Kumamoto International Archive

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

In a surprise move, Donald Trump has announced that he has purchased the rights to rename Kumamoto Castle as Trump Castle and convert it into a casino. Mr. Trump said that he began thinking about opening a casino in Japan after Prime Minister Abe mentioned his plans to legalize casino gambling during his visit to Trump Tower in November. The Donald went on to explain that he chose Kumamoto Castle because recent earthquake damage made it possible to acquire naming rights at a significant discount. "I spoke with Mayor Onishi, who is a fantastic mayor by the way, and we made a deal," Mr. Trump said. Asked about concerns that converting Kumamoto's iconic cultural symbol into a sleazy gambling hall might upset the people of Kumamoto, Mr. Trump said "Believe me, it's going to be terrific. The people of Kumamoto love me. I'm going to make Kumamoto great again." When a reporter from Kumamoto International stood to ask a question Mr. Trump said "Sit down! Sit down! I'm not going to call on you. Kumamoto International is fake news. And that Kirk Masden guy -- terrible person, just terrible! Anyone who believes anything he says or writes ought to have their head examined. Sad."
-- Kirk ;)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-22/japan-s-big-b

According to this article in an insurance industry publication, Kumamoto is ranked 13th in the world and 2nd in Japan as a city at risk of economic losses from a volcanic eruption.
-- Kirk
http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/volcanic-eruption-cost-large-cities-us30-billion-new-swiss-re-model-says-1004110773/
Volcanic eruption could cost large cities up to US$30 billion, new Swiss Re model says
Total economic losses from volcanic eruptions could cost large cities up to US$30 billion, according to a new volcano model from Swiss Re. Calling it the “world’s first global volcano model,” the probabilistic model assesses risk in the case of…

Our friend Victoria captured this photo of poppies in Amakusa. Strange times ahead, so I thought I'd share this beauty for a bit of perspective.

Talks in progress on overseas marketing of ‘Kumamon’ - The Nation
KUMAMOTO prefecture in Japan is in discussions on granting exclusive contracts to partners in particular foreign markets, including Thailand, for strategic collaboration in promoting the popularity of the prefecture’s well-known Kumamon mascot character, as well as the import, production and distrib...

This Japanese article contains a video showing the areas of the Kumamoto Castle grounds that will be open to the public on the 1st and 2nd (Saturday and Sunday).
-- Kirk
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20170325/k10010924291000.html
地震被害の熊本城サクラの名所を期間限定で開放 | NHKニュース
熊本地震で大きな被害を受けた熊本城で、地震のあと立ち入りができなくなっているサクラの名所が期間限定で一般に開放され、多くの人が訪れています。

Here's an article about the recent fire-swinging (hifuri) festival.
-- KIrk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201703230039.html
Fire-swinging festival held despite quake damage in Aso：The Asahi Shimbun
ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--A mesmerizing Shinto fire-swinging festival has been held at Asojinja shri

The Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) will hold its 2018 All Star game in Kumamoto in July of that year. The decision to hold the game in Kumamoto for the first time in the history of the event was motivated in part by a desire to contribute to Kumamoto's recovery.
-- Kirk
https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/hawks/article/318076
藤崎台で来年球宴　熊本復興支援で
日本野球機構（ＮＰＢ）とプロ野球１２球団は２９日、熊本地震の復興支援と銘打ち、２０１８年７月のプロ野球オールスター...

Joe Tomei here. A student of mine had a baito as a miko-san , which is one of the assistants at a jinja, selling hamaya during shogatsu. (trans "part-time job at a Japanese temple as a 'shrine maiden', selling ceremonial arrows to ward of bad luck for the New Year's festivities"). This isn't about how to get a baito at a jinja, but I hope that sentence may interest you in this guide to Shinto vestments. Links below on other aspects of Shinto shrines are also interesting.
http://www.nippon.com/en/views/b05212/
“Shōzoku”: The Shintō Vestments
The clothing worn by priests and priestesses at Shintō shrines is unlike anything you will see elsewhere in Japan. Here we describe the styles of traditional vestments that are part of the Shintō experience.

Joe Tomei here. John Spiri, a former Kumamoto resident who has a column in the Japan Times, is writing a piece on foreigner anxiety about placing children in the public school system. He asked me to share this survey with Kumamoto-i and he'd like to ask follow up questions.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR7WHC1_j656x6FfxYU4Ip653yDoisbUwZe0K3a6vw5WBebg/viewform
cheers joe
Public Schools in Japan

A note regarding an employment opportunity:
Magic English School (Shinmachi branch) is looking for a motivated, professional person to teach on Saturdays, (1pm - 6:30pm, immediate start).
You must be a native speaker and willing to teach all ages, from pre-schoolers to adults.
Experience is preferred, but not necessary as training will be provided.
If you're interested, please e-mail a brief cover letter and resume.
Feel free to contact me for further information.
Barry Chandler
Magic English School
096-221-3479
[email protected]
www.magicenglish07.com

Travelers’ Treasures / Kumamoto Yamaemura-san Egomaabura (Perilla oil)
Perilla is an extremely robust plant that can even be grown in poor soil and cold areas. It has been cultivated in Japan for more than 5,500 years for oil to provide light and for food. At one point the cultivation of perilla declined with the appearance of rapeseed, which has high production effici...

Kumamoto quakes faults sample dug up for preservation：The Asahi Shimbun
KOSA, Kumamoto Prefecture--Workers here created a scientific time capsule by cutting away a section

Kanagawa man who tweeted 'lion scare' after 2016 Kumamoto quakes avoids charges | The Japan Times
A man who fanned a "lion scare" with false tweets following the deadly earthquakes that hit Kumamoto last April has managed to avoid indictment. The Kumamo

This is a Japanese news report (with video) of today's graduation ceremony at Kumamoto Gakuen University. The parents of Hikaru Yamato, the student who died tragically when the Aso bridge collapsed, were presented with a special diploma for their son. I was not at the individual ceremony for the parents but I attended the main ceremony that preceded it. There I learned that the tragedy occurred as Hikaru was returning from a trip to deliver water to a friend in Kumamoto City after the first quake.
For some background see
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1086747584732006
and
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1087632817976816
-- Kirk
http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye3012289.html
　熊本地震で亡くなった大学生、大和晃さんが通っていた熊本学園大学で卒業式が行われました。　「黙とう」　卒業式は去年、熊本地震で亡くなった経済学部の大和晃さんたちへ捧げる黙祷で始まりました。式では幸田亮一学長が「地震で被災した中、ボランティアに頑張った学生もいた。これからも、それぞれの地域で活躍してほしい」と卒業生たちを激励しました。式のあと、大学の学長室で大和晃さんの特別学位記が大和さんの両親に手渡されました。　「おめでとう。やっと卒業できたねと、（晃さんに）言ってやりたい」（晃さんの父大和卓也さん）（24日13:46）

A reader noted that last year the Honmyoji Hanatourou festival was held on 3/26. Unfortunately, according to the following web page (and to a comment below from Jan) no similar event is being held this year due to damage from the earthquake:
http://hanatourou.otemo-yan.net
The official site (which, unfortunately, seems not have been updated since the earthquake) is http://hanatourou.com/
Corrective edits added by Kirk
top of 本妙寺桜灯籠 Official Website
毎年3月末の土曜日、年にたった5時間だけ開催される住民手づくりのお祭り『本妙寺桜灯籠～はなとうろう～』の公式サイトです。

Where's my tram? Thanks to the magic of GPS technology, it's now possible to see in real time exactly where the tram you are waiting for is:
https://www.kumamoto-city-tram.jp/Sys/web01
-- Kirk

I'm not sure if this is still available but this printer, which was offered for free, is an example of the kind of information that you can find on the Kumamoto-i mailing list that may not show up here. -- Kirk
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/13493
Yahoo! Groups

This job announcement came to me via a mailing list called PMJS (for specialists in pre-modern Japanese studies). I'm not sure if anyone who reads this page would be interested in actually applying for these positions but I found it interesting to learn that there is a strong Japanese studies department in Kyushu University that offers advanced degree programs taught in English. -- KIrk
http://www2.lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/impjh/

For a long time, I've been wondering why we couldn't use Google maps to figure out what bus to take to get where we need to go in Kumamoto City. I even wrote a letter to the editor in the Kumanichi and prepared a video letter for the mayor. Here's the address of the video letter:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/152794928181679
Well, either someone was listening or it was simply an idea whose time had come -- we can now use Google maps to choose the best bus to reach the local destination of our choice.
-- Kirk

Bonfire glows on mountainside as Kumamoto’s Aso strives to rebuild：The Asahi Shimbun
ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--A massive bonfire lit up a mountain here on March 18 in a show of gratitud