Kumamoto International Archive

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

Kirk here. Kumamoto Castle has been (temporarily?) overtaken. But the numbers are still close. This shall not stand!! :)
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/travel-spots/20240529-188961/
Here's where you can follow Kumamoto Castle and help it fight back!
https://www.instagram.com/kumamoto_castle/
Matsumoto Castle Becomes Japan’s Most Followed Official Castle Account on Instagram; Overtakes Kumamoto Castle
MATSUMOTO, Nagano – Matsumoto Castle’s official Instagram account on Tuesday overtook Kumamoto Castle’s to become the most followed official account of any of Japan’s castles.

Kirk here. Michaela posted about this the other day. (Thanks Michaela!)
Kumamoto bus, train firms to drop national IC cards, embrace new cashless payment methods - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- On May 27, five bus and train operators in Kumamoto Prefecture announced that they would discontinue fare payments using 10 national trans

Kirk here. This came to me via a Google news feed for "Kumamoto" because of the following sentence:
"On May 24, the Kumamoto city government, in effect, threw its hands in the air and posted a notice on its website stating that people who need certificates quickly should contact the local government of their registered domicile."
The phrase "local government of their registered domicile" refers to the fact that the system is designed to help people who don't live in the community where their family register (koseki; 戸籍) is kept obtain the documents they need quickly and easily. If you should be in a position to use it, beware that it's been very buggy.
Justice Ministry data-sharing system proves to be a nightmare | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
A database introduced in March for the convenience of residents needing copies of official documents is so riddled with glitches that local government workers are often forced to spend hours attending to a request rather than simply hitting a button for “print.”

William Sawako died (if you need advice on Japanese funerals, contact me), and I broke me knee, so I don't get out much. But my two kids are headed home, one from Tokyo and one from Baltimore, at the same time!
Sawako and I used to run around the castle each Sunday. The walkway they have installed as reconstruction continues looks amazing, and I greatly look forward to visiting it. Please plan a visit while it is up!

This article from Kumanichi (paywalled) says that from the middle of next year they are planning to stop payments on Kumamoto buses and trams using national transport IC cards such as Suica. The reason is due to the cost of updating the payment machines. Options such as tapping/touching with debit or credit cards will still be possible. I’m wondering if you will still be able to use the Kumamon IC card?? If anyone has access to the full article ask they can share more details that would be great! Michaela

William A reminder to all US citizens to register to vote. https://www.facebook.com/CenterForUSVotersAbroad
Center for US Voters Abroad Turnout Project
We help eligible U.S. citizens living abroad register to vote an absentee ballot.

Beautiful bright blue sky and the beautiful fresh green of Kumamoto Castle.
Since April this year, I have been at Joto Elementary School very close to Kumamoto Castle. This is an elementary school that values the Kumamoto spirit of Lord Kiyomasa and aims to excel in both the academic and athletic fields.
You can see Kumamoto Castle from all the classrooms. I can even see the figures of the castle tower.
I shared this photo because I like to see Kumamoto Castle in early summer surrounded by fresh greenery, although it is nice to see Kumamoto Castle during the cherry blossom season. If you climb the keep this week, you'll see me dancing on the playground. ٩(•ᴗ• ٩)Atsuko

Kirk here. I saw something on RKK today about "COST MANIA," a shop that specializes in selling (reselling) COSTCO items. Just opened in Arao, fairly far north for many of us but, if you're in that part of the prefecture or passing through, it may be worth taking a look. Unlike COSTCO, you don't need to be a member and they take things that COSTCO only sells in large quantities and sells them in smaller sizes / quantities.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5xdrCGyWB7/
To find the location, pop the following address in Google maps:
〒864-0001 熊本県荒尾市原万田７００−１
It's behind the Yellow Hat (automotive shop) in the Anytime Fitness in the Ariake Plaza.
各専門の業者さん・スタッフの協力おかげで着々とお店が出来上がってきています　商品の仕入れも少しずつスタートです！　 📍熊本県荒尾市原万田700-1 有明プラザ内 (旧:博多一番どり跡) #コスマニア #COSTMANIA #コストコ再販店 #コストコ #コストコおすすめ #コストコ購入品 #コストコ新商品 #コストコ久山 #コストコ熊本御船 #コストコ熊本 #荒尾 #荒尾グルメ #熊本 #熊本グルメ #熊本newオープン #newオープン

If you, like me, like to travel by bullet train, you should check this out. -- Kirk
Kyushu bullet trains become first in Japan to adopt dynamic pricing
Some Kyushu Shinkansen line services in southwestern Japan will adopt dynamic pricing for advance tickets after a recent trial eased congestion, the operator says, becoming the first bullet trains in the country to use the system.

There seems to have been a glider accident in the Aso area. The young pilot (a university student from Fukuoka) is reported to have been injured but not killed, thank goodness. -- Kirk
【速報】グライダーが公園に墜落し1人けが　福岡県の20代大学生か　熊本・産山村
警察によりますと、25日午後４時半ごろ、熊本県産山村のヒゴタイ公園にグライダーが墜落しました。RKK近くの施設の人が「グライダーが墜落して１人がけがをしている」と119...

Fiona here, back from a long Kumamoto-i hiatus to share a recommendation for S'ping, a newly opened book cafe in Kengun. Situated on Densha-dori, it's easy to reach by public transport and is a lovely spot to do some quiet reading or writing. The shelves are lined with books, all in Japanese as far as I could tell, and the menu offers pasta, hot sandwiches, drinks and desserts. I have a feeling this will be a popular place during the rainy season.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2XGyrxFjmAmJVGRk8

Tamana made the NHK world service so I thought I’d share it with you all. The home of Kumamoto Ramen! Please come and enjoy a bowl while taking in the irises at the festival this weekend!
KUMAMOTO - RAMEN JAPAN | NHK WORLD-JAPAN
A bowl of resilience! The unique, garlic-powered tonkotsu ramen that reignited the spirit of Kumamoto post-quake!

Joe Tomei here, and FFF goes downtown to check out some South Indian food! Because of demographics, when we think of Indian cuisine, we think of Northern India. A lot more wheat so naan bread, and the curries are heavier and creamier and almost all of the Indian restaurants in Kumamoto are based on that style. So I was really happy to find Toddy's, (https://www.instagram.com/toddy_shop_kumamoto/)
which does a veg and non-veg thali (set with small bowls of different curries). Toddy's is a bit of a pop-up shop, only open on Saturdays and Sundays for lunch in a 4th floor space that is a bar/snack (aramatsu bar) the rest of the week. Located behind the shiyakusho, the sign has Malayalam script and is only open from 12 to 2. He sometimes takes the day off, so check the instagram. A pick of the store front and last weekend's non-veg thali.
Location is on the FFF map, which you can find here
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing

William Kumamoto deserved a mention in Japan Today as the Japanese city least expensive to bear a child (Tokyo was highest, 605,000 yen and 361,000 yen respectively - so we've basically got two for one here!) https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-weighs-incentivizing-childbirth-by-fully-covering-expenses
I'd like to give a shoutout to Fukuda Byoin https://www.fukuda-hp.or.jp/ , the birthplace of my two children, as a comprehensive and compassionate maternity hospital. (It's also located next to a fascinatingly old section of the castle.) Most doctors there speak English quite well, prenatal care is extensive, and post-natal care is thoughtful, with a congratulatory in-suite dinner. (Also, it's on the tram line.)
熊本　産婦人科　福田病院（熊本県熊本市）地域周産期母子医療センター
熊本の産婦人科　福田病院　熊本県熊本市新町2丁目2-6　明治40年開院し平成27年で108周年を迎えました。「大学病院の医療水準」と「助産院のあたたかさ」を基本に女性のライフステージすべての健康を守り、その生活を支....

Kirk here with a news article about our new governor. It doesn't really seem to have "legs" in the sense that I haven't seen much media coverage about it after it first came out. I suspect the governor simply failed to recognize the need to be careful when disposing of leftover flowers but, still, avoiding even the appearance of impropriety is import.
Kumamoto Governor embroiled in flower scandal
Governor Kimura was accused of dealing pot...s of flowers.

The latest edition of The YOKA is out. Have a look! -- Kirk
The YOKA
This issue of the YOKA features... JET Spotlight - Daryl Rose A New Lifestyle Abroad - Kate Abbate Goshoura Dino Museum - Ryan Moraga Snacks Native to Kyushu - Lily Feast "So, What Next?" -...

William Following up on Kirk's wonderful photo of Ezuko is a bit of geological knowledge I picked up from students. Aso has seen several eruptions over the last 50,000 years, the foremost causing a strata of impermeable granite followed later by permeable ash. This is shaped in a wedge-like formation, allowing artesian water to flow downhill until the substrate surfaces at Ezuko as well as Suizenji. (One reason why the zoo is located there is the abundance of water.) Look around there and you'll notice much granite - some of those boulders must have been hurled from a 100 kilometers away! Be glad you were not there when that happened.

Kirk here. I feel fortunate to live close enough to Ezuko to walk there fairly regularly. Today my wife and I saw a grey heron catch a large fish right before our eyes (only a few meters away). Then, as we were returning to the parking lot to head home, we happened upon this scene.

Found this in my news feed this morning. -- Kirk
The 10 'One Piece' statues in Kumamoto
Kumamoto is the hometown of Eiichiro Oda, the beloved author of the hit manga and anime "One Piece." To celebrate this connection, Kumamoto Prefecture proudly showcases a collection of "One Piece" statues dedicated to the iconic main characters of the series Each of the One Piece...

For anime fans and anime song fans.
Anime song event information , 26 May, Kumamoto.
Atsuko＼(*⌒0⌒)♪
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
ANINOVA
Date and time: 26 May 2024 (Sunday)
12:00 Opening.
12:30 START～19:00 END
Entrance fee: 2000 yen (all-you-can-drink soft drinks!)
Chocolate fountain free!
Minors and first time attendees of Anikura are also welcome!
All ages are welcome!
Junior high and high school students: 500 yen!
Free for primary schools students and younger! (with a parent or guardian).
Alcoholic beverages can be ordered at the bar counter for a fee.
Food and sweets will be sold at the Marché. You can bring your own food and sweets to the venue after purchase.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/k4AmHKKdNFPTqPo8/
🎉🌟Omoken Marché 20🌟🎉
✨Aninova collaboration✨.
The last Sunday of every month is Omoken Marche Day.
The Aninova Collaboration will be held for anime song lovers. DJs from all over Kyushu will gather in Kumamoto to showcase their live skills. The Omoken Marche 20 will be held on the same day as the anime song event, where you can sing and dance to your heart's content. 24 shops will be participating in a wide variety of shops! Enjoy the delicious 😋 and fun 😃 at-home atmosphere of the Marche to the fullest!
Date and time.
26 May (10:00-17:00)
(12:00-19:00 for Ani Nobua)
■Place: Starlight Cafe Kumamoto
(7-95-3 Demizu, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture)
Reconstruction (Light) Department Store #Amaterasu
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qk5n4HprTpFrQPDf8?g_st=ic
Check out Aninova's ▶️ for more information!
twipla.jp/events/598571
'The last Sunday of every month is Omoken Marche day'
Omoken Marché
https://facebook.com/events/s/%E3%81%8A%E3%82%82%E3%81%91%E3%82%93%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A720-%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%8E%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A1%E3%82%B3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%9B/1084256056013087/