Archive of the Kumamoto International Facebook group, 2011–present.
I'd like to say a few words about recent events in Christchurch, New Zealand. The murder of 50 people and the wounding of many more, merely for practicing their religion, doesn't have an obvious Kumamoto connection but I know that such senseless violence is deeply troubling to many of our readers. I'd like to extend a special message of support and condolence to our readers of the Muslim faith and to our Kiwi readers. Personally, I have visited the downtown section of Christchurch, which is located between the two Mosques, and that has made the violence all the more shocking for me. Fortunately, I have received word that all of the Japanese students from my university who were studying in Christchurch are OK.
Another indirect connection to the page is the attacker's use of Facebook. I tend to listen to more news than I read and one of the audio reports I thought was relevant was this one from NPR, in the U.S.:
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/16/704039029/the-efforts-to-misdirect-in-shooters-screed
The term "scatposting," which seems to be a substitute for some other term that can't be used on American radio, comes up in the article. It seems to refer to a kind of troll-like behavior that is intended to sow division and anger. And, of course, the accused is reported to have video-streamed his rampage via Facebook. Sadly, the digital tool we are using to share information about Kumamoto also has the potential to spread hate.
On a more positive note, I did find a couple of comments that lifted my spirits in the NPR reports I listened to. One was this comment by Imam Johari Abdul-Malik:
"I am clear that every tragedy has in it an opportunity - the opportunity for the community to engage with one another, to reach out to their neighbors, not to become securitized and become victims but to become victors and going out and saying, since you're joining us in solidarity, let's look at all of the phobias and those people who are afraid - and, as our brother Christian said earlier, to reach out to those who are afraid and join their hearts with ours."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/16/704137576/barbershop-muslim-group-reacts-to-new-zealand-shootings
I was impressed by the idea that the thing to do at a time like this is not to respond to hate with hate, but to reach out to people who, out of fear and/or ignorance, might otherwise be tempted to embrace the kind of hate that the shooter in Christchurch has embraced.
The power of such reaching out was expressed by former neo-Nazi Christian Picciolini:
"MARTIN: And what did make you get out? Or what - how were you able to get out?
PICCIOLINI: You know, I always had doubts about what I believed in. And, of course, I could never vocalize them because I didn't want to seem weak or anything like that. But ultimately, you know, it was interactions with people of color who, you know, showed me compassion when I had least deserved it. And those moments of clarity added up."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/16/704137555/former-neo-nazi-white-supremacy-is-certainly-not-a-fringe-movement
As I write this, I'm reminded of something Robert Kennedy said after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.:
"My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: 'In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.'"
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/the-kennedy-family/robert-f-kennedy/robert-f-kennedy-speeches/statement-on-assassination-of-martin-luther-king-jr-indianapolis-indiana-april-4-1968
I hope humankind can find the wisdom to reduce the hatred and ignorance that fuel the sorts of acts of violence that have been occurring all too often lately.
-- Kirk
Samurai needed a bit more than a hedge and a dog to protect their houses, so a series of strategic barriers were devised which became known as "mushagaeshi" (武者返し) - literally, "repel the warrior". You can see examples if you visit any collection of samurai residences, known as "bukeyashiki" (武家屋敷) - the best preserved examples are in Nagasaki's Shimabara and Kagoshima's Chiran. The term particularly refers to the sloped shape and random rock placement of Kumamoto Castle's walls, designed to bamboozle invaders (though the cannon eventually made this obsolete).
JR Kumamoto station has incorporated this motif in their new building, unveiled yesterday, 3/16. Many events continue today to celebrate this. If you're free, visit. If warriors attack, retreat to the station's interior and hope they don't have cannon. - William
https://this.kiji.is/479621217105773665?c=92619697908483575
Sometimes one comes across huge granite boulders in Kumamoto City. They were not produced on-site and are too large to have been carried by water, so one must assume they are ejecta from Aso. The energy required to shoot these massive objects over tens of kilometers is awesome to consider - they must have landed with quite a thud. I likely share our readership in the hope that we'll never have an opportunity to witness such an event.
Ehime Prefecture, which occupies the western side of Shikoku, hosts one of the few remaining nuclear power plants in Japan, something some locals don't like, so they filed a lawsuit to close the plant which was rejected yesterday. One reason plaintiffs cited was potential of an eruption at Aso - 130 kilometers away. Many have various views of nuclear power, but an Aso eruption of magnitude sufficient to effect Ehime (not inconceivable across millennia timeframe) would leave a nuclear meltdown as the least of our concerns. From Japan Today: https://japantoday.com/category/national/court-rejects-call-to-halt-nuclear-reactor-in-western-japan and ejecta example（kinda looks like a frog). - William
The exhibit in Kumamoto ended recently. If you saw it, or even if you didn't, you may be interested in this lengthy article about Murakami.
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2019/03/13/arts/takashi-murakami-face-japanese-contemporary-art-abroad-underappreciated-home/
Takashi Murakami: The face of Japanese contemporary art abroad, underappreciated at home | The Japan Times
This is the sixth in a 10-part series on influential figures in the Heisei Era, which began in 1989 and will end when Emperor Akihito abdicates in April. I
Hi! Olivia, one of the people going to this event, asked me to share it. As you can see if you click on the link, a lot of people are already either planning to go or interested. Join the fun! -- Kirk (inveterate homebody)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1990907224538051/
The Kumamoto Kotsu Center bus terminal opened in 1969 at the site of the former Prefectural Hall, which had been moved to its present location in Kengun. Just as all roads lead to Rome, all buses lead to Kotsu Center. But things get old, so it's being replaced by a new building scheduled to open in September which will have, according to Kumanichi, the first automatic platform gates in Kumamoto, a new word for me: ホームドア方式.
More importantly, the name will be changed to Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal: 熊本桜町バスターミナル. Apparently, those in charge think this will facilitate understanding for out-of-towners. But the old Kotsu Center will forever live on in this Godzilla clip at the 2:00 point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYuIEa5DvJs - William
https://this.kiji.is/478774828318131297?c=92619697908483575
熊本市の交通センター名称 「桜町バスターミナル」に ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本市都市計画審議会は１３日、中央区桜町の再開発ビルに設けるバスターミナルの名称を「熊本交通センター...
A note from the Kumamoto International What I Learned Today desk (shared with the What I Forgot Today desk due to cranial space issues):
¹: If you have a Japanese-enabled computer, you can write "1" and other numerals in many ways.
🉂: Something called the Border Gateway Protocol exists, which knocked Facebook off this morning.
參: This is the most awesome way to write "3."
肆: Aso UNESCO Global Geopark is one of about 140 worldwide which seek to instruct and preserve a relationship between humans and a biosphere. Aso's membership was recently renewed. Their Website is here: http://www.aso-geopark.jp/en/about/index.html , and you should probably follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AsoGeopark/ - William
The only reason I'm reposting this ad for cheap tickets between Kumamoto and Osaka is its inadvertent culinary humor: Basashi, anyone? - William
Jeff Cairns, a long-term Kumamoto resident (disclaimer: my daughter lost out to his for the lead role at their high school play, but I think she's gotten over it) is a talented musician, specializing in shakuhachi. A CD of his "Concert in the Woods", held recently midway up Mt. Kimpo, is now available. Jeff's message is as follows. - William
Dear Friends, I am very happy to announce that my new group JECAPRO has just released its first album JECAPRO - Concert in the Woods; a live recording on December 8th, 2018 at Concert in the Woods, Kumamoto, Japan. This is a limited run CD offered to you for 1500 yen, free shipping anywhere in the world. Payment is accepted through PayPal if you aren't in Japan, and Paypal or other arrangements if you are in Japan. Please share this message and support local music. Please message me if you are interested in having this CD sent to you. I be very happy to hear from you.
Today marks the eight anniversary of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami resulting in 15,896 deaths, 6,157 injured, and 2,537 missing. The pastor at my church this morning struggled to find God's reasoning, but the scientist in me could only find cause: the Pacific Plate is subducting under the plate beneath northern Honshu at 8 to 9 cm per year but not smoothly, and accumulated stress resulted in a seismic slip-rupture event which was the fourth most powerful ever recorded in the world. The Earth's movement at that moment was so powerful that:
ーSeismic energy sufficient to electrify a city the size of Los Angeles for an entire year was unleashed;
ーHonshu was moved 2.4 m east;
ーThe Earth's axis shifted between 10 and 25 cm and its rotational speed was increased by 1.8 µs per day;
ーHonshu's Pacific coast sank roughly a meter.
However, after about three years, the coast rose back and continues rising to exceed its original height. Japan exists due to earthquakes, not despite them. Many still struggle in Tōhoku, and time is still required, but its people, too, will eventually rise taller, as they always have. - William
Kirk here. I hope I'm not bugging you (clever, huh?) by posting another article about the (supposedly) edible insect vending machine in Kokai. This article is somewhat unique in that it contains animation of a man's taste test, which I thought was mildly amusing. It also led me to believe that sometimes it's OK to be a prisoner of your preconceived notions, as I intend to remain in this case.
Eating a bag of Rhino Beetles from Kumamoto's bug-food vending machine【Taste test】
Our intrepid reporter completely loses his cool biting into the sizable bugs.
Leanne shared that wonderful video yesterday, Kumamon is constantly in the news, and tourists are flooding in. Kumamoto is becoming a brand.
Kumanichi has an interesting once-monthly series on castle reconstruction. I mention this for two reasons. One is the series' elegant logo, shaped like the castle but reminiscent of Kumamon - and with a heart. The other is the kanji used to delineate each article - they are written in what is called "daiji" (大字), alternative kanji used for numbers. For example, 一 can easily be counterfeited as 二 or 三, but try forging this character: 壹, which equals 一, while 貮 equals 二 and 參 三. A full list can be found at the Wikipedia link below. - William
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%97_(%E6%95%B0%E5%AD%97)
I recently came across this beautiful video of Kumamoto. Enjoy.
Leanne
Kumamon is popular in the Chinese sphere (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong), with licensing bringing Kumamoto substantial revenue. A question has been what to call Kumamon in Chinese.
Chinese usually uses phonetic equivalents of their kanji, known in Japanese as "ateji" (当て字 - perhaps the most famous is that for Coca Cola, 可口可乐, which directly translates as "drinkable and enjoyable" - good choice). Kumamon's ateji thus far has been "酷ＭＡ萌" - Kumamong. Whoever chose this should be fired; in effect, it means "Rough MA Indication." So bureaucrats got on it and have filed for trademarks in these three countries under a new moniker: 熊本熊 (Xiong Ben Xiong, literally, Kumamoto Bear). This is a good choice: rather than a nonsensical ateji, it is eloquently balanced Kanji that the locals can understand which will raise awareness of Kuamoto in these countries. Kumanichi reports that trademarking procedures may take up to two years. - William
くまモン、中国名「熊本熊」に 「酷ＭＡ萌」から変更 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県は７日、くまモンの中華圏での名称を「酷ＭＡ萌（ｋｕ・ｍａ・ｍｅｎｇ）」から「熊本熊（ｘｉｏｎｇ...
Participating in the "Three Sectors, Three Approaches" symposium last night (the event sponsored by the Japan Foundation in which prominent Japanese Americans were invited to come as speakers) was a welcome opportunity for me to meet people whose names I see here on Facebook but either have never met or don't get to see often. One of them was Taiji Matsunami, who posted the following pictures on the Facebook page of his NPO, Kumamoto Machinami Trust. Actually, Machinami Trust(a trust related to the "townscape" preservation or architectural integrity of Kumamoto) sounds a lot like "Matsunami Trust" (trust Mr. Matsunami), which, of course, having met him, I do. ;)
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/kumamoto.trust/posts/2530615480300340?__tn__=-R
A reminder from our Irish friend, Ruth: tonight (3/8), she will hold an Irish dance lesson on the eve of the St. Patrick's Day parade (3/9) starting from Kamitotori at 2:30 (gathering begins at 2:00 - just look for the people in green), after which there will be a party at Salvatore Cuomo and Bar. Time to get your Irish on! Ruth's message is below. - William
Come join the 13th Annual Kumamoto St.Patrick's Day Parade on Sat., 9th March!! 🍀 The night before we'll have an Irish Céili Dance Session (Friday, 8th March) at Kumamoto International Center・熊本市国際交流会館 from 7-9:30pm, so grab a green top and get ready to toe-tap all weekend - at the céili and the parade✨🍀🎻👣🎶 Live music, easy dances and good, green genki fun 💚 Check out the details!!
A note from the Kumamoto International Desk of Cuisine (located near but not in the kitchen as my wife doesn't allow me entrance unless unwashed dishes await, in which case I'd better respond with alacrity): Japanese sour cream is both expensive and too stiff for most western recipes. She found that, blended at a 2.5:1 ratio (or so - experiment to your taste) with plain yogurt, which is much cheaper, the resulting consistency and taste is remarkably like American sour cream.
That is all. - William
Kumamoto has seen record numbers of visitors, particularly with recent improvements to Yatsushiro Port facilitating cruise ship arrivals. This article mentions that Yatsushirogu, the main shrine in the city, had resorted to restricting entry to non-Japanese at certain times, a policy the city opposes, but has recently tried to work out measures to accommodate both worshipers and tourists.
While the article focuses on raucous behavior of visitors, my take is it's mainly a result of cruise-ship tourism rather than culture. Unleashing a few thousand tourists at once under a strict time limit is not a good idea, as even many cities in the US have found (and their customers are fellow Americans). Perhaps efforts can be made to split numbers and better coordinate movement. Yatsushiro is discussed under the "NO-FOREIGNERS POLICY SPREADING" subsection. - William
Bad behavior forces facilities to reject foreign group tourists：The Asahi Shimbun
A growing number of tourism facilities in Japan are refusing to accept non-Japanese group travelers
Hi! Kirk Here. I had a chance to meet the speakers for Thursday nights symposium. At that get meeting, Britt Yamamoto, who was involved in organic farming here in the 1990s asked me if Paul Henshall is still in the area. He used to farm in Kikuchi, I believe. If anyone has any information, Britt would appreciate it. Thanks.
By the way, in regard to the symposium, the more the merrier. If you're available and interested, please stop by.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/2460064540733630/?type=3&theater
