This page is general information from the company’s official notice. Whether your device and your area qualify is decided by the company when you call.
If a phone, tablet or computer was damaged in the Kumamoto earthquake of July 2026 and you still need the photos or files on it, one company is recovering data free of charge. You must call by October 31.
In short
- Japan PC Service (日本PCサービス) diagnoses devices and recovers data for free for people affected by disasters in 2026, including the Kumamoto earthquake.
- The offer covers calls received by Saturday, October 31, 2026. The free number is open 9:00 to 21:00 every day.
- You must live in an area where the Disaster Relief Act (災害救助法) was applied. For the Kumamoto earthquake this includes Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town.
- You pay postage both ways and for the storage device the data is copied to.
Checked with official pages on September 28, 2026.
1. Who can use it?
Depends on the provider
The company says the offer is for customers who were affected by a 2026 heavy-rain disaster, the Kumamoto earthquake or another disaster where the Disaster Relief Act applies, whose digital devices were damaged by the disaster, and who live in an area where the Act was applied. It decides the areas from the Cabinet Office’s list and adds areas if the list grows.
For the Reiwa 8 (2026) Kumamoto Earthquake, the Cabinet Office lists 21 cities, towns and villages in Kumamoto Prefecture, including Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town. The Cabinet Office notice of July 28, 2026 (Japanese, PDF) names all of them.
Devices covered are smartphones, tablets, computers and external storage (SSD, HDD, USB drives and SD cards). Some devices are not covered; the company asks you to call and ask.
2. How does it work?
Depends on the provider
- Call the free number by October 31. Phone 0800-555-0049, 9:00 to 21:00, open every day. The company explains the free support before you apply.
- Post the device to the shop they name. They tell you the address and what else to put in the box.
- Wait for the diagnosis. About 3 to 7 business days after the device arrives, they tell you whether the data can be recovered and how long it will take.
- Get your data back. They copy the recovered data to the storage you chose and post it back. If recovery is not possible, they post the device back.
Important
Depending on the damage, only part of the data, or none of it, may be recovered. The free offer cannot be combined with other discounts.
The notice does not say whether the phone line can help in English. For help in your language, see Where to get help in your language. For earthquake safety information, see Earthquakes and typhoons in Kumamoto.
