Kumamoto International Archive

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

Bird flu (H5) has been discovered in Nankan, northern Kumamoto. About 50 chickens have died. According, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, the prefecture has decided to cull about 107,000 chickens within a 10 kilometer radius of the farm where the disease was discovered. The article doesn't say anything about the possibility of spread to humans but I assume that this aggressive response will significantly reduce that danger.
-- Kirk

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20161227/k10010821041000.html
熊本・南関町でも鳥インフルでニワトリ処分始まる | NHKニュース
熊本県南関町の養鶏場で２６日、ニワトリが相次いで死んでいるのが見つかり、県が行った詳しい検査で「Ｈ５型」の鳥インフルエンザウイルスが検出され…

Good news from Franck of Michi No Eki Aso:
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/denku_franck2711/56286192.html
Two roads are finally reopening in the area! - Michi No Eki Aso
Hello everyone ! Bonjour ! There is a lot of changes concerning the road situation in Aso area. As I told you in this bl...

I just learned about a deal on Amakusa Airlines that has just ended. Even though the promotion is over, I think I'll go ahead an post about it. Maybe something similar will be done next year.
The following Facebook post from Amakusa Airlines features a YouTube video report about the promotion:
https://www.facebook.com/mizoka.atr42/posts/1364809326876304
The deal was that, during the month before Christmas, anyone in a Santa suit could fly from Fukuoka to Amakusa for just 3,000 yen. The "3" in 3,000 was decided upon because "Santa" starts with "san."
Here's the official announcement in Japanese:
https://www.amx.co.jp/news/n_20161101_362.html
Though I'm sure that there was no intent to exclude foreigners, this deal seems to have been announced in Japanese but not on the English side of the site.
-- Kirk

I've written several times about how to avoid getting gouged for cell phone service by major providers such as AU, Docomo, and SoftBank:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1131066736966757
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1157172877689476
The issue is not unique to Kumamoto but I think it should be of particular interest to foreign residents, especially people who will not be here for the full two-year contract period that the major companies insist upon and/or people who have an unlocked ("sim free") phone and only need a provider.
I'm writing again today because I've had some experience with UQ, which the "SIM-Only Mobile Providers in Japan" page describes as follows:
"Not to be confused with U-Mobile, UQ Mobile resells Au's service, which makes sense since KDDI is a key shareholder."
http://www.mondaiji.com/blog/japan/general/10240-sim-only-mobile-providers-in-japan
Here's a UQ page in English:
http://www.uqwimax.jp/english/customers/
At any rate, we chose UQ because we had been using AU and had the impression (perhaps mistaken impression) that things would go more smoothly if we used an AU-related company. What I would like to report is that I found the support staff to be polite and helpful, but also poorly trained and not-well versed in how to make different phones work with their system. I'll avoid going into detail but it took over a week, with many hours on the phone and lots of going back and forth between the local shop to figure out what SIM card would work on our phone. Perhaps some of the confusion stemmed from our not buying the phone directly through UQ. Nonetheless, we bought a phone (an AU iPhone 6s) that the company had authorized on their web page. After going back and forth with support staff about problems related to the SIM card, I went back and read some fine print on the companies web site. There I found the answer to the issue and wound up having to teach the answer to the support staff.
I wanted to share this experience because, though I still believe that more people would benefit from avoiding the big three providers (AU, Docomo, and SoftBank), I've learned that it can be hard for consumers who buy a phone separately and then try to get it to work with a cheap provider like UQ. If you are going to do something like this you will first need to research your phone purchase and what services you can and cannot expect (is tethering possible, does the phone need to be unlocked, etc) very carefully.
I'd also like to make a comment about Japan's vaunted service culture. In general, I would agree that people in stores and in call centers who respond to inquiries and requests for help are very polite and that they try to be helpful. Still, truly good service in a technical field requires knowledge and expertise. In this area, I found UQ to be sorely lacking -- and this problem seems to be systemic because I spoke with many different representatives who could not provide the correct answer regarding the SIM card required in our case, even after checking with superiors. It reminded my of a very computer-savy student who came to Kumamoto several years ago. In a class discussion about Japan's service culture, he was very critical because of his experience at electronics stores. Perhaps a language barrier was part of the problem but his main complaint was that the staff didn't seem to know much about what they were selling. He would have preferred a surly nerd with bad hygiene, but who really knew his stuff to a polite but clueless part-time worker. During my experience with UQ, I too would have preferred a gruff geek with the right answers. ;)
http://www.uqwimax.jp/lp/uqm/01/
UQコミュニケーションズ｜UQ WiMAX,UQ mobile｜超高速モバイルインターネットのWiMAX2+,格安スマホ,格安SIM
UQコミュニケーションズの公式ホームページ。超高速モバイルネットのWiMAX2+、格安スマホ・格安SIMのUQmobileを提供

Kyushu Gakuin took the bronze medal in the national ekiden (relay) event held this year in Kyoto. Kyugaku is known as a running powerhouse; my son ran with the team for a few years. Look for the crimson and gold among the leaders! (Incidentally, if you are non-Japanese and are looking for a junior or high school suitable for your offspring, you couldn't do better than Kyugaku - as a Lutheran school, it emphasizes English and is as close to an international school as Kumamoto offers.) -- William

Our friend and favorite jazz fabulist Yuji Hashimoto has mentioned a possible New Years gig other than roasting surume - The Heat, a Rolling Stones cover band so true that the lead singer just had his eighth child at the age of 70. They will perform at a venue in Hanabata-cho on 12/31. Info can be found at the link. - William
I made that up.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1247190822018212&set=pcb.1247200922017202&type=3&theater

William posted about Martin Scorsese's new film, Silence. I think the setting is Nagasaki but there were many hidden Christians in Amakusa as well, so the story is not unrelated to Kumamoto. Sakitsu Church in Amakusa was built on a site were Christians were forced to step on an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary in order to signify their renunciation of the faith (the practice is called fumie). According to the following Japan Times article, Sakitsu, where "Christians practice their faith despite a ban, . . . is one of several Christian sites the government will put forward . . . as candidates for a . . . UNESCO world heritage listing." The proposal discussed in the article was postponed but is being pursued again now.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/09/17/national/japan-moves-recommend-christian-sites-world-heritage-listing/
If you enjoy listing to audio, you can download an mp3 of an interview with Martin Scorsese about the movie or stream it directly.
-- Kirk
http://www.npr.org/2016/12/20/506155008/the-modern-lessons-of-martin-scorseses-17th-century-epic-silence
The Modern Lessons Of Martin Scorsese's 17th-Century Epic, 'Silence'
The director's new film follows a pair of Portuguese Jesuit priests in Japan. He says he's been trying to make it since the late 1980s.

The Tokugawa Shogunate was not fond of the religion Europeans introduced along with their technology and learning, so various shoguns tried to stamp it out - literally, by a practice known as "fumie" (踏み絵), in which a suspected believer was required to absolve himself by trampling on a religious article such as a cross or statue. As a result, many Christians went underground, blending their beliefs with the traipse of indigenous religions - these were known as "hidden Christians" (kakure Christian - 隠れキリシタン).
But what of those early missionaries who somehow ended up on these shores? Shūsaku Endō’s novel 沈黙 (Chinmoku - English title "Silence"), published in 1966, addresses this issue in a very unique way. The novel has recently been adapted to film by director Martin Scorsese. An eye-opening review can be read at the link.
Of course, the connection with Kumamoto is the large number of 隠れキリシタン who lived in Amakusa and were instrumental in the Shimabara Rebellion (though the movie is set in Nagasaki). - William
http://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12/21/14005760/silence-review-spoilers-martin-scorsese-andrew-garfield-adam-driver
Silence is beautiful, unsettling, and one of the finest religious movies ever made
Martin Scorsese’s film keenly understands Shūsaku Endō’s novel and challenges believer and nonbeliever alike.

Today is Emperor Akihito's 83rd birthday. In remarks, he mentioned the visit he and the Empress, Michiko-sama, paid to Kumamoto following the quakes: "While it broke my heart to see the extent of the damage, I was also touched to see how the people were helping one another as they strove to overcome adversity together.” Below is a photograph of the two back in their younger days. - William

Japan-based American diplomatic staff got into the holiday spirit doing the 恋ダンス (koi dance, or dance of love - gotta watch TV to understand it, but my wife only lets me watch 今日の料理, so I had no idea). The woman in the Santa suit is Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, and Kumamon has a cameo . お疲れ様, guys, and thanks for all of your hard work! - William
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuXlpvWw1I
日本で大人気の「恋ダンス」をケネディ大使と一緒に米国大使館、在札幌米国総領事館、在名古屋米国領事館、駐大阪・神戸総領事館、在福岡領事館、在沖総領事館のアメリカ人外交官と職員みんなで踊りました！是非ご覧ください♪

I rode my bike to work today and will use the following radar site to try to time my return trip so that I don't get too wet. There are a number of similar services but I like this one in particular. You can see where the rain clouds are at the moment and how they are expected to move over the next hour. Very useful!!
-- Kirk
P.S. It's a Japanese-language site but you don't need any language skills to make sense of the images.
http://weather.yahoo.co.jp/weather/zoomradar/
雨雲ズームレーダー - Yahoo!天気・災害
全国各地の実況雨雲の動きをリアルタイムでチェックできます。地図上で目的エリアまで簡単ズーム！

Apparently there is a band called Yuzu (ゆず) which had hinted at a free concert somewhere in Kumamoto on 12/22. Our friend Junichiro Mishima has discovered that it will be held at 14:00 in Ninomaru Park. Umbrellas are verbotten, so wear a raincoat. - William
ゆずが12月22日熊本で路上フリーライブを開催！！！ゆず冬至の日ライブ 2016 in 熊本2016年12月22日(木) 午後2時熊本県内某所8年ぶり野外フリーライブ開催。 pic.twitter.com/bwZdLKFlXb— ゆず公式ツイッター (@yuzu_official) 2016年12月21日って・・・

If you're like me, you're not worried about gifts for your loved ones during the holiday season as you've already given them all of your money during the year and are now penniless. If you're not and are scrambling for last-minute gift ideas, you're in luck!
Turns out a boulder which, in scientific terms, is classified as "friggin' big" was loosened during the quakes, slid down a hill, and ended up smack in the middle of a small lane connecting to a chestnut orchard in Mifune, rendering the lane impassable. At a loss, the village finally decided to auction it off. Bids started today at Yahoo Action 「ヤフオク！」. So, if there is someone on your shopping list who already has everything - well, they likely do not have a friggin' big boulder. Better act fast! (Delivery costs are, apparently, extra.)
(A village resident said, "We don't expect it to sell, but we hope the publicity draws attention to our plight.") - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161220002.xhtml

This post is from a while back. Sorry for not noticing it sooner. If you love to read and discuss books, take a look!
-- Kirk

This article reports on an event held in Amakusa on November 27th.
-- Kirk
Kumamoto residents welcome visitors with open arms
After a magnitude 7 earthquake struck the southern Kyushu area in April 2016, it was clear that once initial recovery…

Sorry to rain on the parade of good feeling after Saturday's event but today there was a fire on the 10th floor of the Shiyakusho (Kumamoto City Hall). I couldn't find a report in English (probably too early) but here's a report in Japanese (including video) from NHK.
-- Kirk
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20161218/k10010811121000.html
震災復興に当たる熊本市役所で火事書類やパソコン焼ける | NHKニュース
１８日未明、熊本市役所で火事があり、１０階の一部が焼けました。けが人はいませんでしたがパソコンや書類が焼けるなどし、熊本市の大西市長は「地震…

Back in high school (and, briefly, in college), I worked at Disneyland and became well-acquainted with the habits of the characters "backstage." Let's just say that this has left my image of Disney more akin to that of my wife now rather than the girl I used to date - more impressed by many facets but no longer in any way starry-eyed. As such, I gave the parade a pass, but was pleased to watch the video. According to Kumanichi, 110,000 people attended (which is about 109,900 more people than I would like to see on any given day), and all had a grand time. Still, Mickey in the employee canteen eating french fries in his underwear remains for me an indelible image. Video at the link. - William http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161217005.xhtml
被災地に笑顔を　熊本市でディズニーパレード－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

Parade time approaches . . . and the weather is great! I won't be there but I hope those of you who will have a great time!
-- Kirk
熊本市内でディズニーのパレードが行われます！！！銀座通り角の電車通りを出発し電車通りを通行止めにし市役所前、鶴屋前、水道町交差点まで30分かけてパレードをするそうです。ということは・・・熊本にミッキーが来るの？？？車にはミッキーマウス,ミニーマウスドナルドダック、ミーフィー,プルートなど人気のキャラクターが多数乗る予定

Normally, I would be happy to hear that Kumamoto is No. 1 in the world, but not in this case. :(
"The Kumamoto earthquake was the most expensive catastrophe loss for insurers in 2016, just surpassing claims from Hurricane Matthew, according to Swiss Re Sigma estimates."
-- Kirk
Kumamoto quake leads 2016 catastrophe losses | The Insurance Insider
:- Kumamoto quake leads 2016 catastrophe losses

" . . . six deaths between April and September have been confirmed as being related to the Kumamoto Earthquake, bringing the related death total -- separate from direct deaths -- to 102."
-- Kirk
Kumamoto Quake-related deaths top 100 - The Mainichi
ASO, Kumamoto -- Municipal authorities here announced on Dec. 14 that six deaths between April and September have been confirmed as being related to the Kumamoto Earthquake, bringing the related death total -- separate from direct deaths -- to 102.