Kumamoto International Archive

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

Grace had written recently about Reigando. Here is a further suggestion most useful for people who have access to a car.
There is a network of hiking trails called the "Kyushu Shizen Hodou" (九州自然歩道), one of which passes over Mt. Kimpo. If you park your car at the mountain top and find the trail (it branches from the service road to the summit), it will take you down to the labyrinth of the mountain's west-facing mikan orchards - and from there, you're on your own, but pretty much every tiny road or path will bring you to Reigando. If you're lucky, you'll find one of the shacks that contain the conveyor-belt devices that separate mikan by size. And don't feel shy about sampling the fruit from the trees - the farmers really don't care (in fact, they're likely to give you a free bagful if you ask - but that would mean you'd have to lug that back up the mountain when you return.)
It's not an easy hike, but my kids used to do it as elementary school students. Bring supplies (liquid!), as there are zero stores (though plenty of mikan), and a camera as the views are breathtaking. - William

This is only tangentially related to Kumamoto in that it pertains to rumors about foreigners that can spring up after a major natural disaster. In a previous article I wrote a bit about how, in comparison to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster, there was very little demonization of foreigners in Kumamoto:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1372592256147536
Another related issue we have discussed here is former Tokyo Governor Ishihara's comments on the need to use the military to put down rioting foreigners (Sangokujin) in the event of an earthquake:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1201385006601596
The most infamous case of maltreatment of foreigners after an earthquake in Japan occurred after the devastating 1923 Kanto earthquake. Hundreds to thousands of Koreans (the numbers are being disputed), mixed in with people of other nationalities (including Japanese who were mistaken for Koreans) were massacred. As has happened with other ignominious events in Japanese history, some conservative politicians and authors try to minimize, deny, or ignore such events. Sadly, Koike seems to be in that category of politicians. It is worth noting, however, that even arch-conservative Ishihara, Koike's predecessor, sent a eulogy for the victims of the massacre each year while he was governor.
If you'd like to know more about what Koike would prefer be forgotten, you may find the following links to be of interest:
The Great Japan Earthquake of 1923
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-japan-earthquake-of-1923-1764539/
Yokohama recalls texts describing 1923 ‘massacre’ of Koreans
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/29/national/history/yokohama-recalls-texts-describing-1923-massacre-of-koreans/
Book Review
The Great Kantō Earthquake, the Korean Massacre and its Aftermath: The Responsibility of the Japanese Government and People, by Shōji Yamada
https://www.harvard-yenching.org/the-great-kanto-earthquake
All of these English sources site "6,000 or more" as the number of killed. On the following Amazon.co.jp page for a Japanese book by Shoji Yamada on the topic, the first reviewer says that the number of victims was "in the thousands" but that it's no longer possible to know the exact figure.
https://goo.gl/BR1Bm6
Note that this book has four reviews: 2 five star and 2 one star. The one-star reviewers clearly don't like the conclusion. One argues that the Koreans were a threat to Japan (implying that what happened was justified) while the other merely suggests reading a book that denies that the incident occurred at all.
Regardless of the range of numbers (hundreds to thousands), I think this was a very significant event that should be remembered so that it will not be repeated.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201708240043.html
Koike says no to eulogy for Koreans killed in 1923 quake：The Asahi Shimbun
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has angered organizers of an upcoming memorial service for Koreans massa

For many years, Kumamoto had the good sense of holding their fireworks show at Ezuko, which offered both beauty in the lake reflection and convenient public access. They then switched to holding the show at the castle, which turned out to be a nightmare in access terms and which almost led to one of those "hundreds trampled in human stampede" articles that you read on CNN. So, for a few years, they decided not to do anything (Note: that's generally the easiest decision for anything).
However, with the earthquake and all, the fireworks are back - in Ezuko! October 14. Get a raft and drift down - that is my suggestion. - - William
https://this.kiji.is/274005026673378806?c=9261969790848357
江津湖花火大会、10月14日に正式決定 - 熊本日日新聞
　熊本市の江津湖花火大会実行委員会（会長・大西一史市長）は２５日、今年の大会を熊本地震から１年半の１０月１４日（荒天時は１５日に順延）に開催することを正式に決めた。地震からの復興祈念と位置付け、東区の水前寺江津湖公園広木地区で１万発を打ち上...

Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Kumamoto. The two images you see below show streams or rivers that are getting closer to flood level. The images are taken from
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/suigaimesh/flood.html
(English)
and
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/suigaimesh/flood.html
(Japanese)
The JMA seems to have been unable to translate the names of the rivers. That's understandable but it's disappointing that they chose to erase what they could not translate. This is another example of an unfortunate assumption that seems to be all too common -- that presenting information in English means purging it of any and all Japanese information. It fails to recognize that people who access information in English might be able to recognize the orthography of a river in their neighborhood or might want to show the image they have found to a family member or neighbor who does read Japanese.
Another problem with the JMA's otherwise impressive system is that it can be surprisingly difficult, whether you are looking at the Japanese version or the English version, to figure out just where the stream marked in red is. In this case, it's actually not too far from my home. Still, because the JMA map isn't connected to a more detailed map of Kumamoto City, I had to compare it to a Google map in order to try to solve the puzzle of just where the marked stream is located -- and even after doing that I'm not entirely sure.
At any rate, I hope this little discussion proves to be merely academic today and that none of us have to deal with any actual flooding. If you live near a stream or river, however, I think it's a good idea to learn how to take advantage of the information that is available on the web so that you don't need to sit and puzzle over it (like I did today) at a time when you should be taking steps to evacuate.
-- Kirk

Good morning, fellow Kumamotians! You might notice heavy rain accompanied by thunder. This will likely continue through noon. I hope you don't have any plans for the AM. - William

If you’re in the Kumamoto area and interested in Japanese history and philosophy or if you just want to get outside of the city for an afternoon, I always recommend visiting Reigando (霊巌洞), a cave where the famous Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi is purported to have written The Book of Five Rings in the mid 1600s. The Book of Five Rings became an important philosophical and strategical work and is still much read and studied today. Translators have circled back to it many times in an attempt to wring out the simple beauty and careful precision of the text, a task that is much more difficult than it might sound.
Musashi spent the last few years of his life in and around Kumamoto and was associated with the Hosokawa clan residing in Kumamoto Castle at the time. His gravesite is also in Kumamoto and is now located within a park that bears his name - Musashizuka Park (武蔵塚公園).
Even for those not familiar with Musashi, Reigando is a beautiful place, and it’s easy to understand how someone might go there and be inspired. The cave is nestled in the hills overlooking the ocean to the northwest of Kumamoto and sits beside an ancient Buddhist temple called Unganzenji. To get to the cave you must walk through the temple and past a rock face covered in hundreds of time- and weather-worn statues. When I was living in Kumamoto I went several times, including with visiting friends and family, and it was always an incredible experience.
Reigando can be reached by car or by bus, though it’s important to note that some walking, including up quite a steep hill, is required from the nearest bus stop. A decent amount of information is available in English and I’ve provided some links here.
To get to Reigando by bus, take the 新6 from the central bus station and get off at the 岩戸観音入口 (Iwato Kannon entrance) stop. It usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes to get there depending on the traffic. From the bus stop the cave is a 15-20 minute walk up the hill to the left, and there are also some nice views and stopping points along the way.
- Grace
https://kumamoto-guide.jp/en/spots/detail/109
http://www.explore-kumamoto.com/reigando-cave-and-unganzenji-temple/
https://en.japantravel.com/kumamoto/reigando-cave/3496
Reigando Cave
It is Kumamoto City Official Tourism Website. We will introduce the charm of Kumamoto City including tourist spots such as Kumamoto Castle and Suizenji Park and also cooking, events and special products.

A 90 million year-old fossilized tooth that belonged to a critter in the genus Deltatheridium has been found in Kumamoto. These possum-like animals were ancestors of modern marsupials that frolicked with (correction: did their utmost to avoid being eaten by) dinosaurs. They are thought to have originated in Asia before finding their way to Australia and becoming kangaroos. This is getting a good deal of news coverage because it's the first such discovery in Japan. The finding was reported by the Mifune Dinosaur Museum on the 24th. I saw it on the NHK evening news (national broadcast) that evening.
If you'd like to read a bit more about this critter here's a BBC article you might enjoy:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/226722.stm
-- Kirk
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017082400396&g=soc
　熊本県御船町の白亜紀後期（約９０００万年前）の地層から、カンガルーなどの有袋類を含む哺乳類のグループ「後獣類」の化石が見つかったと、御船町恐竜博物館が２４日発表した。見つかったのは有袋類に進化した系統ではないが、後獣類の化石は国内初という。同博物館の池上直樹

From the Kumamoto International Kumamon Affairs Desk: The Kumanichi has reported on images of a newly kitted-out Kumamon to welcome the rugby World Cup event to be held here in 2019. I particularly like the image of Kumamon dressed as Kato Kiyomasa - considered the founding father of Kumamoto. You can read more about him here (this is a go-to site for all things medieval Japan): https://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Kato_Kiyomasa - William
https://this.kiji.is/273271515654899194?c=92619697908483575
くまモン、日本文化発信　海外意識の新イラスト - 熊本日日新聞
県が発表したくまモンの新イラストの一部。上から加藤清正、ラグビーボール、聖火ランナー（県提供）　県は２３日、県のＰＲキャラクターくまモンの新たなイラスト１９種類を公表し、利用申請の受け付けを始めた。２０１９年に県内でも開催されるラグビーＷ杯...

The team to which Shugakukan lost in the Koshien tournament made it to the finals but was defeated by Hanasaki Tokuharu from Saitama. As I did with Hiroshima's Koryo, I took at look at how "local" the Hanasaki team members are for comparative purposes. Here's the page I referred to:
http://apapnews.com/famousmember/member/363/
Five of the 18 players listed are from Saitama and another 5 are from nearby Tokyo. So, the winning Hanasaki team seems to be considerably more "local" than Shugakukan. On the other hand, Saitama alone has a population of 7 million and Tokyo has 9 million, so a case can be made that Shugakukan needs to draw its players from much farther away in order to have access to a analogous population base. Even with Saitama and Tokyo to draw upon, Hanasaki also has players from as far away Osaka and Hyogo.
On a separate but (I think) related point, this tournament was characterized by a number of batting records being broken or equalled. First, the record for the number of solo home runs hit during the tournament was smashed with a whopping 56:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20170820/k10011105491000.html
Second, Shosei Nakamura of Koryo broke two records and tied one:
"Its loss also ruined a story-book ending for Shosei Nakamura, the Koryo catcher who set individual records for most home runs (6) and most RBIs (17) in a single tournament. He also tied the record for most hits at 19."
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201708230048.html
As I see it, the origins of the players and the increase in home runs are both indications that the Koshien tournament has become one in which schools with professional coaches and training facilities prepare highly select groups of young men to compete against one another at a semi-pro level of play. I guess this environment is the backdrop that helps explain why Shugakukan has put a team together that lacks a single local player.
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/08/23/baseball/hanasaki-tokuharu-captures-first-summer-koshien-title/
Hanasaki Tokuharu captures first Summer Koshien title | The Japan Times
Manaya Nishikawa went 3-for-6 with four RBIs to lead a 16-hit attack as Hanasaki Tokuharu beat Hiroshima's Koryo 14-4 at the National High School Baseball

William wrote about someone going through a mental crisis:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1569101186496641
A while back I began to look for information about counseling services but then got busy and failed to put the information together in a post. Here's what I have. Some of the services are based in Kumamoto while others are based elsewhere but provide counseling via telephone, etc:
http://www.kuma-koku.jp/hpkiji/pub/List.aspx?c_id=3&class_set_id=1&class_id=528
The International Consultation Corner is operated through the Kumamoto International Association as commissioned by Kumamoto Prefecture.
http://www.bluejava.com/tell/index.html?screen=results&module=-1581215855&catId=1544&prefId=1398
Dr Kazumi Kutsuna
Kumamoto Psychological Counseling Center Nishikisakuramachi Building 6F 2-37, Sakura-machi, Chuou-Ku Kumamoto
http://telljp.com/counseling/
TELL counseling provides confidential and comprehensive mental health services for the increasingly diverse international community in Japan.
http://telljp.com/lifeline/
Every day for over 40 years TELL Lifeline has been providing important connections and support to people all across Japan. We save lives.
http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/international/japan-suicide-hotlines.html
The International Consultation Corner is operated through the Kumamoto International Association as commissioned by Kumamoto Prefecture.
Guide <leaflet version> of victim (should be "for crime victims")
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp.e.qp.hp.transer.com/police/page63.html
-- Kirk

Personal note:
Grading tests now. An Indonesian female student chose as her essay topic the immense isolation she feels and how it has led to a mental crisis. I've experienced that more times than I want to remember - it becomes existential to the point that you simply want to drown yourself to end it all. Living in a foreign country gets easier - and actually quite enjoyable - with practice (and it's funny - it doesn't matter where you live as they're all foreign places, meaning different customs, languages you do not comprehend, and no family or friends for support; it's learning how to respond), but those first steps are often very painful.
So I set her test aside and emailed her to ask for a meeting. I hope that she responds. But reach out when you see someone flailing. We're all in the same boat. (Although I suppose one doesn't flail if one's still in the boat - sorry; mixed metaphores. But you get the idea.) - William

This news item is by no means limited to Kumamoto but I'm sure it will be of interest to many of the expats who read this page. The image you see is from a pdf document that can be found at the following URL:
https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/index.files/leaflet.pdf
I learned about the change (and URL for the pdf) at Debito.org:
Good news: Japan’s National Pension scheme lowers minimum qualification time from 25 years to 10!
http://www.debito.org/?p=14704
Some readers of this page may find Debito.org to be a bit too polemical and political for their tastes but activist / author/ blogger Arudo Debito does a good job of pulling together information that should be of interest to many expats living in Japan. I think this is one such example of why Debito's page is valuable to expats. I looked for information on this issue on the internet but, aside from Debito's post, could not find a news article about this 25 to 10 year change for foreigners. Perhaps it's been covered but after numerous searches I was only able to come up with this article from February:
Japan’s pension payments system set for overhaul
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/02/03/national/japans-pension-payments-system-set-overhaul/
I assume that this change is part of the overhaul referred to in the title but the article doesn't seem to mention it explicitly. So, kudos to Debito for getting the word out on an important change that other news outlets seem to have missed.
-- KIrk

A heat warning has been issued for the Kumamoto region today (Wednesday) - it will be 35°C, which kind of makes one long for the times when it was 35°F, and very sunny. My suggestion: Air conditioning, and do not go outside. Maybe even don't get up at all. Take care, all. - William
熊本の速報ニュース │ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社　公式サイト。熊本のニュースを中心に温泉やグルメ、イベント情報も掲載。

Let me start with a few quotes from Wikipedia:
"Kanō Jigorō (嘉納治五郎, 28 October 1860 – 4 May 1938) was a Japanese educator and athlete, the founder of Judo."
"In January 1891, Kanō was appointed to a position at the Ministry of Education. In August 1891, he gave up this position to become a dean at the Fifth Higher Normal School (present-day Kumamoto University). One of the teachers at Fifth Higher between 1891 and 1893 was Lafcadio Hearn."
"Kanō was also a pioneer of international sports. Accomplishments included being the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (he served from 1909 until 1938); officially representing Japan at most Olympic Games held between 1912 and 1936; and serving as a leading spokesman for Japan's bid for the 1940 Olympic Games."
If you visit the campus of Kumamoto University, you may be able to find a small monument commemorating Kano's contribution near the entrance to the gymnasium where Kumadai's judo club practices. I met with a friend recently who pointed out to me that Kumamoto has largely ignored Kano's connection to the community. Much has been said and written about Lafcadio Hearn's and Natsume Soseki's connections to Kumamoto but, by comparison, Kano Jigoro is hardly ever mentioned.
But there are some who have been trying to point out the importance of Kano's time in Kumamoto. If you read Japanese, please check out the following page from the "Kumamoto Human Resources Network" (「熊本人財ネットワーク」）:
http://www.jinzai-brand.com/2016/11/柔道を「国際化」した教育者%E3%80%80嘉納治五郎/
-- Kirk
P.S. The picture of Kano engaging in judo is from the second site, not Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanō_Jigorō

"The number of passengers on the railway plummeted to 40,000 in fiscal 2016 from 260,000 the previous year, mainly because Tateno Station, which offers a link to the Hohi Main Line of Kyushu Railway Co., remains closed."
Copied and pasted by Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/21/national/kumamoto-railway-struggles-rebuild-devastating-2016-quake/#.WZt4Vq2B2Cc
Kumamoto railway struggles to rebuild after devastating 2016 quake | The Japan Times
A railway in Kumamoto Prefecture is working hard to win back passengers 16 months after a series of powerful earthquakes rocked the area. Minami-aso Railwa

For those of you who will be in Kumamoto this weekend, the Honda plant in Ozu will be holding its annual summer festival on Saturday. Festivities kick off at 4pm and run until the end of the fireworks show, which starts at 9.
Entry is free and there will be loads of fun and entertainment, including live stage events, a visit from Kamen Rider for the kiddies, and a raffle with drawings at 8:05pm. No word what the top prize will be this year, but it seems that last year's winner walked away with an Honda motorbike!
You can drive directly there and park in one of the 4000 available spots, or take a free shuttle bus from the JR Higo Ozu station.
Here is the address and the event poster in Japanese.
〒869-1293 Kumamoto Prefecture, Kikuchi District, 大津町Hirakawa, 1500
- Sara

This article is from May but just this morning the Asahi Shimbun published an article in Japanese about the practice of making kids whose hair is not naturally jet black prove that they are not dying it by submitting a "natural hair certificate" ("jige shomeisho"; 地毛証明書):
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK815T7FK81UTIL04X.html
The article is critical of the practice. Several people interviewed (two experts and one teacher) characterize it as an abuse of the rights of the child. One criticism that is mentioned in the article is that the practice encourages students to focus on differences in appearance instead of helping them to learn to look beyond them. I might add that the burden of having to document the natural condition of one's hair and the implied message (even if unintended) that having a different color of hair is somehow abnormal or undesirable are also problematic.
Human rights activist Arudo Debito has also written about this:
REPORT: Immigrant children and Japan’s Hair Police
http://www.debito.org/?p=412
I don't know if kids in Kumamoto are required to submit such certificates. My kids were not. (Correction: My wife has informed me that our daughter was indeed asked to submit such a form -- with a picture as evidence! As if the word of my wife and the fact that her father is of a different nationality isn't enough!) Still, I thought this might be of interest to current or future parents in Kumamoto, especially if your kids' hair is not naturally jet black.
-- Kirk
http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-students-hair-color-2017-5
Most Tokyo high schools demand students prove their real hair color, study finds
Some Japanese students are prohibited from having permed, dyed, or unkempt hair. The measure is designed to uphold strict standards for physical appearance.

The Kumamoto JET website has an events page. I may not be able to share the information here in a timely manner so, if you're interested, you may want to bookmark it and check in from time to time.
-- Kirk
http://kumamotojet.com/shin/index.php/category/events/
Events September Events in Ashikita August 17, 2017 Published by: kumamoto Ashikita Music Festival Date: 10th September 2017 Venue: Yume moyai （芦北町女島活力推進センターゆめもやい） Doors open at 16:00　Performance starts 17:00 Tickets are ￥3000 in advance (need to be booked by phone) or ￥3300 on the day To book, p...

Sorry about not giving you all a heads up before hand. This event occurs every year so, if you're interested, mark your calendar for next year.
-- Kirk
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170817/p2a/00m/0na/020000c
1,000 dancers light the way at Kumamoto Pref. festival - The Mainichi
YAMAGA, Kumamoto -- About a thousand women wearing traditional summer yukata and lanterns on their heads danced during the traditional Yamaga Toro Matsuri lantern festival here on Aug. 16.

Hirata is a company which makes industrial robots and has some facilities in Kumamoto, which is featured in their latest commercial. The tagline is, "The world is not yet compete. We're working to make it so."
Okay, good luck with that - but it is a beautiful, short CM. - William
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjNt-wy8QH0
.
平田機工東京証券取引所第1部市場変更のCM(熊本,栃木,滋賀)