Kumamoto International Archive

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

If you are following the news, you know that there is a big spat going on between Okinawa's Governor Onaga and the Abe administration about the relocation of a base in Henoko. It seems that some of the gravel, etc that will be used to reclaim land for the project is likely to come from Amakusa.
--- start quote ---
“It is a business opportunity,” said a senior official with the Kumamoto prefectural confederation of operators of quarries, although he said landing such a deal is far from guaranteed. “To some operators, it could represent the bulk of their sales in value.”
Goshourajima island in Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, is widely seen as a prospective site for supplying dirt for the base.
--- end quote ---
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201506010067
Conservation groups focus on suppliers to thwart U.S. base construction in Okinawa - AJW by The...
Opponents of a planned U.S. military base in Okinawa Prefecture have gained an ally that is targeting the very foundation of the project.

Here's some information about an opportunity to get some help learning the Japanese language.
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/event/event_detail.asp?1=1&kiji_id=7406&LC=e&yy=2015&mm=5&id=2&PageType=cal
Tag: LearnJapanese

The recent heavy rains led to at least one evacuation order (Ushibuka in Amakusa) and this landslide in Sakamoto Machi (in the Yatsushiro area).
Other responsibilities prevented me from sharing warnings, etc. here, but I have some links on my "Kumamoto Links" page that may be helpful if the rains get heavy again. Look in "Weather" section for the "Kumamoto Disaster Prevention Information" links:
http://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~masden/links.html
Posted by Kirk
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20150603004.xhtml
八代市坂本町で１５世帯孤立　県南中心に大雨－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。

This is a favorite of mine.
Shared by Kirk
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-10-yamamizuki/
Onsen-hop #10 `Yamamizuki`
For this week`s report I decided to pop back to try the outdoor bath at a very popular inn `Yamamizuki` (山みず木　21 on the English Map) that I had previo

The earthquake that occurred at 8:30 PM Saturday felt fairly weak here in Kumamoto but it was actually a huge event in terms of the rang of the shaking.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002188980
Depth of quake caused widespread shaking
The main reason why the earthquake that occurred west of the Ogasawara Islands on Saturday night shook most parts of the country — in addition to the temblor’s strength — was that the quake’s focus was extremely deep, according to seismologists and the Japan Meteorological Agency.

According to an article published on the Scientific American website last year, the increased volcanic activity we are seeing throughout Japan (and, of course, including Mt Aso) may be related to the 2011 quake:
"Japan's massive 2011 earthquake may trigger more, and larger, volcanic eruptions over the next few decades, perhaps even that of Mount Fuji - but predicting them remains close to impossible, a volcano expert said on Friday."
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/japan-s-volcanoes-made-more-jittery-by-2011-quake/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/29/national/volcano-erupts-isle-kagoshima-prompting-evacuation-order/#.VWm2c2Cyty4
Volcano erupts on Kuchinoerabu isle off Kagoshima, prompting evacuation order | The Japan Times
The Meteorological Agency said Friday that there was a volcanic eruption on Kuchinoerabu Island in Kogashima Prefecture at 9:59 a.m. The agency raised the

Here's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/126226639
Just south of Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan, on the shores of the Ariake Sea, is the small village of Sumiyoshi. The Ariake Sea has a mud covered bottom and at low tide…

Immediately after the huge eruption on Kuchinoerabu Island, the claim that "Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso" doesn't ring true.
"There is some concern that Mount Fuji is showing signs of eruption in the near future, but as things stand, Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso, in Aso Kujū national park on the southern island of Kyushu. It has one of the largest calderas in the world, offering myriad viewpoints over its twisted, pitted landscape."
On the other hand, with a qualifier such as "one of the most," I think the statement is eminently defensible. I saw a local news broadcast recently in which an expert pointed out that the volcano is likely to become more dangerous in the rainy season (June to early July).
By the way, here's a link to a news article about the eruption in Kuchinoerabu Island, in Kagoshima Prefecture:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/29/national/volcano-erupts-isle-kagoshima-prompting-evacuation-order/#.VWkvumCyu0w
Posted by Kirk
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/27/top-10-active-volcanoes
Top 10 active volcanoes to see up close
If you’re looking for a trip to light up your holiday, these volcanoes all have well-established roads, cable cars and trails up them – and predictable levels of activity

Unfortunately, Kumamoto seems to be the home of the poorest region in Japan. The Kuma area is beautiful but I guess the natural beauty of the area doesn't necessarily help people earn money.
"The Gini coefficient for them rose from 0.083 to 0.088, and the difference in the average income between the highest ranking, Minato Ward in Tokyo, and the poorest, Kuma village in Kumamoto Prefecture, jumped from 4.7-fold to 6.5-fold."
I think that the average age of the residents is a factor here. When young people leave a rural area in order to move to an urban area, it leaves a higher proportion of elderly people, who tend to have very modest incomes. If you click on the following link, you'll find a chart comparing the age distribution in Kuma Village with that of Japan as a whole (the graph on the left side of the page). The graph shows that the age distribution in Kuma Village is heavily skewed to right (the elderly).
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:Demography43513.svg
Here's a map showing the location of Kuma Village:
https://goo.gl/maps/2JnvD
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/05/24/commentary/japan-commentary/piketty-boom-fading-too-fast/#.VWMexVmqqko
Posted by Kirk
Piketty boom fading too fast | The Japan Times
Income inequality is high in Japan, and under the Abe administration it appears to be getting worse.

"The companies inked a collaboration agreement in December 2013, under which they will jointly investigate whether there is geothermal potential for the construction of a plant in Minamiaso village. On Thursday, Mitsubishi and Kyushu Electric were given the green light by the local evaluating committee, after submitting a proposal on January 14 this year."
http://renewables.seenews.com/news/mitsubishi-kyushu-electric-get-nod-for-geothermal-investigation-in-japan-477640
Mitsubishi, Kyushu Electric get nod for geothermal investigation in Japan - SeeNews Renewables
May 22 (SeeNews) - Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp (TYO:8058) and domestic utility Kyushu Electric Power Co Inc (TYO:9508) were given clearance to proceed with surface investigation for a planned geothermal plant in Kumamoto prefecture.The companies inked a collaboration agreement in December 2013, un…

Here's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/126708855
Koi nobori
In Japan, May 5th, once known as the "Boys' Festival" and now known as "Children's Day", is the time of year when many families display "Koi nobori" outside their…

Another essay for Kurokawa Onsen fans:
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-9-genryunoyado-hozantei/
Onsen-hop # 9 `Genryunoyado Hozantei`
Another Friday afternoon,another outdoor onsen ;-) .....this week I chose to pop back to visit one I had noticed towards the end of my hike around Kurokawa earl

Walking and bathing . . . sounds like a relaxing way to spend a weekend. :)
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/walking-around-the-kurokawa-onsen-area/
Walking around the Kurokawa Onsen area
If you are not that keen on onsen-hopping (or perhaps want to get some exercise in between those long soaks in the bath) and are looking for something else to d

Kumamon at the Cannes Film Festival
http://www.france24.com/en/20150522-cannes-film-festival-japan-asuna-android-kumamon-fuchiko
Culture - Robots, teddies and tiny drink buddies: It’s Japan in Cannes!
A trip to the Japanese pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival offers a welcome break from the packed screenings and red carpet circus. Here are just a few treats from the land of cuteness.

On April 15, NHK's local Kumaroku (クマロク！) news show included a story about Sozankyo (蘇山郷), a ryokan in the Uchinomaki area of Aso. It has succeeded in getting lots of foreign business. One key to its success has been its presence on Booking.com
http://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/sozankyo.en-gb.html
where it has earned an extremely high rating. You can see notes about some of the scenes in the show if you click on the images shown below.

It has been eight years since the start of the so-called "baby hatch" in Kumamoto. It is the only such facility in Japan. Here's a paragraph from the Wikipedia "Baby hatch" page:
"In Japan, abandoning a baby is normally punished with up to five years in prison. In 2006 officials at Jikei Hospital applied to Kumamoto Prefecture government, Kumamoto city and other offices before opening a baby hatch were told that it would not count as abandonment, as the baby is under the hospital's protection. However, the Japanese ministry of health, labour and welfare would not comment on the issue, apart from saying that there was no precedent."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_hatch
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/21/national/social-issues/11-babies-left-hospitals-baby-hatch-fiscal-2014/#.VV55gGCyty4
11 babies left in hospital's 'baby hatch' in fiscal 2014 | The Japan Times
The number of unwanted babies dropped off at Jikei Hospital's so-called baby hatch reached 11 in fiscal 2014 — topping 10 for the first time in four years,

The photo shows a confection called "Chosen ame" or literally "Korean sweet." The name derives from the carrying of this food into Korea as one the provisions for Kato Kiyomasa's troops at the end of the 16th century. It does not spoil easily and as such was an appropriate food for traveling troops. Despite the rather problematic origin of the name, the confection itself is one that I can recommend without reservation. As a matter of fact, I am writing this today because, after sharing some with my students, I got requests for information about where to buy it. The following url has a Google map that shows the location of the store. Enjoy!
https://plus.google.com/107820237593090316375/about
Posted by Kirk

http://www.okashi-net.com/mall/sonodaya/
朝鮮飴柿球肥のお取り寄せ老舗園田屋：熊本県熊本｜和菓子モール
園田屋の元祖「朝鮮飴」は、餅米と水飴、砂糖を使い季節の変化に応じて仕上げた、一家相伝の製法を４００余年守り続ける元祖朝鮮飴で御座います。熊本の代表銘菓「朝鮮飴」を始め、「柿球肥(かきぎゅうひ)」など伝統の和菓子を老舗園田屋よりお届け致します。

Radio controlled Kumamon . . .
http://www.rccaraction.com/blog/2015/05/13/why-is-there-a-bear-driving-this-dune-buggy/
WHY IS THERE A BEAR DRIVING THIS DUNE BUGGY?
The answer, of course, is "because Japan." The jet-black bear is Kumamon, the official mascot of Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, says Wikipedia. He's Japan's favorite regional mascot, and thus worthy ...

Here's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/117777202
Fujisaki Shrine Festival, Kumamoto
All around Japan, festivals are held throughout the year. Some have very old roots and traditions. Others can have appeared quite recently. This festival is one…

"Mascot world domination"? Today Kumamoto, tomorrow the world! :)
Here's the address of another article on the same topic:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/05/11/entertainment-news/mascot-bear-kumanon-bound-cannes-filmfest/
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/07/japanese-bear-cannes-mascot-world-domination-kumamon-film
Japanese bear to take on Cannes in bid for mascot world domination
Kumamon, which is attending festival to promote its own movies, has come along way since being created in 2010 to mark a new bullet train service in Kumamoto