Kumamoto International Archive

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

Typhoons tend to error eastward in the northern hemisphere, as that is the direction of the jet stream. This lil' guy had first been centered on Seoul, than Pusan, and now through the Tsushima Straits, so it's not inconceivable that it will land directly on Kumamoto tomorrow.
But it's a weak typhoon - a typhette, if you would. Good practice for autumn, when the big guys will come rolling in. - William

If you live in Japan, chances are you have a tatami (「畳」）or several. Tatami are constructed in a set size of 3尺×6尺; with a 尺 (shyaku) equal to 30.3 centimeters, this means a normal-sized tatami will be 91cm×182cm, or 1.6562 m², a unit which is called a "jyo" (｢帖｣ or 「畳」, with the first kanji indicating area and the second actual dimensions, and, yes the second is the same kanji as "tatami" but is pronounced "jyo" when discussing area in given dimension terms - got it?) - though there are regional and historical variances, which you can read about here if you're really into this: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%95%B3 . This unit is often used to describe the area of a room (e.g., "My living room is eight jyo"). Half-jyos are also common, with a four-and-a-half jyo (yon jyo han) room being a typical size for a bedroom.
I mention this because tatami are made from the igusa plant （「イグサ」、「藺草」、or most often 「い草」or「イ草」）, and almost 100% of Japanese igusa is grown in Yatsushiro. Kumanichi points out that now is igusa harvesting season. This does not mean that all tatami come from Yatsushiro as about 80% of igusa is imported, mostly from China. The article notes that 420 households (down 17 from last year) farm 505 hectares (or 3,055,250帖 - yes, online calculators exist for such conversions) for igusa production, half compared with a decade ago due to the aging of the farmers and the reluctance of their offspring to continue such work. This year's crop looks good; one farmer with a cool name, Kitahashi Ryumi (北橋龍美さん) was quoted: "The color is good and it is a satisfying crop. We hope to continue the tradition of producing high-quality igusa in Yatsushiro."
Many other, more highly value-added products are made using Yatsushiro igusa such as pillows and zabuton. If you see a product made from local igusa and purchase it, remember that you are supporting the farmers of Yatsushiro. - William
https://this.kiji.is/385384417084261473?c=92619697908483575
緑濃くイ草揺れる　八代で収穫作業盛ん - 熊本日日新聞
収穫機に乗り込み、イ草を刈り取っていく農家＝八代市　全国一のイ草産地・八代地方で収穫作業が進んでいる。濃い緑色のイ草が風に揺れる中、農家が専用の収穫機に乗り込み、刈り取りに汗を流す。作業は７月中旬まで...

Today is June 30, and if you're like me, you think of your little sister as it's her birthday (Happy birthday, Margaret!), but chances are you're not like me. You will notice, though, if you pass by any shrine, a circle constructed out of some kind of plant. That is because June 30 is also the day on which the Shinto festival of "Natsugoe no Harai" (「夏越の祓」) is held. Let us discuss this.
"Natsugoe" literally means "passing into summer," while "harai" is that Shinto purification rite where the priest waves a stick with pieces of paper over your bowed head - that's called an "oonusa" (「大麻」, sometimes「太麻」 ), which means "hemp" as they used to be made of hemp and is not to be confused with marijuana, which shares the same kanji but is pronounced "taima."
The event used to be held according to the lunar calendar but is now fixed on June 30 and is said to date back to Izanagi (「伊弉諾尊」), the male deity who, according to Shinto tradition fathered Japan, the sun, and the moon along with his female counterpart Izanami (「伊弉冉」). The purpose is to purify and protect oneself for the second half of the year and involves conducting a chinowa-kuguri (passing through a hoop made of kaya grass, though other material, particularly bamboo, is often used) (「茅の輪くぐり」).
If you have a chance this late afternoon, visit your local shrine to hop through the hoop once, turn to the left, hop through again, turn to the right, and hop through a final time before receiving your harai. I'm not guaranteeing that participation will be effective in protecting yourself for the last half of 2018, but then again, maybe it will. Below: a photograph of 夏越の祓 and its accompanying 茅の輪くぐり held at the main Shinto shrine, Ito. - William

A note from the Kumamoto International Department of Where Einstein Stayed in Kyushu desk (merged with the Where Washington Stayed in Kyushu desk as the latter is only a single entry shorter than the former): a recently published book entitled "The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein: The Far East, Palestine & Spain 1922 - 1923" (Amazon!) notes that the Jewish Einstein spent the 1922 Christmas season in Shinto/Buddhist Fukuoka - enough to make one wonder why they mentioned Christmas in the first place - to give a lecture at Kyushu University. The former Moji Mitsui Club, where he stayed, has preserved his room, and it is open to the public. There is no word on why he didn't visit Kumamoto; perhaps, given the proximity to Oshyougatsu, the shinkansen were all booked. Interesting article from Japan Today at the link below (photo: Einstein enjoying a traditional Japanese Christmas before the introduction of KFC), and more on the Moji Mitsui Club below that. - William
https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/when-albert-einstein-formulated-his-japanese-cultural-equation
http://www.gururich-kitaq.com/kanmon/en/detail/index.php?id=35&app=0

Below is a roundup of recent Kumanichi articles:
- Amakusa has topped a survey of locations in Kyushu/Yamaguchi that visitors are most happy to having stayed at, narrowly edging out Beppu. Third on the list was Kumamoto's Hirayama Onsen. Reasons for selecting Amakusa included "fresh fruits of the sea, magnificent views, plentiful onsen, and the World Heritage Site."
- Kumamoto Zoo's golden snub‐nosed monkey Pao Pao (パオパオ, 宝宝), who had just turned 29 (about 90 in human years) and had lived at the zoo since 1993, succumbed yesterday to chronic gastroenteritis. This follows the death on June 22 of another of the same breed, Shin Shin, who was 21. This leaves three golden snub‐nosed monkeys at the zoo, including Pao Pao's bereaved mate, Hen Hen (27) and two of their six offspring, Fei Fei (19) and Yo Yo (14). (Apologies - my previous summary of this story included inaccurate information.)
- Inspections on block walls of elementary schools conducted after the recent Osaka earthquake found 29 cases where reinforcement is required and 16 which require complete replacement. Work on this project began yesterday. (Summer is obviously the time when major school construction projects are conducted. My kids' alma mater finally got air conditioning!)
- In case you're missing the quakes (I am; my dog's not), a recent survey on quake probability ranked Kumamoto amongst the highest risk at 26% or above over the next 30 years, so you've got that to look forward to. A geologist noted, "While the risk on the Futagawa fault is basically zero, many other faults exist, so one should not grow complacent." A risk map is at the link.
- The castle's main dojon was opened to reporters who, being reporters, reported on what they saw. While exterior work shows signs of completion, with coatings of extra-strong stucco currently being applied, the interior, which is undergoing major quake retrofitting, still exhibits bare pillars and beams. The article lists a whole slew of measures being taken to strengthen the donjon, the details of which you likely don't care about, so I won't list them except to say that they are so numerous that the completion date remains unknown. (If you are interested, let me know, and I'll list them in the comments section.)
And that's it for the news. All links are below. Congratulations to Pao Pao! - William
https://this.kiji.is/384478452100842593?c=92619697908483575
https://this.kiji.is/384901236317209697?c=92619697908483575
https://this.kiji.is/384684222172218465?c=92619697908483575
https://this.kiji.is/384667193037948001?c=92619697908483575
３０年以内に震度６弱、熊本市など「２６％以上」　政府予測 - 熊本日日新聞
　政府の地震調査委員会（委員長・平田直東京大教授）は２６日、現時点で想定されるすべての地震で、今後３０年以内に震度６弱以上の揺れに見舞われる危険性を示す「全国地震動予測地図」２０１８年版（１月１日時点...

Joe Tomei here with your Funky Place Friday post. There are a lot of pizza ovens places popping up all over and I'm not going to try and rank them (though the position of unpaid pizza oven researcher here at FPF is open).
But there is one pizza oven place in Kikuchi which lays on the funkiness. I was a bit too busy enjoying the Kikuchi made(!) cheese and thinking it would be great to have one of the craft beers on the menu to ask what exactly the name of the place is. The tabelog entry at
https://tabelog.com/en/kumamoto/A4303/A430301/43006669/
has Naporipittsukenkyuujoiruforunodoro, but the sign suggests that the name is Il Forno D'oro or Oven of Gold, though I love the tabelog 'Kenkyuu jo' (research center)
The Funky Place Friday map is at
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing

A high school friend of my daughter, Natsuki, and her family run a lovely little herb tea cafe and shop in Kikuyo (on Route 138 somewhat near Hikari-no-Mori; a map is at the link).
Every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 and 2:00 starting this weekend, Natsuki and my daughter will teach 45-50 minute English classes oriented towards children, though adults are also welcome. The atmosphere is beautiful, and the price, at 500, is cheap. Parking is available. - William
http://www.daisy-herb.jp/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkMG7Y3AyQT/

A reminder that live images of Shiraka from a variety of bridges are available at the link. Take care in the rain! - William http://www.qsr.mlit.go.jp/kumamoto/bousai/kasen_live/kasen_live01.html

Following the Kumamoto quake, some yahoo spread a rumor via Twitter that a lion had escaped from Kumamoto zoo and was roaming the streets, sparking widespread panic quite unneeded at the time.
It turns out the yahoo's a 20-year old guy from Kanagawa Prefecture. We know this as he was recently arrested for spreading malicious rumors, apparently the first time anyone has ever been arrested for such cause in Japan.
The article contains the word デマ, meaning lie, particularly a malicious rumor spread via social media, a word I'd never encountered, but apparently it comes from the German "demagogie." I have no idea how the word ended up in the Japanese language. - William
「ライオン逃げた」デマ投稿の男逮捕　全国初 - 熊本日日新聞
佐藤一輝容疑者がツイッターに投稿した路上を歩くライオンの画像（県警提供）　熊本東署と県警サイバー犯罪対策課などは２０日、熊本地震の前震直後に熊本市動植物園からライオンが逃げたというデマを短文投稿サイト...

Our hearts go out to those in Kansai who experienced this morning a 5.9 quake. In fact, the quake may be related to ours due to what is called the Japan Median Tectonic Band. Japan is kinda split into two in an east/west direction, and activity on the fault in one section may result in increased tensions in another. Wikipedia has an informative article on it . - William https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Median_Tectonic_Line

Funky Place Friday is on the road again. Perhaps it isn’t fair to label Kagoshima airport a Funky Place. But I’m visiting Tokunoshima and I was amazed that it is a leisurely 2 hour drive to the airport. While it was business for me, this seems like a great getaway chance!

Finding a good barber is only of slightly less importance than finding a good spouse, particularly for someone like me, whose hair does not grow long rather than piles atop itself until all above my forehead grows to resemble one of those tremendous cumulus clouds so common in Kumamoto in August, and it's then that the poodles who live in my neighborhood begin to whisper to me obliquely, "Dude, you're embarrassing us. Visit your barber."
I found my barber shortly after arriving here. Though the shop has moved to more modern digs, the chairs remain as ancient as the artisans (they make me feel young, a talent increasingly difficult). They are efficient, skilled, and extremely thorough - after they shave the back of your neck, they will shave your ears, and then they'll shave your neck again, just in case. They do not speak English, but haircuttery is pretty much an international language. And they are very cheap - 1,300 yen for their basic service, which is what I always go for. They are conveniently located in Suizenji, just off of Densha-dori. I asked permission this morning to write this post and warned that it might result in a flood of non-Japanese visiting their shop, and they welcomed it. After all, your hair is undoubtedly less complicated than mine. - William
http://portal.ntn81.jp/lib2/vc.do?id=224
・大　人　1,200～1,700円・中学生　1,200～1,500円・子　供　1,100円(シャンプー込み)・白髪染　3,900円

There are many fish in the sea, as my wife found out and my children are just discovering. One type of fish, to no fault of its own, is called the "grunt fish" (Japanese: イサキ魚), which apparently acquired its name by its habit of grinding its pharyngeal teeth (don't bother looking up "pharyngeal" as you'll never use it unless you or someone close to you is unfortunate enough to have them).
On Sunday June 17th at Cocosa Shimotori (map below), our favorite chef Sean Benward will introduce a special guest at his culinary class, Fujimoto Taiki (藤本大城氏), a poissonnier extraordinaire who practices his craft from Kumamoto's main fish market, Tasaki-ichi (田崎市), and both in conjunction will instruct how to turn this oceanic delicacy into something palatable.
Reservations are being accepted, and children are welcome. Please write below or PM us regarding details. - William

As an arachnophile, spiders enjoy free range in my house until my daughter, a pronounced arachnophobe, returns home, who at which time, regardless of my or the spiders' feelings, I must expel (the spiders, not my daughter). One such request today introduced me to a species hitherto unknown to me but which a Wikipedia search revealed to be a Argiope amoena, called in Japanese the コガネグモ (黄金蜘蛛, kogane-gumo), or, according to my daughter, "a really friggin' big cross-shaped web spider monopolizing the corner of my room." Wikipedia notes that they are harmless to humans but can consume prey up to twice their size, which again reminds me of my daughter. She (the spider) was ushered outside at the tip of a broomstick, which was likely not ideal for her as the species is a favorite of wasps but did quiet my daughter, at least for the moment. Below is a photo for reference. - William

From the Kumamoto International Desk of Animals that Insist on Defying Classification (merged with the Republican Party Study Desk due to redundancy). A recent post regarding Ariake Sea brought a query regarding whether it was safe to venture into, and my advice is: Sure! - as long as you are accompanied by a friend with a rope to haul you out and some antibiotics just in case. There is one animal, however, which has made what should be an uninhabitable zone its home: the mudskipper (オキスデルシス亜科, in case anyone asks), which are a group of vertebrate amphibious fish which couldn't decide whether to continue with aquatic life or terrestrial living, so equivocated. They are extremely rare in the world, as most fish are pretty decisive about being fish, and their presence in the Ariake Sea area is mostly attributed to stubbornness. "Skip" in English can mean either to avoid an obligation or to glide over a surface, both of which this creature is adept at. They are kind of cute if you judge cuteness by resembling a lifeform from an alien planet. The males aggressively defend their territory, while the females spend most of their time burrowed into the mud as they understandably seem to find that preferable to mingling with the males. A large park exists in the northwestern quadrant of Kumamoto Shinko which provides easy access to the mudflats, and if you're lucky or not, you may glimpse one.

Funky Place Friday on the road! Today, I want to tell you about a rice store in Omuta. It gets its funky place status because going there, if you pay 2400 yen, you can park your car there all day and receive a Nishitetsu Rail pass to go into Fukuoka. I love going to Fukuoka, but with parking, expressway toll and gas, it gets a bit pricey. So instead, go to Omuta, leave your car there and spend the day in Fukuoka. The train trip is 1 hour and leaves every 30 minutes, so it gives you a lot more flexibility. The first train leaves from Nishitetsu Omuta at 5:11 am (!) and the last train returns from Tenjin at 10:56 pm. It is not enormous savings, but it's so much nicer to take the train to get out of the city. It's especially good for anyone living over by the west side of the city.
The map of funky place friday posts is at
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing

What is known as 有明海 - Ariake Sea - is less than a sea but a large inlet. Due to the tremendous amount of sediment originating from various volcanoes and agriculture, its gradient is extremely shallow, which results in a significant tidal distance, often a kilometer or more depending on the location. Feeding 130 million people also requires that the sea be a gigantic farm, with nori (laver seaweed) and asari clams the most cultivated. A problem is how to access the cultivatable areas, which resourceful fishermen have solved by creating long roads which are submerged at high tide but usable during low (timing is key here or you'll find your car submerged).
Our friend Yoshiko Toyama captured a wonderful photograph of such a road with Nagasaki's Fugen Mountain (普賢岳) in the background. She noted in her post that it has been 27 years since Fugen last erupted, an event I remember as I'd just arrived in Kumamoto at the time (lots of ash every day). Trivia point: a tsunami which resulted in one of the greatest tsunami-related death tolls occurred here in the 17th century when part of the mountain cascaded into the sea, resulting in a "bathtub effect," in which the wave washed over Kumamoto and then bounced back to the Shimabara peninsula, pretty much killing all coastal residents on both sides. (Okay, not so trivial for the victims, but time tends to lighten tragedy.)
Thank you, Yoshiko-san, for this wonderful photo. - William

And for my 2nd post a rather bad subject:
Recently Kumamoto University made a sign warning students of a ’suspicious person’ who had been bothering students in the Kokai area. So, if anyone has trouble with this person they can contact the International Education Division. He appears to be a thin man in his late 20s.
Another person who lives in the Tsuboi/Kokai area is already known by police and is quite a dangerous individual. I myself have already been in a physical fight with him in Kokai Shoten Gai after he said some racist things and spat at me. The police become involved. Last year he approached me and my son yet again… with the result that 6 policemen (!) went to his house to warn him. He is quite a large Japanese man, about 180cm, strongly built, in his 40s, and has mental health problems. He appears to have a problem with foreigners and may specifically target foreign people.
So, if anyone has trouble with him you can contact me or this group. Since I now know his name, where he lives, and i even have a photo of him, its easy for us to report any such problems he causes to the police.
Take care, Sean

The Japanese edition of our book from Kodansha was published last week, on Saigo Takamori and the Satsuma Rebellion (the same subject as NHK's Taiga drama this year). It's bilingual, actually - Japanese and English, so good for both learning English and Japanese, and for learning about Japanese history.
As some folk may know already important scenes from this 1877 conflict took place in Kumamoto - the siege of the castle and then the large battle at Tabaruzaka a little to the north. So you can see various Kumamoto places in our book.
Shimotori Tsutaya bookshop has it for sale in the new English section in the basement.
ショーン.マイケル・ウィルソン
英国スコットランド出身。熊本在住の漫画原作者。米国や英国、日本など、さまざまな国で刊行される漫画の原作を書き下ろしている。『クリスマス・キャロル』は英サンデー・タイムズ紙2008年度のベストテンに選ばれた。その他、The Faceless Ghost 「顔のない幽霊」は漫画界のゴールデン・グローブ賞と言われているアイズナー賞にノミネートされ、同作品は米国で開催される独立系出版社賞漫画部門の大賞に2016年に輝いた。また、Secrets of the Ninja 「忍者の秘密」は2017年の第10回日本国際漫画賞(外務省主催)で入賞。この賞を受賞する最初の英国人となった。
Thanks, Sean
https://seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com/satsuma-rebellion-351993711138534304271239235199213352512620105.html

What with the all the news of the police shooting of that knife-armed maniac in Shinnabe, news of a man found dead in a vehicle in Ozu has been given short shrift. We here at Kumamoto International are here to rectify this deficiency. The Kumanichi (link below) provides oblique details as to this bizarre case: "A prefectural police investigation into what is described as 'confinement' of a male (44) from Fukuoka city has resulted in the arrest of an unemployed man from Tsushima City, address uncertain (27) on the charge for allegedly taking away the man with four men already arrested on suspicion of 'confinement'. The suspect is alleged to have cooperated with the four other suspects in the 'confinement' of a used car dealer in Fukuoka City on April 7th from around midnight to around 5 o'clock in the afternoon in a mini passenger car in front of Hakata station in Fukuoka city to where his body was discovered at a business hotel parking lot in Ozu. According to the investigators, the most recently arrested man was acquainted with the other four suspects and had been arrested by Fukuoka prefectural police due to an unrelated incident. Suspected involvement in 'confinement' was due to security cameras at Hakata Station and around the hotel and the friendship between the men. Investigators stated that "There is a problem with the investigation" as reasoning for why 'confinement in a mini car of a dead body' has not yet resulted in murder charges. Nonetheless, investigators suspect that the five men were involved in murdering the victim and abandoning his body and are cautiously investigating to this end." Updates no doubt to come. - William
監禁疑いで５人目の男逮捕　大津町の車内遺体事件 - 熊本日日新聞
　大津町のビジネスホテル駐車場の軽乗用車内で、遺体で見つかった福岡市南区平和２丁目、職業不詳の男性（４４）を車内に監禁したとされる事件で、県警の捜査本部は５日、既に監禁の疑いで逮捕された男４人と共に男...