Japan: Aftermath of Massive M7.1 Kumamoto Earthquake 2

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Japan on Tuesday, July 28, registering a level 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, leaving 36 dead as of Friday, July 31. An explosion was reported at the AEON Mall Kumamoto shortly after the quake, a chimney also collapsed at a paper factory, and more than 1,500 homes were reported destroyed or damaged across the affected areas.

Japan: Aftermath of Massive M7.1 Kumamoto Earthquake

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Japan on Tuesday, July 28, registering a level 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, leaving 36 dead as of Friday, July 31. An explosion was reported at the AEON Mall Kumamoto shortly after the quake, a chimney also collapsed at a paper factory, and more than 1,500 homes were reported destroyed or damaged across the affected areas.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations continuing for a missing person at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations continuing for a missing person at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations continuing for a missing person at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations continuing for a missing person at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations continuing for a missing person at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations continuing for a missing person at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Search and rescue operations for a missing person continue at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Search and rescue operations for a missing person continue at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Search and rescue operations for a missing person continue at a partially destroyed Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30, 2026, two days after a powerful earthquake hit the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations under way at a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 29, 2026, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and surrounding areas.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows search and rescue operations under way at a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 29, 2026, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and surrounding areas.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Police officers and others are seen during their search and rescue operations at the damaged Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 29, 2026, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and surrounding areas.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken on July 29, 2026, shows a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity the previous day.

CORRECTED: Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

CORRECTED: Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken on July 29, 2026, shows a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity the previous day.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A collapsed factory building of Nippon Paper Industries Co. is pictured in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 29, 2026, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on July 29, 2026, shows a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity the previous day.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on July 29, 2026, shows a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity the previous day.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on July 29, 2026, shows a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity the previous day.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on July 29, 2026, shows a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant with its smokestack broken in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity the previous day.

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan+

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan+

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on July 28, 2026, shows a snapped chimney at a Nippon Paper Industries Co. factory in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging=July 7,2026,Japan

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging=July 7,2026,Japan

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging=July 7,2026,Japan

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging

Aeon: Soft-pack tissue paper made entirely of paper, including the packaging=July 7,2026,Japan

Square watermelon

Square watermelon

A cube-shaped watermelon is put into a corrugated-paper box for shipment in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on June 30, 2026.

Square watermelon

Square watermelon

A cube-shaped watermelon is put into a corrugated-paper box for shipment in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on June 30, 2026.

China: Copycat? Missing Pet Cat Found “Hatching” Eggs Alongside Hens in Guizhou

On April 18, 2026, in Guizhou, a video recorded a pet owner searching around the house for a missing cat. The cat was eventually found inside a paper box lined with straw. The male cat was lying there completely still, as if guarding something. Nearby, two other boxes each contained a hen sitting on eggs, which appeared to explain the scene. Once the owner looked more closely and lifted the cat’s paws, two eggs were revealed underneath. The cat had apparently settled into the straw and copied the hens by sitting over the eggs as if trying to hatch them.

US: Massive Fire Tears Through Kimberly-Clark Paper Goods Warehouse in Ontario, CA 2

A massive 6-alarm fire broke out at a Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, California, in the early hours of Tuesday, April 7, with more than 100 firefighters responding to battle the blaze. A warehouse employee was arrested on suspicion of arson, and no injuries were reported, though thick smoke prompted air quality warnings for sensitive groups in the area.

US: Massive Fire Tears Through Kimberly-Clark Paper Goods Warehouse in Ontario, CA

A massive 6-alarm fire broke out at a Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, California, in the early hours of Tuesday, April 7, with more than 100 firefighters responding to battle the blaze. A warehouse employee was arrested on suspicion of arson, and no injuries were reported, though thick smoke prompted air quality warnings for sensitive groups in the area.

Chile: Massive Fire at Puente Alto Paper Mill Prompts Evacuation Order 2

A massive structural fire broke out at a paper mill in Puente Alto on Tuesday, March 3, prompting SENAPRED to activate the SAE emergency alert system and order the evacuation of nearby residents. The blaze sent a large plume of smoke visible across Santiago, leading health authorities to issue warnings as multiple fire departments worked to contain the flames.

Chile: Massive Fire at Puente Alto Paper Mill Prompts Evacuation Order

A massive structural fire broke out at a paper mill in Puente Alto on Tuesday, March 3, prompting SENAPRED to activate the SAE emergency alert system and order the evacuation of nearby residents. The blaze sent a large plume of smoke visible across Santiago, leading health authorities to issue warnings as multiple fire departments worked to contain the flames.

China: Burning Paper Spirals Into Mini Tornado After You Shen Ritual in Guangdong

A Chinese worship ceremony appeared to trigger a sudden mini tornado when burning paper offerings spiraled into the air without any warning wind. Filmed on February 25, 2026, in Lianjiang, Guangdong, the video shows ashes and flames suddenly twisting into a vertical column shortly after a traditional You Shen ritual ended. Residents had been burning paper ingots when the fire rapidly spun upward, forming what looked like a small tornado. The woman who recorded the scene, surnamed Huang, said the air had been completely still moments before the ashes violently lifted off the ground. The swirling column gradually weakened, and the burning paper fell back down as the air returned to calm.

Nippon Paper Pulp Trading Company signboard and logo

Nippon Paper Pulp Trading Company signboard and logo

Nippon Paper Pulp Trading Company signboard and logo=February 17,2026,Tokyo

Nippon Paper Pulp Trading Company signboard and logo

Nippon Paper Pulp Trading Company signboard and logo

Nippon Paper Pulp Trading Company signboard and logo=February 17,2026,Tokyo

Spain: Supermarket Shelves Appear to Empty as Storm Leonardo Looms

As Spain braces for Storm Leonardo, videos posted on social media show some products such as water and toilet paper running out at supermarkets.

Making of paper charms at Japanese shrine

NACHIKATSUURA, Japan, Jan. 14 Kyodo - "Kimenfuda" paper charms depicting ogres are printed at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine in Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 14, 2025, ahead of a Feb. 2 bean-scattering ceremony to drive out devils and attract good fortune. (Kyodo)

31st anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

31st anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

Paper lanterns are lit at a park in Kobe, western Japan, on Jan. 16, 2026, the eve of the 31st anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that killed over 6,400 people.

31st anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

31st anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

Paper lanterns are lit at a park in Kobe, western Japan, on Jan. 16, 2026, the eve of the 31st anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that killed over 6,400 people.

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

XI'AN, CHINA - JANUARY 15, 2026 - A giant Paper Cuttings of the Year of the Horse hanging in the hall of a shopping mall in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on January 15, 2026.

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

XI'AN, CHINA - JANUARY 15, 2026 - A giant Paper Cuttings of the Year of the Horse hanging in the hall of a shopping mall in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on January 15, 2026.

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

XI'AN, CHINA - JANUARY 15, 2026 - A giant Paper Cuttings of the Year of the Horse hanging in the hall of a shopping mall in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on January 15, 2026.

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

XI'AN, CHINA - JANUARY 15, 2026 - A giant Paper Cuttings of the Year of the Horse hanging in the hall of a shopping mall in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on January 15, 2026.

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

Giant Paper Cuttings For The Year of The Horse

XI'AN, CHINA - JANUARY 15, 2026 - A giant Paper Cuttings of the Year of the Horse hanging in the hall of a shopping mall in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on January 15, 2026.

Blockade of Power Stations and Control of Shipments - Montauban

Blockade of Power Stations and Control of Shipments - Montauban

Verification of the load on paper with a safety manager from Action. A truck driver who speaks Ukrainian cannot open the doors of his truck (registered LT at the front and PL for the load), but a misunderstanding and translation issue disrupts the inspection process because the doors are actually locked with a seal and the driver cannot open them before delivery. There was a moment of tension, but the discussion resumed with the intervention of another truck driver who spoke French and Ukrainian with a police officer, and in the end we followed the truck driver to the Action depot. Inspection of a truck. Agricultural mobilization. Blockade of power stations and control of shipments. JA and FDSEA Tarn-et-Garonne. Farmers angry about the health management of contagious nodular dermatitis (DNC) and the signing of the EU-Mercosur agreements. Viti. Macf. France, Montbartier, January 15, 2026. Photo by Patricia Huchot-Boissier/ABACAPRESS.COM

Woman Life Freedom Protests

Woman Life Freedom Protests

Photo by Sarina/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM An Iranian masked woman protester without wearing a hijab holds up a paper reading "For Freedom" in front of a burning dumpster on October 1, 2022 in Tehran, Iran. The nationwide protests started after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl who died under the custody of the Islamic Republic's Morality Police on September 16th, 2022 in Tehran.

Woman Life Freedom Protests

Woman Life Freedom Protests

Photo by Sarina/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM An Iranian masked woman protester without wearing a hijab holds up a paper reading "For Freedom" in front of a burning dumpster on October 1, 2022 in Tehran, Iran. The nationwide protests started after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl who died under the custody of the Islamic Republic's Morality Police on September 16th, 2022 in Tehran.

China: Dog’s Tail Becomes Calligraphy Brush

On January 3, 2026, in Shaanxi, China, a video showed a woman using her dog’s tail as a calligraphy brush to write the Chinese character “Fu,” symbolizing good fortune, on red paper. The dog remained calm as its ink-dipped tail formed the character, creating a playful and surprisingly neat work of art ahead of the festival.

Paper Cuttings

Paper Cuttings

ENSHI, CHINA - DECEMBER 30, 2025 - Primary school teachers and students learn intangible cultural heritage Paper Cuttings to welcome the arrival of 2026 in Enshi City, Hubei Province, China on December 30, 2025.