Kumamoto International Archive

Archive of the Kumamoto International Facebook group, 2011–present.

Kirk with an update from Kelly Hansen on the Daiz meat-substitute products:
"Daiz products are being sold at Youme town (took this photo at the one across from Kumamoto Gakuen Dairaku), but seem to be selling out quickly."
Thanks Kelly!

Kirk with some news about migratory spoonbills that are expected to pass through this area. By the way, I see that some ducks are flying with the spoonbills. I wonder what that's all about. Maybe they wanted to be in the picture too. ;)
Japan Photo Journal: Endangered migratory spoonbills arrive in Japan for winter - The Mainichi
Black-faced spoonbills, endangered migratory birds of the ibis family, are seen in the sunset along the Tatara River in the city of Fukuoka on Oct. 17

Kirk here. I've posted about a lot of different topics over the years but I think this is my first post about samurai wall doodles. ;)
Samurai wall doodles dating back 200 years found in quake-hit Japan town go on display - The Mainichi
MASHIKI, Kumamoto -- An exhibition held in this southwest Japan town showcases ancient artifacts, including doodles of samurai on a plaster wall datin

Kirk here with some business news. Kyushu is sometimes referred to as Japan's "silicone island" about the production of semiconductors. See, example
https://www.semi.org/en/blogs/technology-trends/semi-china-delegation-searches-for-the-secret-of-japans-silicon-island
Now, TSMC is preparing to join those manufacturing in Kumamoto:
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/10/9bc53309be17-breaking-news-tsmc-eyes-building-japan-plant-in-2022-start-of-operations-in-24.html
"The world's largest contract chipmaker is considering building the new plant adjacent to Sony's plant for image sensors used in smartphones in Kikuyo in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, a person familiar with the matter said."
Here's an NHK report (in English, with video) on the same news:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211015_11/
TSMC eyes building Japan plant in 2022, start of operations in 2024
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. says it envisions building a new plant in Japan in 2022 and starting operations there in 2024.

Kirk here with a link to a news article entitled "Starbucks Japan joins Been There drinkware line with 20 cool designs for all over Japan."
https://soranews24.com/2021/10/16/starbucks-japan-joins-been-there-drinkware-line-with-20-cool-designs-for-all-over-japan【pics】/

Kirk here with some strange news:
KUMAMOTO -- A 51-year-old man was arrested on Oct. 14 for stealing and driving a police car for some 20 kilometers after his van ran out of gas on an expressway in southwest Japan.
Man arrested for stealing police car after van ran out of gas in southwest Japan - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- A 51-year-old man was arrested on Oct. 14 for stealing and driving a police car for some 20 kilometers after his van ran out of gas on an

Kirk with a Japanese news report (video) about Mt. Aso's increased volcanic activity. There was an relatively small eruption on Thursday. I noticed a bit more dust on our car today than usual and I suspect that it may be volcanic ash. On another TV report I saw small rocks that had been found in the vicinity of the volcano after a small eruption. The report says it's the first eruption of the volcano since the summer of last year.
P.S. As I reported the other day, the official activity level was recently increased from Level 1 to Level 2.
https://www.kkt.jp/nnn/news100ezc1b8nffkugkp1k.html

Hi, Atsuko here.
Sharing beautiful Autumn views at ミルク牧場Milk ranch.
https://aso-milk.jp/modules/contents/index.php?lid=1705&cid=3
You might enjoy lots cosmos at 萌の里Moenosato in aso too.
https://www.facebook.com/moenosato1999/

Kirk with an inquiry sent to the page:
Sorry to write a private message but I would need an information. Are there pocket wifi rental places in Kumamoto airport or near Kumamoto station?
Thank you very much.

Hi! Kirk with what I expect to be my last post for now on the topic of Daiz, the local company that produces plant-based meat-substitute products.
Several people expressed interest in purchasing their products. I also got a question about whether or not what they make is vegan. So, I decided to give them a call to find out. What I learned is that, at the moment, our only way to taste a product made by this company (at least here in Kumamoto) is to visit a FRESHNESS BURGER fast-food joint and order a soy patty burger (see photo). The following page shows the location of the two shops in Kumamoto:
https://search.freshnessburger.co.jp/fb/spot/list?address=43&search=address
In regard to whether or not their products are vegan, I was told on the phone that what they make is vegan but that the businesses that actually sell their products may mix them with meat or other animal products. So, you have to check with FRESHNESS BURGER as to whether or not their soy sandwiches are vegan.

At the moment, they aren't selling to local supermarkets and they don't sell directly to the public from their company offices. Hopefully, demand for their products will grow in the future and that will lead to wider availability.
The interest in the topic of vegan foods may not be huge as a percentage of the readers of this page but I think that those who are interested are strongly interested. And, Japan is general not super sensitive to the needs of vegans and vegetarians in my experience so I think there is a need for more information about how to get by in Kumamoto without eating meat.
So, if those of you who are interested in this topic would comment on this post with your vegan/vegetarian tips about Kumamoto, I would appreciate it. I may not be able to collate all of the information but people searching this page with terms like "vegan" and "vegetarian" will be able to find it.

Kirk again with another article about Daiz, the local company that's making big waves with its plant-based meat-substitute products. Personally, I've become particularly interested in how replacing meat products with plant-based products can reduce carbon emissions. So, I was pleased to see several people express interest in that post. In case you missed it, here's the URL:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/6129063807167000
Corporate Japan opens wallet for Miracle Meat maker
$27m haul will help Daiz improve soy meat and grow sales network

Kirk here with a little news article about a local company that is making plant-based substitutes for animal products:
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14437196
It mentions a "Kumamoto-based company" but, unless I missed it, I don't think the article gives the company name. I did a little searching and I think it must be DAIZ (the name is derived from the Japanese word for soya bean). It sounds like a very progressive company -- and it has a very good English website.
https://www.daiz.inc/en/
DAIZ | PLANT-BASED FOODS

Kirk with volcanic news. Mt. Aso is now Level 2 (have to be at least a kilometer away, as I recall), up from Level 1. I hope it's just a temporary, minor increase in activity.
阿蘇山噴火警戒レベル2（火口周辺規制）に引き上げ
【火山情報】今日13日(水)17時10分、阿蘇山の噴火警戒レベルが、レベル1（活火山であることに留意）からレベル2（火口周辺規制）に引き上げられました。中岳第一火口から概ね1kmの範囲では、噴火に伴う大きな噴石に警戒.....

Carlton here. I have a question to all those reading this who are native speakers of English and teaching English or who have taught English in Japanese schools. How many of you have the Japanese Ministry of Education-issued teaching license for teaching in a grade 1-12 school? Thank you in advance for replies.
By the way I have taught in Japan from Junior High School through college and have never obtained that license nor had it required for my employment.

Kirk here with a little iPhone photo I took at Ezuko Saturday. If you live in a part of Kumamoto City that isn't too terribly far from Ezuko, I really recommend taking time to sit by the water and take in the sights. Personally, I like the cooler evenings, especially when it's still hot as it is today. It's great to be able to enjoy a natural setting without leaving the city -- one reason I greatly prefer Kumamoto to Tokyo.
On this day, we could easily find an open spot in the parking lot by the restaurant in Kami-Ezuko ("upper" Ezuko, the part where this picture was taken). If you live close enough to walk, run, or cycle, that's probably even better.

William. As an addendum to Kirk's post, I'd like to recommend my favorite museum in Kumamoto, the Handicrafts Promotion Center In Kawashiri. The town is a hidden treasure, where rivers originating in the hinterland meet the sea, so Kumamoto's precious goods could be shipped throughout Japan, particularly metal work such as knives and Higo zougan. Train and bus access is available, and the town itself is worth the trip. http://www.kumamoto-kougei.jp/

I used to commute slowly (?) by car to from a job in Tomia to Aso. I'd stop at a MacDonald's for a cheeseburger set, as such was my subsistence, and I had to rush. Hint: if you're driving in Japan, give yourself a half hour over what you think you need. You'll thank yourself for this later.
迫真の演技、スタントマンが事故再現　熊本農高で交通安全教室 | 熊本日日新聞社
　交通事故をプロのスタントマンがリアルに再現する交通安全教室が１２日、熊本農高（熊本市南区）であり、１年生と教職員ら約３００人が、迫真の演技を間近に見て交通ルールの大切さを学んだ。県警とＪＡ熊本市など...

William. Hospitalized due to the flu, I searched desperately for reading material and found this Japanese-language book which coincidentally whose English version was recently reviewed on Amazon. Reading a Japanese novel for the first time is a challenge, but this was, like, my tenth. I'd skip the English version but would highly recommend it as a starter novel in Japanese. It is unusual.
Convenience Store Woman: A Novel

William. Kumanichi has an amusing article about the "correct" kanji for Tatsudayama. Most historians agree that it was named by the Kikuchi clan in the Heian Era (立田, the most powerful clan in what was then Higo, named after a subbranch of the clan.) But then it gets more complicated. The kanji「龍田」first appeared in 1889. In 1957, when Tatsuda Village (上立田村) was incorporated into Kumamoto City, it became Tatsuda Chome (then written as such: 竜田山), and the former Kamitatsuda Village became Tatsuda Town Kamitatsuda (上立田村は龍田町上立田). In 2000, all were unified as "龍田丁目," perhaps borrowing its name from Tatsuda Aso Sangu Shrine, built in the 1300s. This leads to confusion, as the pedestrian bridge leading to Tatsuda Elementary School (龍田小) reads "竜田町," as seen in the photo below, while the JHS is 龍田 but the kindergarten is 立田. So when we non-Japanese get confused about kanji, remember we're not alone.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/427337

Kirk here with an old article about a resident of Kumamoto who's doing remarkable work. Though language teaching is a common occupation for people from English-speaking or European countries, there's actually quite a lot of variety in the work that expats in Kumamoto wind up doing.
Swedish man preserving art of Japanese sword-crafting
A Swedish man in quake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture becomes an unlikely protector of ancient Japanese swords by learning the art of sword-crafting