Kumamoto International Archive

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

Over the years, I've posted quite a few time about the "Kumamoto Artpolis" project. I didn't realize, however, that Arata Isozaki, who has just won the Pritzker architecture prize, was intimately involved in it:
"Kumamoto Artpolis is an innovative urban planning and architecture project that has garnered a lot of international interest and praise since its inception in 1988. World famous architects such as Tadao Ando have contributed work to the project.
The Kumamoto Artpolis project was the brainchild of the then Governor of Kumamoto, Morihiro Hosokawa, and architect Arata Isozaki. Hosokawa later became a Prime Minister of Japan, and Isozaki was Commissioner of the project until 1997 when Toyo Ito took over."
https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/kumamoto-artpolis
-- Kirk
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/05/buildings-that-defy-categorisation-arata-isozaki-wins-2019-pritzker-architecture-prize
'Buildings that defy categorisation' – Arata Isozaki wins 2019 Pritzker architecture prize
The 87-year-old, known for his visionary ideas including an inflatable concert hall, wins architecture’s Nobel prize equivalent

Suizenji Park has a venerable history. When the first Hosokawa lord of Higo, Tadatoshi (細川忠利), was scoping about for a suitable location for a teahouse in 1636 (the Hosokawa clan is renowned for its cultivation of culture), the burbling springs of the area and its proximity to the castle made the choice a no-brainer. Starting from that simple teahouse, the park grew to include a shrine and a garden of the Heian style, in which the entirety of Japan is represented. It then acquired its full moniker, Suizenji Jyoujuen (水前寺成趣園,すいぜんじじょうじゅえん), derived from a poem by the Six Dynasties period Daoist poet Yuanming Gui Qu Lai Ci: 'Yuan ri she er cheng qu' （園日渉以成趣, The garden becomes more venerable and stately day by day) in his poem of 405 CE「帰去来辞」, which might be translated as "Poem of Wanderings."
Of course, a mini Mt. Fuji was required.
Flash forward to 1877 and the Seinan War. The top of mini Mt. Fuji, the highest point in the area, was lopped off to create a gun emplacement. When the dust had settled, the mount was reconstructed, but then dust was again disturbed during the quakes and the reconstructed portion, never properly bound to the base, slid off. Kumanichi reports that reconstruction of the reconstruction is underway. - William
熊本地震で陥没の築山、復旧始まる　熊本市の水前寺成趣園｜熊本日日新聞
国の史跡や名勝に指定されている熊本市中央区の水前寺成趣園を管理する出水神社は４日、熊本地震で頂上部が...

Late Saturday night I posted about a symposium to be held this Thursday (March 7) starting a 6 PM. If you missed that announcement, you can find it here:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/2460064540733630/
One of the three presenters, Britt Yamamoto, has what I think is an interesting connection to Kumamoto. He came here as a young man and wound up studying with Dr. Yoshitaka TAKEKUMA (竹熊宜孝). Dr. Takekuma is a medical doctor who has put a lot of energy into improving health and wellness by promoting organic farming. One of Britt's PowerPoint slides says that he lived with Dr. Takekuma in Shisui (slightly north of Kumamoto City) and "learned about Japanese organic farming and traditional Japanese health and wellness." If you take a look at his profile on the following page, you can see that he has continued to combine organic farming with health studies and then added leadership programs for Japanese young people:
http://ileap.org/who-we-are/staff-board/britt-yamamoto/
I haven't been able to find much about Dr. Takekuma in English but there's plenty in Japanese. Here's a page with a list of his many books:
http://www.takekuma.com/honshoukai.html
His one-page bio lists many television appearances. Apparently, he's gotten a good deal of attention as the "farming doctor," a physician who practices organic farming and has worked hard to convince others of the importance of healthful eating.
Here's a page with more about him in Japanese:
http://www.ruralnet.or.jp/ouen/meibo/079.html
I'm eager to meet Britt and the other two speakers, whom I think will be equally interesting to listen to but whom I haven't had time to post about yet.
If you are interested in hearing from and getting to meet Japanese American movers and shakers like Britt (you're welcome to attend a reception after the talk), please come! Again, here's the address of my previous post with the details:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/2460064540733630/
-- Kirk

We volunteers at KI occasionally receive requests from descendants of Japanese wartime diaspora looking for kin. To date, we've been unsuccessful, most often as, even if located, the kin are reluctant to contact.
Kumanichi has a touching story on Emi Arawa. He was born in New Caledonia in 1939, then under French rule, to a local mother and a Japanese father. Two years later, winds of war ripped the family apart - his mother died, and his father vanished into the maelstrom but apparently returned to Japan in 1946. Emi-san himself was sent to a detention center in Australia. After the war and returning to New Caledonia, French priests in care of him burned his documentation to hide his Japanese identity from a revenge-seeking citizenry.
Now 80, Emi-san desires to visit his ancestral tomb. Surviving documents from his internment in Australia indicate his father was named Terada Tatsuji (the documents do not record the kanji), born in 1892 in Kumamoto. In New Caledonia, the father was a baker; perhaps he continued that occupation on return. A French-speaking volunteer from Texan Christian University is accompanying Emi-san on his first visit to Japan to aid in his search. It is a long shot, and the story is quite complicated. That events from that era continue to reverberate is amazing. Kumanichi provides photos and an email address for any with info. - William
「熊本の父の墓参りたい」　戦争で離別、ニューカレドニアの日系２世｜熊本日日新聞
南太平洋のフランス領ニューカレドニアに住む日系２世の男性が、日本国内にあるとみられる熊本県出身の父親...

We got a question about Johnny Depp sightings in Kumamoto. This photo seems to have been taken on a set in Serbia (!). Johnny Depp is looking a lot like Eugene Smith and Serbia is looking a lot like Minamata, 50 years ago.
Here's my source:
https://front-row.jp/_ct/17251001
P.S. When I first looked at the article I missed the note about where the movie is being filmed. Kaori Saylor pointed out that the article says that the filming is being done in Serbia! Thanks Kaori! After I realized that the photo was probably taken in Serbia, I rewrote the first part of this post.
-- Kirk

Here's an important bit of news that I seem to have missed. Thanks to Fiona Minami for the heads up!
-- Kirk
https://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/news/kumamoto-city-to-recognize-lgbt-partnerships/
Kumamoto City to recognize LGBT partnerships | Fukuoka Now
Kumamoto City will begin officially recognizing the partnerships of LGBT couples from April 2019. According to the statement of Kumamoto City Mayor Kazufumi Onishi at a press conference on Dec. 4, the city is aiming to provide a more comfortable living environment to the couples as well as to nurtur...

There is a section of this page called "Visitor posts." To view it on my computer I have found that I need to go to "Kumamoto International" (https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/) and then click on "Posts" (on the left side of my computer screen -- not sure where this would be on a phone). In the past, I have tried to share such posts so that they get more eyeballs but, to be honest, I've been a bit negligent about that in recent months. So, to try to catch up, I'll post links to some recent visitor posts as comments below. Here are the topics:
* Jobs (one inquiry about finding a job and one announce about a job opening)
* Inquiry about how to dispose of an old appliance
* Inquiry about Johnny Depp coming to Kumamoto for filming
* Announcement about tax services for Americans
-- Kirk
Kumamoto International
Kumamoto-i is a forum for the exchange of information about Kumamoto in English.

Here's something from my friend, Yuichi Yoshida. He's trying to raise funds to help 74 people with mental handicaps participate in the Special Olympics World Games which will take place in Abu Dhabi beginning on March 14:
https://www.specialolympics.org/about/press-releases/countdown-to-special-olympics-world-games-abu-dhabi-2019
The goal is to raise 10,000 per person -- a rather modest amount. The interface is in Japanese but not too difficult. You need to register (either with Facebook or with your e-mail address and a password of your choosing) and then donate an amount (small or large, as you see fit) with a credit card.
Thanks!!
-- KIrk
P.S. By the way, Yuichi is a very cool guy who, in addition to his involvement in the Special Olympics, is a great English teacher (including the interesting posts about English on his Facebook page) and, as if that didn't keep him busy enough, runs marathons in his spare time. As a matter of fact, he's running in the Tokyo Marathon today! Go Yuichi!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2212708782101365&set=a.234403573265239&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/sunny.yoshida/posts/2186796598025917

Congratulations to Kumamoto's own Miyabi Onitsuka! Not only is she a great snowboarder, but she's become great despite her location here in Kumamoto, which is not exactly a snowboarding mecca. I once saw a TV show that described how she has basically lived out of her car for extended periods of time in order to be in locations where she could practice.
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2019/03/02/more-sports/winter-sports-more-sports/miyabi-onitsuka-places-third-womens-slopestyle-final-u-s-open/
Miyabi Onitsuka places third in women's slopestyle final at U.S. Open | The Japan Times
Miyabi Onitsuka placed third in the women's slopestyle final Friday at the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado. Zoi Sa

This page has a video where you can enjoy hearing former rugby footballer Scott Quinnell introduce Kumamoto facilities for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and construction in downtown Kumamoto in his beautiful Welsh accent.
-- Kirk
Scott Quinnell: Kumamoto Is A Taste Of Real Japan
The 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan is just over six months away and on the south island of Kyushu, the city of Kumamoto is getting ready to host Wales v Uruguay in Pool D on October 13th and France v Tonga in Pool C on Oct 6th. Former Wales and British & Irish Lions No.8 Scott Quinnell recently accom...

Hi! Kirk here. I'm writing to tell you about an event that I hope many of you will be interested in.
Date: March 7 (Thursday)
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM with reception following
Place: Kumamoto City Hall, Large Hall (14th floor)
Admission: Free (including free snacks etc at reception!!)
Languages: Mostly English, some Japanese, all with simultaneous interpretation (headsets provided)
Who: The three main guest are all prominent Japanese Americans who will talk about community building projects they are engaged in.
To learn more about the main speakers, please go to the following page:
https://www.jpf.go.jp/cgp/e/exchange/jald/news190307.html
By the way, there's also a Japanese page, if you prefer:
https://www.jpf.go.jp/cgp/exchange/jald/news190307.html
The explanation at the top of the page describes the basic idea of the event but I recommend that you go right to the bios at the bottom of the page. As you can see, Mariko Silver, Britt Yamamoto, and Kelly Yamasaki are very accomplished Japanese Americans. Since I'll be involved as a moderator (I'll be the weakest link in an otherwise strong chain), I've had the privelege of seeing the PowerPoint slides and I can tell you that each person will make a presentation that describes their roots as a Japanese American, the part of the U.S. that she/he is from, and the community building and/or educational issues she/he is working on. One great perk will be getting to interact with these folks after the event at the reception.
Finally, if you are planning to attend the event and the reception, please drop a line to [email protected]. This is the e-mail address of the part of the Japan Foundation in Tokyo that is planning the event. They would like to have an idea of how many people are likely to show up before hand, especially for the reception.
By the way, as you can tell from the fact that the contact e-mail address is the Japan Foundation, this event has the full backing of the Japan Foundation. Significant resources are going into the preparation of this event, including the employment of first-class simultaneous interpreters. It should be interesting in a number of ways. Even so, my contact at the Japan Foundation tells me that, so far, they haven't gotten a big response. So, if you know people who you think might be interested in something like this (Japanese Americans, people interested in high-quality discussion in English, people interested in community building, etc.) please share this will them. Thanks!!

When the Satsuma army invaded Higo in 1877, they took the coastal route, the most common overland route then; travelers left it dotted with small towns equipped to provide hospitality. On the army's retreat, landings of central government troops in Yatsushiro forced them over Kyushu's spine, the majority dying in deep snow en route. Their retreat is roughly traced by today's expressway (blue). But to prevent the siphoning off of vitality along Kyushu's west coast (which has been huge), the "Minami Kyushu Expressway" was planned. Kumanichi reports that the Ashikita-Minamata leg is complete and the IC open. Work is proceeding in sections, with green showing complete and white under construction. Revitalization of the area is anticipated. Kirk will be pleased, and the next time Satsuma invades Higo, they'll have better choices. - William
https://this.kiji.is/474426190033568865?c=92619697908483575

I was fortunate enough to have some time to get out and jog in the nice weather today. I came across these beautiful blossoms, which were quite popular with the bees. Just so there's no misunderstanding, the cherry blossom season is still a couple of weeks (at least) off. This tree was the only one I remember seeing that was in bloom. The blossoms look to me to be cherry blossoms but perhaps they are peach blossoms, which come out a bit earlier, I think.
At any rate, it was nice to be able to enjoy the spring weather today.
-- Kirk

Something to look forward to . . .
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/2221422368109397?tn=-R
-- Kirk

I'm not sure how likely this is, but the idea of connecting Kumamoto Airport to the JR Kyushu rail system is being discussed. The image you see is from a Japanese news article. I was prompted to search for this information after seeing the following headline in English:
JR Kyushu agrees to provide funds for Kumamoto Airport rail line extension project
https://centreforaviation.com/news/jr-kyushu-agrees-to-provide-funds-for-kumamoto-airport-rail-line-extension-project-881661
The headline is enticing, but it seems that you have to subscribe to the website to get the details.
In other Kumamoto Airport news, here's an article about plans to privatize the airport:
Japan MLITT commences second round review for Kumamoto Airport privatisation tender
https://centreforaviation.com/news/japan-mlitt-commences-second-round-review-for-kumamoto-airport-privatisation-tender-878708
Again, this is just a headline, not a full article, but the following Japanese article confirms that such a second round did indeed occur:
熊本空港民営化、２次審査に３陣営応募　
https://kumanichi.com/news/841533/
-- Kirk
https://news.mynavi.jp/article/railwaynews-151/
鉄道ニュース週報(151) 熊本空港アクセス鉄道構想が具体化、JR九州は費用負担に応じるか
熊本県知事は12月5日に行われた県議会で「熊本空港とJR豊肥本線を結ぶアクセス鉄道構想を進める」と表明した。空港アクセス鉄道は約40分と見込んでいる。熊本県はJR九州に負担を求めたいようだ。JR九州は空路を便利にす....

Did you know we have a boat? Yes! - the Kumamoto Maru 5 (第５代熊本丸)! Kumanichi reports that the fifth incarnation of this marine training ship, a 48-crewed vessel replacing its predecessor manufactured in 1999, has been launched from Tomioka Port in Amakusa's Reihoku. If you've never been to the Reihoku peninsula, you should go. It's Kumamoto's closest point to Nagasaki's Shimabara, was instrumental in the Shimabara Rebellion (Shimabara Ran, 島原乱), contains remnants of an ancient castle, and has a beautiful if small port. I had no idea the region could manufacture a 495 ton boat, but apparently they did, and put Kumamon's face on the funnel to boot (the stylized version of 熊 in the star's center is also cool). From April, it will steam to Tokyo and Hakodate ports.
Can you borrow it? - Probably not. But it wouldn't hurt to ask. - William
「熊本丸」５代目、いざ海へ　天草拓心高の新実習船｜熊本日日新聞
約２０年ぶりに新造された天草拓心高マリン校舎（熊本県苓北町）の実習船「第５代熊本丸」（４９５トン）の...

Joe Tomei here with something that might be of interest to folks.
I feel the urge to provide some extra info, so did you realize that Kumamoto is the furthest south for sake production thanks to the provision of a roof window that allows temperature in the room to be carefully controlled. Check out this article about Ken’ichi Noshiro and Kumamoto sake.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2001/07/22/food/gifts-from-the-god-of-sake/#.XHcsoJaRUlQ

Kumamoto is pretty safe but not exactly crime free. If you're curious about the place that got hit, it's in the following Japanese article:
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/Watches-worth-¥43-million-stolen-from-Kumamoto-store
The name of the store is "Second" (and it's a couple blocks behind Tsuruya).
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/Watches-worth-¥43-million-stolen-from-Kumamoto-store
Watches worth ¥43 million stolen from Kumamoto store
About 60 watches worth approximately 43 million yen were stolen from a store in Kumamoto City early Monday morning. According to police, the watches, which include Rolex and other high-end brands, were stolen from the Second store, Sankei Shimbun reported. A security alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. and....

Kokai shopping street, named before its now-eponymous bridge, has existed since the Edo era (when there was no bridge, just a hand-rowed ferry) and is known as "the kitchen of Kumamoto." It began as a shopping area for lower-level samurai who lived in the area and then thrived as a black market following WWII, where farmers sold their goods directly. But its roots go back a thousand years further to the Heian era, when it was a center of sericulture - the raising of silkworms - which can be written as 蚕養, but that difficult kanji eventually evolved into the homonymous but more simple 子飼.
The merchants are a close-knit bunch; my wife cannot buy so much as an egg without 10 minutes of chat (I bring a novel). Even the music piped into the street is themed, some days enka, others Beatles (sad there's no band called the Silkworms) - Hawaiian is popular in the summer. That such a location can persevere in our modern world is remarkable and a tribute to the can-do spirit of Kumamoto.
Occasionally, the street association holds events. On Saturday, 3/2, a 100 yen event will be held, where merchants try to price their goods at that level. To support your local merchants, a visit is recommended - but be warned: if you become friends with them, it will take you 10 minutes to buy an egg. - William

Question from a reader: "Anyone know how to correctly dispose of a knackered freezer? I'd rather not do what the locals do..."
If you buy a new fridge, the seller will often cart away your previous one for a reasonable fee. Another choice is to contact a disposal service. Google "reizoukou haiki Kumamoto" (冷蔵庫廃棄熊本) for a list of such service providers. (Many are private; the one linked to below is city-run). Finally, particularly on Sundays, roaming scrap dealers pass through many neighborhoods blaring their desire to relieve you of your burdens. Depending on the item, they will do so free of charge or will charge a fee.I suspect with a fridge, a fee will be required.
Refrigerators contain freon, a gas which destroys the ozone layer, so proper disposal is necessary. - William