Kumamoto International Archive

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

A flood warning has been issued for the Shirakawa watershed. JMA's radar indicates that the rainfront has moved south of us, but due care should be taken. Info can be found here:
浸水害からあなたやご家族の命を守るための情報「大雨警報（浸水害）の危険度分布」のページです。大雨警報（浸水害）等が発表されたときに、実際にどこで危険度が高まっているのかを地図上で一目で確認することがで...

Our friend Billy Bento posted a lovely silhouette of Mt. Kimpo 「金峰山、きんぽうざん」nestling for the night banked by a beautiful sunset. A few facts regarding the mountain:
- It is 665 meters tall and is topped by communication towers which I told my young son were rockets, and he believed this until he got wise to my pranks;
- Its name literally means "golden ridge" and is named after an eponymous mountain located in Nara prefecture as a Shinto relic was relocated to the shrine that now exists on its summit;
- It is a dormant volcano, part of the Unzen-Aso chain, and might be best considered a mini-Aso - it even has a caldera, on the western edge of which is Reigando 「霊巌洞」、where Musashi supposedly wrote "The Book of Five Rings" (it's worth a visit at least once);
- It last erupted about 150,000 years ago and is considered dormant (but it would be really cool if it erupted again!);
- The famous author Natsume Souseki located his novel "Kusamakura" 「草枕」at the pass between the road from town and the cauldera; the tourist trap there is not worth visiting except for a pleasant stroll;
- There's an excellent onsen with gorgeous views called Kusamakura on the northern side of the mountain, evidence of continued volcanic activity
- Young people in love frequently bring locks which they attach to the summit viewing platform, from which one can see Amakusa, the Shimabara peninsula, and the city itself (for newcomers, the view is an good way to orientate oneself);
- The mountain is famous for fruit production, and now is the harvest season. I strongly recommend http://www.yuuhouen.com/ , where you can pick your own fruit and eat their self-raised free-range chicken. Other spots also exist.
More exists about this wonderful mountain. It's closer to the city than Aso, and there are few visitors - and now is the best time to visit. - William

Hi all,
I know it's been a long time since I've had a chance to post, but a friend shared this article and I was so excited that I had to share it with all of you, too!
According to the article, Kumamoto Castle will have a special open period about a year from now, in October of 2019. The article lists the open dates as October 5th to October 14th. Visitors will be able to walk around a bit inside for the first time since the earthquake.
This past spring I visited Kumamoto after having been away for almost five years. It broke my heart to see the damage to the castle, but I was also reminded of the resilience of the people of Kumamoto, and how everyone works together to support the city in times of need. I'm so happy that the repairs are progressing well, and that an open day like this is possible!
-Grace
熊本城、来年10月特別公開　地震後３年半ぶり | 熊本日日新聞 - This kiji is
復旧工事が進む熊本城天守閣。２０１９年秋には大天守の外観工事が終了見込みという＝８月２９日（上杉勇太）　熊本市は１８日、熊本地震後立ち入り規制が続いている熊本城を、ラグビーワールドカップ（Ｗ杯）の開催...

Yesterday, we had discussed spider lilies 「彼岸花、ヒガンバナ」, and coincidentally, the Kumanichi posted an article today regarding an excellent viewing site in Yamaga. Japan is fond of this "Best 100" encompassing so many genre that you can be sure that, wherever you live, something near you will rank somewhere in some category. It turns out that Yamaga has terraced paddies ranking in the Best 100.
Specifically, it is a village of 131 people in 50 households called Bansyochiku 「番所地区、ばんしょちく」. I haven't found the name etymology, but 「番」refers to a feudal domain, so perhaps the village traces its roots to mountain samurai, those who mainly farmed but retained the equipment and skills to fight if the lord called (my wife's paternal line were such), which would make sense, considering its location at the edge of the Higo fief. Apparently, the village has 200 terraces constructed during the Meiji era spread over 10 hectares. Peak viewing season is expected this weekend. More information can be found at the link. - William
棚田に秋の彩り　山鹿市でヒガンバナ見頃 | 熊本日日新聞 - This kiji is
見頃を迎えた番所の棚田のヒガンバナ＝山鹿市　２０日の彼岸の入りを前に、「日本の棚田百選」の一つ、山鹿市菊鹿町の番所地区でヒガンバナが見頃を迎えている。色づき始めた棚田の周囲に紅の花が咲き誇り、訪れる人...

The Amaryllidaceae, more commonly known as the "spider lily," is in Japanese known as the "higanbana" 「彼岸花」. They flower in a beautiful crimson, but do not bring them in your house. I will tell you why.
Higan is a Buddhist ceremony celebrated twice, at the spring and autumn equinoxes. Its etymology derives from "the far shore of the Sanzu River" 「三途の川」, similar to the River Styx, which separates this life from the afterlife in Buddhist tradition. Higanbana often bloom near cemeteries around the autumnal equinox and thus are described in Japanese translations of the Lotus Sutra as ominous flowers that grow in Jigoku (「地獄」, hell) to guide the dead into the next reincarnation. That's why you don't want to keep them in your house - and never, ever offer them as a gift.
Their bulb and root systems are extensive, which is why they are often planted to stabilize aze dikes protecting rice paddies. This is also due to a unique feature: they flower before their leaves appear, which generally happens after the harvest. Their roots are also toxic to moles. If you have a camera, head out to the countryside for a splash of gorgeous autumn scarlet. Below is a photo of higanbana blooming on aze dikes in Yabe, and some growing amongst the graves on Hanaokayama. - William
Post Script: Our friend Suzanne Hayasaki has run the second photo through some kind of photoy thing whose secrets are withheld from people my age (both photos were simply nabbed from the Web, BTW) and has delivered this gorgeous Piccasscoesque rendition.

Hi Joe Tomei here. This was posted to the site, and I thought I would elevate it. Please contact the person listed at the bottom. Thanks
======
Magic English School in Shinmachi is looking for a native speaker for kids and adult lessons on Saturdays (9am- 6:30pm).
Experience teaching kids and adults, as well as with teaching Eiken, TOEIC etc an advantage.
For more details, please contact Barry on
096-221-3479 or email
[email protected].

Sometimes trees choose to grow on a wall. Despite having been repeatedly asked, the trees have not elucidated their reasoning. Maybe it's just fun. (More likely, it's that birds stash seeds in the crevices between rocks and forget them because birds are stupid.) Two good places to observe this phenomenon are the castle walls south of Gebabashi and the northern bank along Shirakawa between Meigobashi and Taikobashi (which was left as is during restoration precisely to preserve the trees). Our friend Shiiba Michiko has provided a photograph of the former location. - William

Hello, manga bibliophiles! I was asked by Mr. Itoh of the International Center to share this information. They seem to be looking for non-Japanese to make short presentations about their favorite manga (language not specified but I assume, since the announcement is in English, that English is OK). I'm rather late to share it but I hope there's still time. -- Kirk
----------------------
【Manga Bibliobattle - currently recruiting presenters】
Bibliobattle a social book review game which was developed in the Graduate School of Informatics at Kyoto University in Japan.
You presenter can bring your favorite book to the event and talk about the book to the audience for 5 minutes.
The most popular book will be elected as the "Champion Book of the Day" by the audience.
If you like to join the even as a presenter, please tell the staff in Shintoshin Plaza library.
Date: 24th Sep 15:30-16:30
Place: Kumamoto Shintoshin Plaza
Contact
　TEL: 096-355-7401, Mail: [email protected]

Shirakawa and Midorikawa are quite different; the former, with no tributaries, jets to the sea within concrete banks, while the latter has several tributaries and a large marshland and estuary that has long harbored boats. This has led to a problem of those illegally abandoned, which Kumanichi estimates as about 300, some wooden, some fiberglass, and even a few steel, one of which has been surrounded by an oil fence at the town's expense.
With rainfall increasing, worries are that these debris can cause serious damage to dikes and bridges during times of flood and also present danger to ships if swept out to Ariake Sea. This Kumanichi article has two good photographs and an interesting map showing the extent of the problem (red lines indicate areas with abandoned boats). The government is working to identify those responsible when possible and countermeasures when not. - William
流出や衝突の恐れも　緑川水系に放置船３００隻 - 熊本日日新聞
約２０年にわたって加勢川に放置されている鋼鉄製の船。船体の半分以上は水面下に沈んでいる。後方は九州新幹線の高架＝熊本市南区緑川水系で不法投棄状態になっている船（国土交通省熊本国道河川事務所提供）　熊本...

We discussed the etymology of the Uto peninsula town Shiranui 「不知火」 recently - if you missed it, scroll down. Our friend Toyama Yoshiko visited their annual fireworks festival on September tenth and captured this captivating photograph. Note how the fireworks reflection passes precisely under the torii - that would be 不知火. For you photographers, I'll try to remember to give you a heads-up before the event occurs again next year. - William

Dear Kuma-i members
Apologies for the personal crossposting, but in one month, the local orchestra I play with ("The Sinfonietta"), will be having their annual concert.
http://www.the-sinfonietta.org/
All the members (including me) have a quota of tickets to sell, so I would be very happy if anyone interested in attending would contact me. Also, if you play an orchestral instrument (especially a stringed instrument like violin or viola) and would like to join the orchestra, feel free to contact me and I will introduce you.

Long ago, there was a Buddhist festival known as "Houjyoue"「放生会、ほうじょうえ」, in which captive animals were released into the wild (and usually eventually wandered home, as domestic animals do). Fujisaki Hachiman Shrine 「藤崎八旛宮秋季例大祭、ふじさきはちまんぐう」 was the main site for this in Kumamoto. Riding on this existing festival, Kato Kyomasa in around 1598 brought a number of his samurai to the shrine to celebrate their safe return from the invasion of Korea, and thus, "boshita" was born. The term means "destroy," with the chant "Boshta! Boshta! Horoboshita!"「滅ぼした」- the final term meaning "completely devastate," with the object understood to be Korea.
This was clearly not an image that Kumamoto wanted to continue, so the chant was changed to the Kumamoto dialect phrase "dokai," which means "What's up?" or "How's it going?" and the name emphasized to be”Fujisaki Shrine Autumn Festival「藤崎八旛宮秋季例大祭、ふじさきはちまんぐうしゅうきれいたいさい」 . However, many older people (like me) still call it "Boshita Matsuri." It is famous for its horses called "decorated horses," or "kazariuma" 「飾り馬、かざりうま」. If you want a good view, I suggest visiting the shrine from 05:00 on the 16th to watch the preparations; this is the most photo-friendly part of the festival. Then you can go back home to sleep.
This year, for the first time, I had an opportunity to visit the Pre-Festival Ceremony at the Prefectural Theater, known as "Zenyasai" 「前夜祭」. It was frankly more entertaining than the festival itself. I'll remind you about it next year, and if you are in Kumamoto, you can attend. Attractive was a lobby display of the items used in the festival. In particular, the happi coats worn by each group are decorative and quite beautiful. Our friend Oka Miho has kindly provided some photographs. - William
(Note: I used the slideshow function for the first time and chose the default one-second timeframe, figuring I could edit it later, but I can't. If you want a better view of the photos, click on the show to pause it.)

Long ago, people didn't have to walk more than a few steps from their house before work presented itself. Then the industrial revolution invented commuting. This, those in charge decided, required public transportation, and thus, in 1916, the Kumamoto tram system was created. Over the years, it has expanded and contracted - recently mostly the latter, as cars and buses have taken over most of its clientele - but it is still hanging in there with its main line from Kengun dividing into the Kitakumamoto and Tatsuki stations at Karashima (I hope they finally get around to extending the line to the market itself, and a spur to the zoo).
Kumanichi reports that ridership is healthy, rebounding from the earthquake and a fare increase to an all-time high. Kumamoto without the tram would be difficult to imagine. Below is a link to the Kumanichi stats and some historical photos of tram lines long disappeared. - William
https://this.kiji.is/413107107589080161?c=92619697908483575

A note from the Kumamoto International Desk of Terrifying Insects (merged with Reasons You Didn't Want to Live in the Permian Era Desk due to budget cuts): Dragonflies - tonbo (蜻蛉, トンボ) - are an ancient order of insects dating back to the early Permian era, when the larger guys had a wingspan of 750 mm. They are true carnivores from when they are nymphs: yes, their babies catch and eat fish (image below). As adults, they are capable of flying up to 50 KPH. Males establish a territory and patrol it jealously; any number of females may say, "Hey, nice territory!" and commence continuity of the species. And they eat a lot of insects voraciously (see below).
Temperature control is an issue. On cool mornings, you'll find them warming themselves on sunlit areas; on hot afternoons, you'll find them cooling in the shade. If you're patient, you can get one to perch on your finger - pretty amazing when you consider the species predates mammals. They are a symbol of autumn in Japan, and the abundance of water in Kumamoto makes them quite numerous here. Enjoy them, respect them, and be glad you're not an insect now. - William

They're here! - The Kumamon traffic plates! More precisely, applications will be available from October 1. And it'll cost you ￥8,400. If you want one, call ０９６（３６９）３１８８. - William
https://this.kiji.is/411340449719469153?c=92619697908483575

Hmm. We seem to be experiencing noticeable seismic activity again which began yesterday with a M2.6 and today has continued with a 2.5 and a more pronounced M3.7 minutes later. JMA indicates the quakes' epicenter at the base of the Uto Peninsula. It appears the Futagawa fault runs along the northern end of the peninsula, a section which has not yet ruptured. Please compare the JMA map below with the fault geography. You might want to keep your bathtub filled for toilet water just in case. - William
Update with third figure. I don't want to alarm anyone, just to keep you aware: geologists suggest that the Uto branch of the fault may be more connected with inner-city seismic activity than the Mashiki branch. If anyone has any questions, please let us know. I'm extra-cautious after downplaying the foreshock that led to the previous quake.

Y'know when you're on the lamb due to burglaries in Kumamoto and choose to seek sanctuary in Thailand? Turns out that's not such a permanent solution. I say put the man in a room with Kumamon for a half hour. - William
Thai police arrest Japanese man wanted over burglaries in Japan
Thai police have arrested of a 40-year-old Japanese man wanted by police in Japan in connection with burglaries. Hiroyuki Goto was arrested on Aug 27 for alleged immigration violations while trying to extend his visa in the eastern Thai province of Chonburi, the police said. Goto has allegedly admit...

A composite photo illustrates the magnitude of the landslides caused by the Hokkaido quake. There may be questions in future regarding land use management, particularly planting large sugi plantations on steep slopes, but now, we can offer but sympathy. - William

100 bottles of beer on the wall... Joe Tomei with Friday Funky places, and today, a map I picked up of Craft Beer places in Kumamoto. Some of them have been on FFP, but others not.
Even though I've not been to all of them, I've added them to the FFP map at
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing

Bad news for Hokkaido. :( -- Kirk
Earthquake buries homes under landslides in Hokkaido, Japan
A magnitude-6.7 quake struck the northern island of Hokkaido early Thursday, causing landslides which buried a "large" number of homes at the foot of a ridge, according to public broadcaster NHK.