Kumamoto International Archive

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

Olivia here,
William mentioned about Kawachi Wisteria garden in Kitakyushu in earlier post. As another flower fan, I would like to add on more information to his post.
While we are still busy with finding a good day for Cherry blossoms hanami, we can still prepare early for another breathtaking flowers view this Spring (and for Wisteria, they normally reach their full bloom during Golden week, early May).
I took this picture when my family visited the garden 2 years back.
One thing I love about Fuji (Wisteria) is their elegance as a flower and their amazingly fragrant smell.
Kawachi garden is so so beautiful so if you have chance to visit it once, do so.
I have to honestly say that the dedication of the gardener to be able to take care of this garden and aiming for their audiences’ best view is amazing.
A small note during your visit to the garden, listen to what the gardener tell you during your visit, like not to touch the flowers, or pluck them with your hands, etc. Try to admire the beauty with your eyes and nose only.
They have given their greatest care to take care of the place. So we can play our part by following the rules.
This is the website address for Kawachi Wisteria garden:
https://kawachi-fujien.com
Enjoy your visit! 😊

Kumanichi reports on survey results of preferences listed by Asian visitors to Kyushu. Koreans and Thais like the onsen in Yufuin; Hong Kongers and Beijingers, Aso; Shanghaiese like dolphin watching. But what topped Malaysians' list was unfamiliar to me: Kawawachi Fujien, or Kawachi Wisteria Park (河内藤園) in Kitakyushu, so I Googled it and was bowled over. This link is to Google photos of the wisteriaest place in the galaxy - and now is the season. - William
http://tinyurl.com/yx937xka

For eight years, I walked my kids to elementary school each morning, and the principal learned to eye me with a certain trepidation as I was in the habit of finding baby animals in distress and leaving them under his care. One day, it was a baby bat, who was delegated to the science department. A week later, I noticed a tiny grave in the school's garden with a placard: they had given him a name.
The Japanese house bat is migratory - they are insectivorous, moving south as far as Hainan in winter and returning when their meals wake up, marking spring as much as the swallows do in my hometown. A half-dozen suddenly appeared today around my house; they roost under the rain gutters and keep the mosquito population in check. Look over parking lots or fields at dusk for these cute little guys, a popular subject of block prints. You can even name them. - William

Some may have noticed a bit of swaying at 9:16 this morning. That would have been due to a M5.4 quake off the coast of Miyazaki. A long-running concern has been the possibility of a large quake on the Nankai trough causing a tsunami on Kyushu's eastern coast. The Kumamoto prefectural government has plans prepared to care for an influx of refugees in that eventuality. You can read more about the Nankai trough at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nankai_Trough - William

On an overcast, cold day (c'mon, spring! You were doing so well yesterday!), I thought what would be required would be a photo of the Japanese black bear cub born 50 days ago at Aso's Cuddly Dominion. More info in English about the animal is at the Wikipedia link. - William
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_black_bear
https://this.kiji.is/482383591884473441?c=92619697908483575
クマの赤ちゃん、お披露目　熊本県阿蘇市の観光施設｜熊本日日新聞
熊本県阿蘇市の観光施設「阿蘇カドリー・ドミニオン」で２３日、生後５０日のニホンツキノワグマの赤ちゃん...

Joe Tomei here, the NanKyu JALT chapter is co-sponsoring this conference, if you'd like more info, feel free to drop me a pm.

This article reports that, beginning in April, it will be illegal for businesses in downtown Kumamoto to try to solicit passersby individually. My understanding is that this is focused on seedy bars that try to lure people in and then charge them exorbitant rates. It's OK for someone to stand in front of a shop and yell out "irasshai!" and describe a sale that's going on so that anyone within earshot can hear. What's not OK is for someone to target you individually and try to convince you to come in. It's also illegal for them to try to offer you a job if their only reason for choosing you is that you happened to walk by. So, if someone try's to convince you to step inside for a drink or something, you should know that they not only seem to be sleazy, but that what they are doing is actually illegal.
-- Kirk
熊本）熊本市の客引き禁止地区決まる　上通・下通など：朝日新聞デジタル
　４月に全面施行される熊本市の客引き行為等禁止条例について、市が委嘱した「客引き行為等対策審議会」（会長＝安田二郎・熊本市商店街連合会長）は１８日、初会合を開き、禁止地区の範囲を決めた。２１日に大西一...

Hey, gang! Let's post photos of ourselves hanami-ing! Please post your photo(s) in the comments section and note the location if possible for other reader's reference. This is at Tatsudayama Haisuiike Koen. - William

Tani Tateki (谷干城, 1837-1911) was born a samurai in Tosa (now Kochi). Saigo Takamori (西郷隆盛, 1828-1877) was also born a samurai in Satsuma (now Kagoshima). Those two domains were instrumental in overthrowing the shogunate to establish Meiji rule, and as such, they cooperated in their early days. Their paths later split over the course of modernization: Tani was more intent on industrialization, while Saigo distrusted the West and urged military conquest of Korea. The two eventually clashed in 1877 during the Seinan War in Kumamoto, Saigo heading his Satsuma army north and Taki commander of Meiji forces rushed in from Tokyo. After a 52-day siege of the castle and a clash at Tabarazaka, Saigo's remaining forces retreated south, where they were all eventually cut down by Tani's forces. Saigo committed seppuku and his secondary beheaded him. The head was taken as a war prize but was eventually reunited with the body for internment, though doubt remains whether it was actually his head (heads being aplenty in those days). Tani, ironically, later led Japan's conquest of Taiwan and died of old age.
At an event in Tabaruzaka to commemorate the battle, Tani Tateki's great-grandson, Tani Tadaaki (75), and Saigo Takamori's great-great grandson, Saigo Takafumi (71), met for the first time, 142 years after the war's end. Tani was quoted: "He's physically imposing and shares features of Saigo Takamori," while Saigo said, "I felt a hint of sharpness behind his gentle expression." Both issued a statement: "That the peace we enjoy now is a result of the sacrifices of the youth of that time must never be forgotten."
That it has taken so long for the two families to have buried the hatchet illustrates how alive history is.
The first photo below is of the descendents; second, Tani Tateki; third, Saigo Takamori. - William
https://this.kiji.is/481598404587603041?c=92619697908483575

In October, "Kumamoto Castle's Grand Unveiling" (I got this English phrase from a paper brochure) will be held. As I understand it, this will consist primarily of access to the castle on specific days and times (see attached image). This is planned to coincide with the hosting of the Rugby World Cup. Should be a good opportunity to see the freshly repaired castle up close. I don't think it will be possible to tour the inside of the castle, however.
-- Kirk
P.S. At this writing, I haven't been able to find this information in English. I assume that it will be announced in English for the visitors who will come for the World Cup.
https://kumamoto-guide.jp/kumamoto-castle/news/detail/328

A bit more specific info on my hanami hideaway: it's called the 'Tatsudayama Haisuiike Koen' (立田山配水池公園). A small reservoir was built above the park after the war, when the mountain's complete deforestation threatened it itself and those who lived near it, both for water supply and flood control. It is still in use to provide water to the Kurokami area. While there, if you have never visited the temple ruins and tombs of the Hosokawa, Taishoji (泰勝寺跡), at Tatsudayama Shizen Koen (立田山自然公園), you should. Their English-language brochures are informative. Access is the road which runs just next to Kumadai's north campus. - William

Fans of wadaiko (Japanese drumming) may want to visit Ninomaru Hiroba on the castle grounds this weekend (10 AM to 3 PM both days).
-- Kirk
熊本城で開催される「くまもとお城まつり」の公式ホームページです。祭りの開催日・詳細・交通情報などをご案内しています。お城まつりは特別史跡熊本城跡で春と秋に継続して開催しているイベントで、市民はもとより...

Flash news! The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday that five buds had started to blossom from a cherry tree at an agency observatory in the city of Nagasaki. The bloom was four days earlier than usual but three days later than last year.
Kumamoto will not be far behind. Below is an image taken at 8:30 this morning in Oe, Chuo-ku of a single blossom surrounded by buds waiting to explode like popcorn.
Weather should be mostly sunny this weekend and 15°C. Hint: the area halfway up Tatsudayama just behind Kumadai has numerous cherry trees, a flat, grassy park for picnicking, and a gorgeous vista of the city. Let's get it on. - William

Even though the World Cup won't be held here until October, it seems that ticket sales will end (at least according to this website) this month.
-- KIrk
Rugby World Cup 2019 Official Ticketing Site
Welcome to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Official Ticketing Site.You need to create and register an account to purchase tickets. Register now, to also get the latest ticketing information! You will find lots of useful information to enjoy the RWC2019.

The spring Kumamoto Oshiro Matsuri (castle festival) is in progress. Sorry I wasn't able to give you a heads up earlier (I wasn't aware of it myself). The following page has information about remaining events. If you find the Japanese to be a bit daunting, I think a translation feature such as Google Chrome provides should be enough to help you make sense of it.
-- Kirk
日本三名城のひとつとして知られる熊本城の周辺で、2019年3月に「春のくまもとお城まつり」が開催。毎年多くの来場者でにぎわうこの祭りは、

Caution: Sad story to follow.
Last May, a newly-minted third-year female student at Taishi High School (岱志高校) in Kita Kumamoto left a note to her parents complaining of bullying and committed suicide. Subsequent investigations revealed frequent verbal abuse from classmates.
In mid-February this year, school representatives visited the parents' house to inform them that no photos of their daughter would be published in the school album - not her portrait photo, and even photos of events were curated to exclude any that contained images of the deceased. This was done with no discussion with the bereaved. The mother was dismayed, saying "I'm shocked that the very existence of my daughter has vanished." But it was too late: the albums had already been printed. Chagrined (and probably fearing heavily negative publicity), the school agreed to manually tape several photographs of the girl on a blank page at the back of each album.
The school's actions deserve criticism, but the attention it has brought might ironically have worked out best for the girl's classmates: Now, each opening of that album will be a reminder that actions have consequences.
The TELL Japan lifeline is open 24 hours for anyone considering suicide or who suspects others are. Their website has useful information. Let's watch out for each other. - William
https://telljp.com/lifeline/
https://this.kiji.is/479424074847503457?c=92619697908483575
Lifeline | TELL Japan
Our team is culturally and ethnically diverse, with people from all ages and backgrounds. No prior experience is required, just a passion to be there for others and a willingness to learn new skills. Volunteers play an essential part of our team and make a real difference in the lives of others.

As an editor of this page, I can see how many eyeballs are being directed to or landing on individual posts. One thing that's become clear is that events don't get much attention. If you look at the attached image, you can see that the messages posted on the 18th and 15th have gotten less attention than other kinds of posts. This is probably a result of how the Facebook algorithm has been set up. If you're interested in local events, please read on.
The event I posted on the 18th is for a bota mochi party that should be great for families with children. The event will be held this Saturday. Here's a link to the post
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2491204947619589?tn=-R
and here's a link to a page with pictures that give you a better sense of what kind of event it will be:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1296939883812654/permalink/1296940533812589/
The next event is a hanami (flower gazing) party to be held on March 30:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2485790154827735?tn=-R
I think this is something that many Kumamoto International participants, whether you're here as an individual or as a family, should be interested in.
As someone who posts information about events, I'm learning that I need to avoid simply sharing "events" (Facebook has an "event" formate) and need to come up with more creative ways of getting the information out. I may not have the time or energy to do that in every case, however, so if you're interested in event information, I recommend that you make a point of navigating to this page and browsing recent posts to see if there's an even that you missed.
It would be nice if we had an event calendar that was easy to maintain, but I haven't figured out a good way to do that yet.
-- Kirk

"Yuka Ogata, 43, who was censured for bringing her baby to the Kumamoto city assembly and sucking on a lozenge during a plenary session, said she also received cosmetics that she did not order. Her family paid for the products, believing that she had ordered them."
The headline for the original Japanese version of this article begins "If you speak up, you get trolled" (発言したら嫌がらせ), which I think is a good summary of what often happens to many women and other minorities.
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASM275RMBM27TIPE01L.html?iref=pc_extlink
By the way, I wish the translator of the English article had written "was censured for . . . using a lozenge" rather than "was censured for . . . sucking on a lozenge." After all, she was trying to suppress a cough, not using a pacifier. The phrase "sucking on" sounds quite prejudicial to me.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903170001.html
Sexist ‘gifts’ sent to activists in fight against discrimination：The Asahi Shimbun
Unsolicited packages of women’s underwear, cosmetics and other items are being sent to anti-discrimi

Sounds like a promising application of technology . . .
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/10/business/tech/fujitsus-imaging-technology-speed-restoration-quake-hit-castles/
Fujitsu's imaging technology to speed up restoration of quake-hit castles | The Japan Times
Fujitsu Ltd. says it is developing an image-sensing technology system that will greatly speed up the restoration of stone walls on quake-hit castles and ot

Our friend Zuzu Coco, a member of Kumamoto's Hispanic community and possessor of a really cool name, informed us of an event to celebrate La Diada de Sant Jordi, or Saint George's Day. He is the patron saint of the ancient Kingdom of Aragon and killed a dragon, certainly something for one's resume. The Wikipedia entry is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George%27s_Day_(Spain)#Catalonia. From the article: "it is customary on 23 April for men give away roses to women, like the knight who addressed the princess. The women give the men a book, remembering the death and burial respectively of two great European literary personalities, Miguel de Cervantes and Shakespeare, and the Spanish notable literary personality, Inca Garcilaso."
A drawing sponsored by the Kumamoto Flower Cooperative will give lucky winners flowers (to females) and books (to males). Application details are at the below link (Japanese) and on the attached flyer. Thank you, Zuzu Coco! (I just love typing that name.) - William
http://www.k-engei.net/kakikyokai/?fbclid=IwAR3ObG7btnvEIYzv__yYRZ-FqIoMj9P5qLY0Hk4dQ82Bc57_hPlZtMr_jjY