Kumamoto International Archive

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

TropicalStormRisk.com updated its predictions since my last post. Unfortunately, the needle is moving in the wrong direction. Now the prediction is for a Category 4 storm! A storm that lands as a Category 4 would be a more powerful storm than Katrina when it hit New Orleans in 2005; Katrina was a Category 3 when it landed. Category 4 cyclones have wind speeds of 209-251 kph or 130-156 mph. Moreover, the prediction now shows the storm landing just north of Kumamoto City. To use a bowling analogy, this is Kumamoto's "strike zone." As I have written before, typhoons and hurricanes in the northern hemisphere spin counter clockwise. For this reason, winds coming from a cyclone slightly to our north come from the ocean to strike with full force. When a typhoon passes slightly to our south the winds to have to travel over the Aso mountains before the hit people in Kumamoto City.
So, let's all hope for the best but those of you in vulnerable areas or those of you who are planning to travel at that time should be aware that you might need to change your plans in order to insure your safety.
-- Kirk
http://tropicalstormrisk.com

If current predictions are correct, it looks like Kumamoto will be hit by a strong typhoon early in the morning on Wednesday. I checked the Japanese JMA site and it also indicates that the storm system should pass over Kumamoto before daybreak on Wednesday morning. Currently, TropicalStormRisk.com (see attached image) says that the storm is predicted to be transitioning from a Category 3 (winds of 178-208 kilometers per hour) to a Category 2 (154-177 kph) as it moves over Kumamoto. Of course, these are just predictions; no one knows for sure exactly what will happen. I'm hoping for the best but it's probably a good idea to err on the side of caution and assume that we will be hit by a very significant typhoon.
-- Kirk
http://tropicalstormrisk.com

Last night I recorded a documentary about Masahiko Nakashima, the person who is producing these high-quality videos in an effort to help raise money to rebuild Aso Shrine. In the documentary, it said that the goal is to get the word about the need to rebuild the the shrine to people throughout the world. That reminded me to check to see if the YouTube videos have English subtitles and, indeed, they do. If you cannot see the English subtitles here on Facebook, please view the video on YouTube and use the "CC" (closed caption) function to select the English subtitles, which are very well done. You may need to use the gear-shaped "settings" button to choose the English subtitles.
If you are interested in donating, please got to
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/charmaine-minami-1
This page has been set up by Charmaine Minami, one of the editors of this page.
-- Kirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpDr8czgR7c
#3【料理旅館つるや若女将工藤亜貴子さん】 Akiko Kudo - Cuisine Ryokan Tsuruya Proprietress-
阿蘇神社の側で１００年以上を続ける老舗旅館の若女将、工藤亜貴子さん。阿蘇神社が壊れていても、周りからでも前に向かって歩いていかなくてはいけないと強く語っていただきました。 Akiko Kudo the owner of the Ryori Tsuruya Ryokan tells us how the local...

Sorry to hear that your English school couldn't recover from the quake, Jerry.
I'm sharing this on the page in the hope that doing so will allow more people to see your post.
-- Kirk

Kumanichi reports that the two-car diesel train which had been stranded at Aso's Akamizu Station on JR's Hohi Line since the main quake of 4/16 has been loaded onto trucks and sent to Kitakyushu for refurbishment. The train had been running passengerless to Miyachi Station when the quake struck and was derailed; after being rerailed, it was able neither to return to Kumamoto nor continue to Oita due to landslides and bridge outings, so it was parked in Akamizu.
The article notes that train service was restored between Oita and Kumamoto's Kurokawa in July, but restoration of the remaining portion remains undecided. This has placed a burden on local residents, who must now use buses to access Kumamoto City, greatly increasing travel time.
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160929013.xhtml
震災で脱線したＪＲ車両撤去　阿蘇市の赤水駅－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。

Today is Kirk Masden's birthday. I do not know how old he turns, just that it is far older than I. Kirk has been and remains a pillar of generous support for so many, and his self-effacing calmness pays tribute to his intellect, his Midwestern upbringing, and his decency.
I invite all Kumamoto International members to wish Kirk a very happy birthday here, below. - William

To American expats reading this page,
Regardless of who you favor in the upcoming election, expats like us should vote. This service makes it easy to prepare the document that you need to mail in to register to vote from Japan. I just filled it out myself. It was painless and easy. Now all I need to do is sign it, mail it in and wait for my ballot to come in the mail.
-- Kirk
P.S. Believe me, if we all vote, this is going to be HUGE, I promise you. ;)
The October surprise that will end Trump
The 8 million Americans abroad almost never vote, but now they can decide the election with a new dead-easy voter registration tool. Help make this page famous by sharing and make sure the most global Americans decide this election.

William has already posted about the typhoon that is approaching but I'd like to chime in too. The image you see is the prediction for 96 hours (4 days) from today. That would be Tuesday night. The good news is that the predicted route seems to be far enough south that Kumamoto would not get the worst of if (though that is bad news for Kagoshima). On the other hand, the bad news is that the prediction is for a VERY significant storm -- a category 3 -- when it is closest to us. Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, was a category 3 storm when it made landfall. (It had been a category 5 but, at the time of landfall, it had weakened to a 3.) So, a category 3 storm would be significant. I'm hoping that it turns out to be milder than expected and that it misses Kyushu entirely but I think it's wise to be aware that this storm system may turn out to be very dangerous. More to come . . .
-- Kirk
http://tropicalstormrisk.com

We received an inquiry about how to meet people in Kumamoto:
"I would like to meet more foreign friends living in Kumamoto or Japanese who can speak English.
Do you have any suggestions about what I should do? Should I join the Yahoo! group that you made?
Do you hold gatherings for foreigners?"
I have never tried to organize a get-together for reads of this Facebook page and it's been a long time since I did something like that for the mailing list. If some of you who are reading this post would be so kind as to offer a suggestion or two I would really appreciate it.
-- Kirk
P.S. Joining the Yahoo group (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages) might be a good idea. I think that if you post an inquiry to the group, you will probably get quite a few responses. In that group there are quite a few people who don't like to post publicly but who are happy to respond in a private e-mail.

Typhoon 18 expected track. Another thing to keep an eye on.

A note from the Kumamoto International botany desk:
It is that season again when the whole neighborhood smells like bubblegum! What could it be? Look around a bit and you'll find an unassuming evergreen festooned with thousands of tiny orange blossoms. This is the fragrant olive (kinmokusei, 金木犀 - or, if white, the ginmokusei 銀木犀 - not actually related to the olive). Japanese gardeners are careful to cultivate plants which invite enjoyment in every season, and the pervasive, delightful fragrance of the fragrant olive stretches from late September through October.
Kanji fans might have noticed that 犀 is normally pronounced "sai" in Japanese and means rhinoceros. The name derives from China, where apparently the bark of the plant was considered to resemble the skin of the rhino (the Javan rhinoceros used to range through southern China but is now on the verge of extinction with only some 60 animals left).
The tree is relatively unattractive, but the fragrance is heavenly and a harbinger of autumn. Enjoy it while it lasts! - William https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmanthus_fragrans
Osmanthus fragrans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osmanthus fragrans (lit. "fragrant osmanthus"; Chinese: 桂花, guìhuā, and 木樨, mùxī; Cantonese Yale: gwai3 fa1; Japanese: 木犀, mokusei; Hindi: सिलंग, silang), variously known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, and fragrant olive, is a species native to Asia from the Himalayas through southern C...

When I first wrote about this "pinky promise" or "pinky swear" project I also wrote about the origins of these phrases. Personally, I thought what I wrote was fascinating ;) but it didn't get a single comment. :( I'm giving it one more try. Once again, here's my take on the Japanese origins of these English expressions. There's no need to massage my ego with comments but I hope those of you who are interested the influence of Japanese language and culture on English will take the time to read it. :)
"I hate to admit my own ignorance, but when I first saw the words "pinky swear chain" I thought it was an example of a translation of Japanese ("yubi kiri genman") that didn't really make sense in English. In fact, however, it seems that "pinky swear" has been used in English since at least 1860:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_swear
What I think is even more interesting, is that "pinky swear" (along with a song much like the Japanese "yubi kiri genman" song) came into English at a point in history when only a handful of English speakers would have had direct contact with Japanese people. I imagine Commodore Perry, or a member of his crew, performing a little "yubi kiri genman" ceremony with a Japanese samurai and then introducing this exotic ritual to his compatriots upon return to the U.S. :) "
Redundantly yours,
Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1094213633985401
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201609260053.html
‘Pinky promise’ for quake-hit Kumamoto sets world record：The Asahi Shimbun
KAMIAMAKUSA, Kumamoto Prefecture--It suffered a series of devastating earthquakes, but Kumamoto Pref

A while back I wrote about plans to break a Guiness World record by making a human chain that extended over all of the five Amakusa bridges:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1094213633985401
Well, they did it! Click on the image to see the Japanese video.
http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2876990.html
-- Kirk
　「指きりげんまん」をした人の数でギネス世界記録に挑戦するイベントが、熊本県上天草市の天草五橋の上で行われました。　これは、天草五橋の開通５０周年を記念して地元の観光業界などが呼びかけたもので、これまでの記録１３４３人を３１５人を上回る１６５８人を達成。見事、ギネス世界記録に認定されました。（25日16:23）

I learned recently that there is a non-profit organization in Kumamoto that was established to help children and young people of mixed roots study Japanese, finish their homework, and perhaps even more importantly interact with teachers and other young people that understand the challenges, both academic and interpersonal, that children of mixed roots often face in Japan. My daughter has been helping out there recently and saying "if only I had known about them when I was in school!" If you are the parent of a child whom you think might benefit or would be willing to help as a teacher or supporter, please contact the groups founder and representative, Tomoko Takemura, at the e-mail address you see in the 4th image.
-- KIrk
P.S. I'm concerned that the people who might be most interested in this information may not see it. If you know someone who you think might be interested, please share this with them.

I'm searching for someone in Kumamoto called 'Ide Rie'.
A letter turned up at my house during the summer with a jumbled address - I think the postman delivered it to my house because it is written in romaji and I am the only foreigner in the area. I found someone on Facebook in Kumamoto by the name Ide Rie but have received no response.
The letter is marked 'priority' so perhaps the content is important. As the return address features some katakana, it is possible that the senders (Volker and Gerda Esslinger) used to live in Kumamoto.
If you know either Ide Rie or perhaps the Esslinger's, please leave me a message so I can find out how to pass on this piece of mail.
Thanks,
Celia

Whether you are an American citizen or not, you may be interested in watching the up-coming presidential debate. It will be aired live on NHK's BS1 channel beginning at 10 AM on Tuesday morning. BS1 is a satellite channel so if you don't have access to satellite or cable TV (CNNj will also air it live), you will probably need to watch it streamed on the web. One problem, however, is that those of us in Japan are not always able to watch programs that are streamed in the U.S. because of geo restrictions. You can get around them using proxy servers
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/access-blocked-websites-using-proxy-servers/
but that's a hassle if you only want to watch one debate. I spent a lot of time searching for information about streaming options for people who are not in the U.S. but, no matter what keywords I typed in, Google did not seem to understand what I was looking for. I finally figured out how to use the "verbatim" option to force Google to give me only pages with the keywords I chose but even that didn't yield the information I was looking for. :(
If any of you happen to have information about whether or not there will be geo restrictions or how people in Japan can watch the debate on the web, please share it here.
-- Kirk
http://qz.com/790110/how-to-watch-the-first-us-presidential-debate/
How to watch the first US presidential debate on TV and online
Whether you're a cord-cutter, a cord-never, or a cable loyalist, you'll have several options.

Eugene Smith is famous for the iconic photos he took of Minamata disease victims and their struggle to make the Chisso Corporation respond to their demands. See, for example,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoko_Uemura_in_Her_Bath
He was also a jazz fan and jazz photographer. If you are interested in either jazz, photography, or Minamata disease (or, like me, all three), have a listen to this radio segment. You can download the mp3 file to enjoy at your leisure.
-- Kirk
http://www.wnyc.org/story/sara-fishko-jazz-loft/
The Jazz Legends Next Door
Between 1957 and 1965 in New York, dozens of jazz musicians jammed night after night in a dilapidated Sixth Avenue loft. Sara Fishko's new documentary chronicles those years.

If you click on the link, you'll find a video of the work on the Asahi site.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201609220059.html
Stones moved from Kumamoto Castle with view to major surgery：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--The media were invited in to this beloved castle to witness repair work being carried out,

A note from the Kumamoto International botany desk,
Kirk had posted a few days ago some beautiful photos of spider lilies ("higanbana" 彼岸花); these flowers deserve a bit more attention. They are often found planted both on aze dikes (those separating paddy fields, also called "keihan" 畦畔) and around tombs for reasons we'll discuss below.
First, the plant has evolved an unusual strategy to compete with faster growing plants: It is dormant all summer, allowing farmers to mow down their dikes without harming the plant. It then blooms suddenly in autumn before its leaves sprout; the leaves remain until the following spring. This, combined with its large bulb and extensive root system (the plant is a perennial) make it perfect for stabilizing dikes. Also, the bulb is quite poisonous so is effective at deterring burrowing animals; even grubs and worms avoid it, and their absence deters moles.
Second, the flower has multiple connections with Buddhism. Higan (彼岸), or autumn equinox, also refers to (and literally means) "the far bank," or the other shore of Sanzu River ("sanzunokawa" 三途の川) - akin to the River Styx. As such, it has many other names related to Buddhism, in particular "manjyushage" (曼珠沙華) as it's described in the Lotus Sutra, "shibitobana" (死人花, dead man's flower), "jigokubana" (地獄花, hell flower), and "yuureibana" (幽霊花, spirit flower) - in other words, not the kind of flowers you want to give to a loved one, unless they're dead (or you never want to see them again). The fact that the flower and leaves never meet has led to many legends regarding separation in both China and Japan. This, in addition to the bulb's efficacy at deterring pests, lead it to be planted around tombs and graves.
Our friend Liz Suenaga posted some photos of spider lilies the other day which I am reposting below totally without her permission. (Thanks, Liz! - okay, right?) Here is the link to the Wikipedia page on spider lilies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycoris_(plant)
- William

Coming up to the best season for visiting Kurokawa Onsen,can be enjoyed on a day trip with plenty of onsen-hopping!
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-22-yumerindo/
-- Charmaine
Onsen-hop #22 Yumerindo
One of the great things about Kurokawa Onsen is that even on a rainy day you can go ahead and enjoy a spot of onsen-hopping in the outdoor baths,as most of them