Kumamoto International Archive

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

Kumamoto's Kikuchi Gorge shines like an emerald on Greenery Day - The Mainichi
KIKUCHI, Kumamoto -- With the national holiday Greenery Day falling on May 4, it is worth noting the stunning verdant beauty of Kikuchi Gorge, located here.

The article says that a "total of 2,282 people in Kumamoto and the neighboring prefecture of Kagoshima have been officially recognized as sufferers of the disease." The number of certified patients, however, is far lower than the number of people affected. That number is more difficult to calculate (the definition of "affected" can be debated) but one interesting indication of the scale of the disaster is that, between May of 2010 and July 31 of 2012 over 45,000 people (45,933 to be exact) applied for compensation for health effects they had suffered:
http://www.minamata195651.jp/pdf/kyoukun_2015/kyoukun2015_07.pdf
The huge discrepancy between the official certification numbers and the numbers of people who have applied for some kind of compensation is indicative of governmental and corporate collusion in the artificially suppression of the numbers of people who could become certified. (There is ample historical documentation of this collusion, by the way.) Given this history, I think it is irresponsible of journalists to merely report the number of officially certified patients without reminding readers that those people are arguably less than 10% of the actual total number of people who have been adversely affected.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/05/02/national/social-issues/kumamoto-marks-61st-anniversary-since-minamata-disease-recognized/
Kumamoto marks 61st anniversary since Minamata disease was recognized | The Japan Times
A ceremony was held on Monday in the city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, to mark the 61st anniversary of the official recognition of Minamata disease, o

Kumamoto is a major producer of igusa, the material used in the production of tatami. It's not normally considered to be a food. The idea of making edible, tatami-flavored chopsticks seems wacky enough to be an April fools joke, but this seems to be legit, at least as far as I can see. The YouTube video in the announcement even has English subtitles.
-- Kirk
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kumamoto-japan-develops-worlds-first-tatami-flavored-edible-chopstick-made-out-of-igsa-rush-grass-300449209.html
Kumamoto, Japan, Develops World's First "Tatami-flavored" Edible Chopstick Made out of "IGSA" Rush Grass
KUMAMOTO, Japan, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --- Pair of Tatami-flavored Chopsticks Contains Equal Amount of Dietary...

I think it's great that this little art museum in southern Kumamoto has been featured in a national publication. If you have a chance, stop by!
Here's an English page that includes a Google map:
http://japanese-museum.com/tsunagi-art-museum-kumamoto/
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2017/05/02/arts/openings-outside-tokyo/amigo-koike-exhibition-higashi-nihon-kumamoto-still-3-11-2011/
'Amigo Koike Exhibition: From Higashi-Nihon to Kumamoto — Still 3.11 2011' | The Japan Times
April 29-July 17 Born and raised in Gunma Prefecture, Amigo Koike worked as an illustrator after he quit college in the 1980s, and was a musician and DJ du

"There was an earthquake in Kumamoto in 744, according to 'Shoku Nihongi' [an official chronicle mainly of the Nara period (710-784)]. The chronicle says, 'In Yatsushiro and Amakusa, more than 470 houses and more than 1,520 people were swept into the water and sank. Landslides could be seen at over 280 locations, which crushed to death more than 40 people.' It seems the Yatsushiro coastal area was damaged by tsunami and cracks in the ground."
This lengthy article includes extended comments by Earthquake archaeologist Akira Sangawa, haiku poet Yuko Masaki, and Kazufumi Onishi, Kumamoto City Mayor. -- Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003652981
Thoughts 1 year after Kumamoto Earthquake
One year has passed since the Kumamoto Earthquake. After two temblors struck the region, each hitting the maximum of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, what challenges and lessons were left behind? What should be done in the future? We asked three people: a municipality leader working on reh...

The earthquake we had in the afternoon was a Level 4 in Misato. The magnitude was 4.1. See
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/6/740/20170504142600495-041422.html
for details. -- Kirk

Kumamoto touts its own timber for quake reconstruction | The Japan Times
Local companies and municipal governments in Kumamoto Prefecture are accelerating moves to use locally produced wood to rebuild the houses and other facili

The image you see is part of an English pamphlet prepared by the Kumamoto police to inform non-Japanese residents of Kumamoto about services available to crime victims, etc. I happened to find it while searching for other information. The same information is also available Japanese and Korea in similarly formatted pdf documents. To find those links go to
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp.e.qp.hp.transer.com/police/page63.html (English machine translation)
or
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/police/page63.html (original Japanese)
There is also an English pdf about how to handle traffic accidents.
I think's it's great that this information has been made available in other languages but I wonder how many people have actually been able to find it. The primary links are from a Japanese page and the only links in English are from the machine translated page. Sadly, the machine translation is the same as that used by Kumamoto City and Kumamoto Prefecture. I say "sadly" because the machine translation system provides no links to the original Japanese information. I had to analyze the URL and take an educated guess in order to find the original page. I'll share a more detailed explanation about why this is problematic later.
-- Kirk

Here's some information that may be of interest to visitors to the castle (or people taking visitors to the castle). I'm sharing it in that hope that doing so will allow more interested people to learn about this. -- Kirk
熊本城　城彩苑実証実験: 対象期間：5月2日から4日の3日間 - Tebura
この度、肥後ジャーナルを運営する河内研究所、株式会社セームページは、熊本城城彩苑にて、荷物預かり、観光問い合わ …

I'm posting this information about job opportunities that I received in a message sent to this page. -- Kirk
--------------------------------
Preschool Teacher/After school Teacher/ Principal Wanted
Our school provides an English immersion preschool program and after school program for students from 1 year olds to high school students. We are looking for an effective teacher who loves kids, is passionate about teaching, likes to grow with us together. If you have experience teaching at a preschool and like to work as a leader, please contact us.
[Location]
Kumamoto city
[Duties]
Lead the school (Principal candidate or head teacher)(Full time)
Help create the curriculum(Full time)
Work as a professional teacher
Provide fun, creative and effective lessons
Treat our students with good care, respect and love
Work as a team player
Learn how to improve your teaching skills
Be willing to listen to any advice
Have an understanding of Japanese culture
Be punctual
Be happy and energetic every day
[Requirements]
Must have a few years of teaching experience at preschools/day cares/International schools
Teaching degree/TESOL/Early Childhood Education Diploma is a plus
Valid VISA(VISA sponsorship is available)
[Descriptions]
Position: Full-time/ part time
Work days/hours:
1.(Preschool Part time)Mon.-Fri. 9:00-15:00
2.(Preschool & After school Full time)Mon.-Fri. 9:30-18:30
3.(After school Part time)Mon.-Fri. 15:00-20:00
4.(After school Part time)Mon.-Fri. 18:00-20:00
5.(Saturday Part time) 9:00-18:00
6. Head teacher position: Ask
Salary varies depending on the position. Contact us for more details
Social insurance: reimbursed
**Please note that the provided information above is tentative and may change depending on the new schedule/number of students.
Please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]
Also attach a recent photo of you.
Thank you.

Hi! Though I'm late (I've been in China, where Facebook is blocked) I'd like to share this so that people who might be interested in this employment opportunity will be more likely to see it. -- Kirk
株式会社マークス　｜　マーキング加工
株式会社マークスは様々なユニフォームのマーキングから帽子、カバン、靴、用具にいたるまで、幅広いマーキング加工をさせていただくプロの加工集団です。

Relatively good news for us but bad news for areas to our northeast. -- Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003665714
Risk of strong earthquake rises slightly on Pacific side
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The possibility of a powerful earthquake of lower 6 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 occurring in the next 30 years has slightly increased, mainly on the Pacific side of Japan, a government report showed Thursday.

Aging entails increased stubbornness; an interesting aspect of stubbornness is self-perpetuation: I refuse to relinquish my enjoyment of the condition.
For example, young people these days depend excessively on electronic devices, few of which I own because I am old and stubborn. Turns out that car navigators continue to point drivers headed towards Aso and beyond up Route 57 despite it being buried under tons of muck. Overhead road signs have been re-written and many roadside signs also indicate the detour, yet the area continues to be plagued by drivers oblivious to their surroundings who then have to U-turn. This annoys local residents, as this Kumanichi article points out, and worries about problems during the coming Golden Week abound.
Young people. Have a wonderful Golden Week - and pay attention to your surroundings! -
William
https://this.kiji.is/230522767142143476?c=92619697908483575
大型連休、カーナビ利用注意を　阿蘇地域不通区間“案内”も - 熊本日日新聞
国道５７号から阿蘇市方面に向かう分岐点の引水交差点。周辺に案内看板などが多数あるが、直進して通行止めのルートに向かう車両も多いという＝２５日、大津町　大型連休中に多くの観光客が見込まれる阿蘇地域で、熊本地震で寸断しているルートに向かう車両が...

Might be fun for kids. -- Kirk
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/04/21/help-rebuild-the-damaged-kumamoto-castle-by-buying-a-miniature-one-to-build-yourself/
Help rebuild the damaged Kumamoto Castle by buying a miniature one to build yourself
Build your own little castle, to help build something bigger.

This video (with English narration) won't last long so have a look while you can. -- Kirk
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170423_15/
Blue Impulse flies over quake-hit Kumamoto- News - NHK WORLD - English
Six aircraft from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's aerobatic flight team, Blue Impulse, flew over Kumamoto Castle on Sunday.

Here's a little video by F Rene Saint-Laurent that should give you an idea of what you may be able to see between 11:00 and 11:20 AM today in Kumamoto City, even if you are not in the immediate vicinity of the castle. -- Kirk

Hi! I try to share posts like this so that more people can find them, but sometimes I get busy and fail to do so for a while. Sorry 'bout that.
-- Kirk
Aso print sale for Aso Shrine
Aso Print sale - Limited edition photographic prints of Aso for sale, all proceeds to go to the Aso Shrine Restoration fund.

William posted about Blue Impulse a while back:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1409159995824095
The video is of today's rehearsal. The main event is scheduled for 11 AM (lasting about 20 minutes) tomorrow morning:
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp/hpkiji/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=5&id=15642
It should be visible from much of Kumamoto but you might want to look for an unobstructed view from a relatively high point.
-- Kirk
https://youtu.be/ONDBg3wjF7A?t=55s
ブルーインパルス熊本復興を願って (会場:熊本城二の丸広場)【熊本復興飛翔祭2017】
2017年4月22日(土) 熊本城二の丸広場にて熊本復興飛翔祭2017 ブルーインパルスが熊本の空に!

A while back I asked about whether, when addressing a foreigner in Japanese, one should add "-san" or not. しばらく前に、外国人と日本語で話す場合に呼び捨てにすべきかどうかについて聞きました。The results were clear. 明確な答えが出ました。90% of the foreigners who responded that they are "fairly or quite fluent" in Japanese think that the norms that Japanese people follow when speaking to other Japanese people should apply when they speak in Japanese with foreigners. 今回、「割と、あるいはかなり日本語ができる」と答えた外国人の9割は外国人であっても、日本語で話しているなら、日本人と話す場合と同じような基準で呼び方を決めるべきだと答えました。Simply put, the vast majority of foreigners who responded rejected the notion that it's OK to apply "yobisute" (address without a polite suffix like "-san") to foreigners merely because they are foreigners. 簡単に言えば、「外国人だから呼び捨てでいい」という発想は、アンケートに答えた圧倒的多数の外国人によって否定されました。
Here are the results. 結果は次の通りです。
Primary question / 中心的な質問
When conversing in Japanese with a foreigner (particularly, a Westerner), some Japanese people address the person as they would another Japanese person (that is, adding honorific suffixes such as -san) while others leave such suffixes off. 日本語で外国人（特に西洋人）と会話する際、日本人と会話している時と同じく「さん」などの敬称を使う日本人もいれば、使わない日本人もいます。In situations where you don't know the person's preference, which approach do you think is better as a general rule of thumb? 相手の希望がわからない場合には、一般論として、どちらのやり方が望ましいでしょうか。
Answer choices / 選択肢
1. When speaking Japanese, follow the norms of Japanese (use suffixes like -san) when addressing foreigners / 日本語で話している場合には、日本語の慣例に従って「さん」などの敬称を名前につける
2. Even if you are speaking Japanese, if you are speaking with a foreigner, follow the norms of English by not using honorific suffixes such as -san / 日本語で話していても、相手が外国人であれば英語の習慣に従って呼び捨てにする
3. Other / その他
Results / 結果
All 80 respondents /　すべての回答者（80人）
1. 67 (84%)
2. 7 (9%)
3. 6 (8%)
Foreigners [lower-level Japanese / high-level Japanese] / 外国人 [低日本語能力 / 高日本語能力]
1. 58 (89%) [11　(85%) / 47 (90%)]
2. 4 (6%) [0　(0%) / 4 (6%)]
3. 3 (5%) [2　(15%) / 1 (2%)]
Here are the responses that were typed in the "Other" category / "その他"への書き込みは次のとおり
(a) Either way is fine. Dont make it too complicated.
(b) Ask the foreigner what they prefer.
(c) I don't speak Japanese enough to converse fluently, however, if people using the honorific "san" is an issue for them, why are they here. Go home. I mean really? It is a matter of respect. I don't understand why something so trivial would be an issue for anyone.
Foreigners [native English speakers / non-native English speakers] / 外国人 [英語母語 / 英語非母語]
1. 58 (89%) [55　(89%) / 8 (89%)]
2. 4 (6%) [4　(7%) / 0 (0%)]
3. 3 (5%) [2　(4%) / 1 (11%)]
Japanese / 日本人
1. 9 (60%)
2. 3 (20%)
3. 3 (20%)
Here are the responses that were typed in the "Other" category / "その他"への書き込みは次のとおり
(a) 初対面の方は敬称で、友達は呼び捨て又はちゃん付け
(b) 相手の年齢やキャラクターによる。
(c) 場所、状況、人間関係によりますが、例えば、友だちであっても仕事中にその友だちの事を話す場合は"さん"をつけます。初対面で初めて名前を呼ぶ時も付けるでしょう。友だちなったらcasualなsituationならつけないと思います。
At the end of there survey, respondents could type any comments they wished. Here are the comments organized by response to the main question. アンケートの最後に、自由記述の欄を入れました。中心的な問いへの答え別に整理した書き込みは次の通りです。
1. Treat foreigners like Japanese /　外国人であっても日本人と同じように
(a) Personally, I don't mind if people I'm fairly close with, like my friends and coworkers, leave off the -san. But if strangers do it, it feels really rude, because why are you treating me different from anyone else? Also, strangers don't know where I'm from and what my first language is - it's entirely possible that I could have grown up in Japan and have Japanese citizenship. Just because I look different isn't a reason to treat me different. If we're speaking Japanese, we should follow the rules of Japanese. If we're speaking English, we should follow the rules of English.
(b) Addressing foreigners without the san or Mr. /Ms. shows not only lack of respect, but also discrimination (referring to them as something lower than a pet animal that would get a - chan)
(c) You should follow the rules of the language you are speaking regardless of the nationality or race of the interlocutor. Would you refer to another human as an 'it', if they were different to you?
(d) If speaking Japanese, they should also follow the custom of [family name]san and not assume that because a stranger is a foreigner, they want to be called [given name]san. (Which would never be done with native speakers of Japanese)
(e) I think some people are operating under the assumption that the foreigner wants to be called by his/her first name. Of course, this is not always true. They need to be aware that even among native speakers, people say, "Oh, call me (first name or nickname)" which is granting permission as some people don't really like being called by their first names by strangers. It can be off-putting and too familiar-- and without the "-san" come off as rather rude.
(f) 私は日本語を習った時、授業で"さん"を使うのが普通でした。なので、相手が初対面に使わないとちょっと不思議に思います。別に怒るわけじゃありませんが、相手との距離とか、相手の希望とかは分からないこともあるから、使うと助かります。友達同士に呼び捨てしても構いませんが。
(g) It depends on the situation, relationship, or how the person call me. If the person call me with -san, I don't think it's good idea that I call them without -san. And if the relationship is not that close, we had better call them with suffix.
(h) I employ and expect people, when speaking Japanese, to employ the conventions of the language and culture when using it. I employ and expect people, when speaking English, to employ the conventions of the language and culture when using it.
I feel Japanese conventions should be followed, as it is the host nation, but I feel the speakers should address each other using the conventions associated with communicating with Japanese people. (ie. not treating non-Japanese as exceptional in the language used, I feel this is more likely to cause offence). The individuals can then agree amongst themselves as to how casual the conversation can become. (ie. Just "Tom" is ok from here in, rather than "Tom-san or Tom-sensei".)
(i) 私は日本人ですが、敬称をつけるかつけないかは、仮に日本人に対してであってもケースバイケースです。外国人に対しても、ケースバイケースだと思います
(j) Japanese cultural traditions instruct to present respect to others who are not exactly well known to the speaker, a stranger for example. Depends of the person, if they want to show tremendous respect.
(k) Go by the conventions of the language you are speaking regardless of your conversation partner. Your assumptions about who they are and how they prefer to communicate in their native language may not be correct. Why would you deviate from the convention of what is considered polite just because the person you are talking to is Japanese? Moderating language for understanding is fine but omitting a key way of being polite is not.
(l) May be just me but I also find it irritating when Japanese people are referred to by their surname (plus -san) which is polite, whereas they'll refer to the non-Japanese person by first name. Maybe they are using what they think is a western convention however I feel like I'm being treated like a child. It often happens at the doctors or eye clinic they'll call out my first name but everyone else is by surname. Makes me feel like it's just one more way to make me "different".
(m) 現在私は通訳の仕事をしています。相手のファーストネームに「さん」を付けるのは余り親しく無い相手或いは敬意を表すべき相手で親しくなったら年上でも「さん」を付けないで呼びます。日本では基本的に年上の人には「さん」を付けます。
今私が接するような外国の人達、日本在住かそうで無いに拘わらず、同じです。
(n) Exception to be added for fellow students at university. In Kumadai and Sojo, no foreigners I know used an honorific to talk to one another.
But it's not part of the survey, is it?
2. OK to omit "-san" if the person is a foreigner /　外国人なら呼び捨てはOK
(a) 外国人の方が呼び捨てで呼ばれる事に抵抗感を抱くほどに日本の生活に馴染み(生まれが日本、幼少期から日本で生活した、日本以外の学校を卒業後日本に関心を持ち日本へ来て生活している人)、日本語に長けている方を日本人は"みなし日本人"として接する必要がある。敬語の存在は知っているが使い分けがわからない外国人の方には敢えて使う必要はないと思う。
3. Other / その他
(a) (from person who wrote "Go home") Hope I didn't come across too harsh. I nod my head in disbelief at some of the pettiness that time is wasted on. :-)
Note about language skill / 日本語能力に関するメモ
In regard to the skill level of the non-native speakers of English all respondents fell into one of two categories: 1) little or no Japanese or 2) fairly or quite fluent. Two respondents said they were between these two categories. As I interpreted this to mean "not yet 'fairly fluent'", I put them in the "little or no Japanese" category. 外国人の日本語能力については「
割とできる」に達していない人と「割とできる」以上の二つに分類しました。アンケートの中にあった二つの選択肢の中間ぐらいのレベルであると書いた回答者は二人いましたが、まだ「割とできる」に達していないということで、低い方のカテゴリに入れました。
P.S. I'll add some comments in another post. This post contains the basic results. / 改めて他の投稿で結果についてコメントします。まず、ここで基本的なデータや結果を投稿したいと思い、以上のことを書きました。
Kirk

The article mentions the fine work done by Kumustaka here in Kumamoto last year. The topic of how to better provide information to the foreign community is one I prepared a video about and presented at the International Center last Sunday. After I tweak it a bit, I plan to share it here.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/20/national/efforts-underway-better-support-foreign-nationals-times-disaster/
Efforts underway to better support foreign nationals in times of disaster | The Japan Times
Efforts are underway by local governments across the nation to support non-Japanese in times of natural disaster as the number of foreign nationals living