hualien flooding disaster.

Outlook: Both sides plan to deepen cooperation on disaster prevention and recovery as Kumamoto's rebuilding gets underway.