Kumamoto International Archive

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

Kirk here with "dust devil" news from Sunday. "Dust devils form when a pocket of hot air near the surface rises quickly through cooler air above it, forming an updraft." The difference between the hot air on Sunday (30 degrees!) and the cooler air above seems to be what caused this to occur in Kumamoto (you can see the Aso mountains in the background of the video). In Japanese it's called a つむじ風 (tsumuji kaze). Tsumuji is a "hair whorl" so tsumuji kaze is a "hair whorl wind" -- a much cuter term than "dust devil." :)
連休中に「つむじ風」が発生　竜巻とは違うメカニズムで原因は「暑さ」と「乾燥」？ | 熊本のニュース｜RKK熊本放送
連休中の熊本県内では、暑さの影響もあり「ある現象」が見られました。11月3日（金）「文化の日」の午後1時ごろ、大津町の畑で茶色い砂が高く巻き上げられている様子が見られました。青空が広がり、周辺に雲はない…

Kirk here with fun news for train lovers.
"The train also features a cow illustration on the rear side, a nod to Kumamoto, renowned for its beef, and wave patterns on the sides that resemble the track trajectory."
New eye-catching railway inspection train to debut in Japan
A Japanese railway operator has developed a new inspection train, Big Eye, featuring headlights that resemble a pair of eyeballs, aiming to streamline its maintenance work with digitalized functions.

Atsuko with information about interesting festival.
It is the 風流街浪漫フェスタ Furumachi Romance Festival on Sunday, November 12 in the streets of Gofuku.
This area was the castle town of Kumamoto Castle in the Edo period, and there are still many temples, shops, and traditional buildings. This festival aims to preserve and promote the goodness of the area. You will find unique shops, products and dances.
When I was writing this article, I wondered how best to convey the word 風流"furyu" in English. quaint? elegant? tasteful???
But I think the best way is to feel it for yourself.
I hope you will come and find the Japan of Edo, Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa, and feel the Japanese style of harmony.
If you find me in the area of Gofuku Elementary School, please feel free to talk to me.(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
https://festa-529furumachi-com.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

Have you been summoned? Ruth here bearing such exhilarating news about Higo Bank's (and other banking institutions') 'present yourself' request due to ongoing anti-money laundering measures. I got a postcard from them last year and duly popped in thinking that they'd leave me alone for at least 5 years as my residence card was renewed in 2021. I wonder why am I now getting this letter!!
At any rate, nobody wants their account(s) frozen, so keep your details up-to-date and turn up as needed.
The deadline stated on this letter received today is Dec. 29th 2023.

Kirk here. The temperature in Kumamoto got up to 30° Celsius (about 86° Fahrenheit) -- an all-time record for November.
Here's a video report about today's heat:
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/818712?display=1
Source:
https://weathernews.jp/s/topics/202311/050125/

William The Ginkgo biloba is an example of mistransliteration done when people unfamiliar with Japanese wrote stuff down in soggy notebooks before the Hepburn romanization system was introduced. According to Wikipedia, the tree has been romanized as "ginkjo" or "ginkio" until "ginkgo" was settled on. As the tree originated in China, Japan, too, flirted with a few names such as 公孫樹 and 鴨脚樹 (you can read a fascinating history here https://domani.shogakukan.co.jp/755350 or here https://tinyurl.com/yc5xxp5p ) before finally settling on 銀杏 (Ichō - though some still pronounce the same kanji "ginnan" ギンナン). Ginnan also refers to its fruit, which is "edible" if prepared sufficiently to remove toxins; failure to do so could be fatal. It is one of the oldest extant tree species in the world - literally, the dinosaurs ate it - so a bit of awe is in order.
Kato Kiyomasa planted so many ginkos within the castle precincts for use as horse fodder and fuel in case of seige that the castle became known as "Ichō-jō" (イチョウ城) or "Ginnan-jō" https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/564179/ ) Sadly, most gingko within the castle are gone. However, a wonderful place to see them in their autumn splendor is in front of Prefectural Hall. There, 54 ginkgo trees, symbolizing the 540,000 koku held by Higo (a unit of rice production used in the Edo era, 肥後54万石), will be illuminated until the end of the month.
By day or night, it is an amazing sight, and the fallen leaves take on a pleasant acrid smell as autumn deepens. (Photos nabbed from the web.)
https://kumanichi.com/event/1197070

Kirk here feeling rather warm today. Here are a couple of graphs I made with government temperature records to put things in perspective. The average temperatures (in blue) reveal a fairly steady rise while the high temperatures (in red) show this year as a huge jump from the norm. I think it's also interesting to note that the average temperature so far is higher than highs of many years past.
Data source:
https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_s3.php?prec_no=86&block_no=47819&year=&month=&day=&view=a2

Sean here - As a parent, I found Dr. Seuss to be one of the hardest books to read as a bedtime story. Anybody with kids who have tried, understand. Here's a pretty good documentary on the author Theodor Geisel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qkTLghT1xA&t=1217s&ab_channel=PeterJonesProductions

William According to the Kumanichi, scaffolding has been removed from the castle's Idemaru Five Story Turret (飯田丸五階櫓). This was built during the Kato family era and is believed to have been used as a lookout and a weapons storehouse. The turret was dismantled during the Seinan War to disarm Higo, leaving only the stone fortification. This almost completely collapsed during the quakes, saved solely by a single corner pillar, leaving it the nickname 一本石垣 (ippon ishigaki, single-legged stone wall).
Tumbled stones were identified by numerous photographs, numbered, and laid out on a field before restoration work began using the skills of stonemasons from across Japan. One mason spoke of the difficulty: ``You can't tell if the newly placed stone matches the original position just by looking at the photos taken before the disaster. If it's one centimeter off, it may not fit." Restoration work on the turret is scheduled to begin in 2025 with completion expected by 2028. Good photos at the link.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/1221434

Kirk here. I added some events to the "Kumamoto International" calendar, which is pinned to the top of the page:
https://kumamotoi.blogspot.com/2023/09/calendar.html
I can't promise to pick up every event -- I've missed several recently. But this calendar might help you keep track of events that I have been posted about several weeks before they actually come up.
Even if I'm late to add events to the calendar, I should be able to pick up most of the events that are posted significantly in advance. With posts about events that are only a few days off, I may not bother to add them to the calendar if I'm busy.

Kirk here with a last-minute reminder about the fireworks in Tamana today that Claire posted about. Here's the link to Claire's post:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02vbauqM6wBZmv5nzNSKqBpVyVbLXYtUFKFtigZRpEtVYCZ8hXL91NApAgBypJJPrYl

Kirk here here with a post about how the Kumamoto National Institute of Technology in Koshi and other kosen (高専; schools that start at high school age but have curricula that last through what would be the 2nd year of college) are preparing young people to meet the growing demand for workers with technical skills.
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/political-series/20231102-147007/
Here's the address of the Kumamoto National Institute of Technology website (in English):
https://kumamoto-nct.ac.jp/english-home.html
Future World Order: Industrial Policies / Japan’s Efforts to Nurture Personnel Related to Semiconductors Focus on ‘Colleges of Technology’
This is the second installment of a series that reports on security-focused, public-private industrial policies. In a cleanroom with controlled temperature and humidity at the Kumamoto campus of the Kumamoto National Institute of Technology in Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Associate Prof. Kenichiro Ta...

Sean here -
Having lived in Northern California for a good portion of my life, the home to mountain biking. (If you ride or have ridden a Gary Fisher, Google him as he is one of the grand dads of mountain biking or Klunkerz, an interesting doc about the beginning of mountain biking).
Mountain biking is so popular in Northern California, that high schools have mountain bike teams. What a way to get kids interested in protecting our environment.
I consider myself a cyclist overall, however a mountain biker at heart.
Kumamoto has some of the most amazing road cycling in the world.
However. it falls short in mountain biking. That is too bad.
The abundance of potential trails is unlimited, yet untapped. What Kumamoto has and Tokyo does not is the abundance of outdoor space / green space. And yet so little is done to promote it. This is criminal.
Well, this cool little place in Yoshimuta is offering opportunities to change that paradigm. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, For parents, get your kids out on mountain bikes and they'll be hooked for life.
Sorry about the low-quality pictures, but I hope there is enough information that you could just Google it and get the information that you need.

Kirk here. RKK aired a report about the meeting held today between the mayor and representatives of various local foreign communities and/or nationalities. I was glad to see Kumamoto International participant Hari Devkota there, along with several other familiar faces.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/816496
The video you can see at the URL shown above is shorter than what was broadcast on TV today. I got the impression from what I saw on TV that it was an open-ended discussion on various issues related to the lives of foreign residents.
They said it was the first such discussion between the mayor and local foreign residents in 4 years. At that time, Kumamoto International was invited to participate:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02ETSjCsfSCiE1icCFm89aQgQvhh8r8oPBrcaJQTEBD8EYNpzqShtySMw6WneixYMVl
Personally, I had my chance four years ago and so I'm happy to sit this one out. Still, it would seem to me that when only a small number will be chosen to meet directly with the mayor (and when such meetings occur so infrequently), providing some alternative, secondary mode of communication with him, such as an invitation to submit written opinions or requests, would be a good idea.
P.S. Here's a link to my post about the Kumanichi article announcing this meeting:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0txFCgQUkJseYK9x6jczDAzeDVm1pJVSHxYHeR2HsF9KqKJnLuY5bPcJTCzRJnKZRl
「行政書類の年号は『元号』中心なのでわかりにくい」「給食は文化や宗教に配慮して」定住外国人と熊本市長の対話集会 | TBS NEWS DIG
熊本市で暮らす外国出身者と市長が対話する集会が開かれ、出席者からは生活面の課題を指摘する声が上がりました。外国出身者が対象の市長との対話イベントは4年ぶりの開催です。台湾やアメリカ、ウクライナなどが…

Atsuko here.
I would like to introduce a volunteer project I participate in every year that connects Kumamoto with the world.
Onigiri Action
https://onigiri-action.com/en/
Post a photo of yourself holding an onigiri on a social networking site (FB, Instagram) or on the Onigiri Action website, and the sponsor will donate 100 yen (for 5 meals) for each post.
All you have to do is post a photo. You can do it from Kumamoto. Even kids can do it without money. However, please make the SNS you post to public. If you don't want to make it public, go to the website.
The good thing about this activity is that it can be done by anyone, anywhere, even children, even if you don't have any money. You don't have to show your face, just a rice ball will do.
Onigiri is Japanese culture. It is a mother's love. From Japan, from Kumamoto, let's send lots of love with rice!
By the way, the photo post is from today's workshop for street children and CDM at the Kumadai Shiguma Festival. The best part was the large number of children, students and families who participated.
The future of Kumamoto, the future of Japan, and the future of the world will not be made by some great person, but by us, the children.
Today we had over 100 participants and 17850 yen in donations.
Tomorrow we will have workshop at the Kumadai Shiguma Festival again. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=719819856846475&id=100064554018003
Let's send lots of rice balls to Onigiri Action by November 17.
Let's enjoy what we can make from Kumamoto together.(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
#onigiriaction

William Two good pieces of news for those who enjoy transportation: The LCC Hong Kong Airlines will resume service on the Kumamoto-Hong Kong route from December, adding another, likely cheaper option to flying abroad (HK generally has cheap flights to Europe and the Americas).
Also, progress on the Kyushu Chuo Expressway connecting Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture and Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture is moving ahead, with a 10.4km stretch out near Yabe to be opened on February 11, 2024. This will both facilitate economic development in eastern Kumamoto and more closely connect our town with Nobeoka, a fine city with wonderful beaches and ferry service to Kansai and Kanto. (The old road to Yabe was notoriously difficult to drive, being so curvy.) Kumanichi has the news at the links.
Photos: Expressway route and photo of a beach Nobeoka offers.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/1220485
https://kumanichi.com/articles/1219275

Kirk here. Mercury poisoning (particularly low-level mercury poisoning) is a global problem. This couple from Minamata has some lessons about it for the world.
--- start quote ---
Hideki, 68, said, "The damage caused by mercury is still occurring all over the world. I hope many countries and regions will participate (in) the convention and make efforts to achieve its goals."
--- end quote ---
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/11/9499001b63ab-japan-couple-urges-fight-against-mercury-at-minamata-treaty-meeting.html
Alternative URL:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/11/01/japan/society/minamata-mercury-geneva-couple/
Japan couple urges fight against mercury at Minamata treaty meeting
A Japanese couple affected by the mercury-caused Minamata Disease has called on more countries to get involved in the global fight against water pollution due to the substance under a 2013 international convention.

(Fiona) I am planning to host a Quiz Night to raise funds for this year's Team Tonakai Toy Drive. It will be held on Saturday November 25th from 7:30pm. Check the event page for location and further details. Please book a spot as soon as possible if you plan to come!
https://facebook.com/events/s/team-tonakai-quiz-night-fundra/6964605423577999/

Kirk here with old but still very relevant news from local author Sean Micheal Wilson. In some personal correspondence with Sean, he pointed out to me that Kumamoto City has no policy to require home builders to replace trees they remove due to construction. I hadn't thought about the need to create legal incentives to plant trees until Sean pointed it out to me but his word certainly ring true. Much of my neighborhood, some of which had been cultivated land bordered by trees until very recently, is now almost all paved over. Most of the land has become plots for houses but many of the home owners have elected to cover all of their land in pavement -- no dirt, no trees. :(
--- start quote ---
Call that progress?: In the city of Kumamoto, a Meiji Era house and its beautiful old Japanese-style wall were knocked down recently, with 90 percent of its trees torn down too. The small area left at the back gives an idea of what the trees were like in the main garden. The plot is now a car park. | SEAN MICHAEL WILSON
--- end quote ---
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2017/09/20/voices/every-new-construction-japan-less-trees/?fbclid=iwar1wfoncjittebbhcumln1f2yxddnbhl8pqwtoup4re0adto-7bjs_heyqa
With every new construction in Japan, fewer trees
When houses are demolished, there is a very bad habit here of cutting down all the trees on the plot, leaving the ground cleared and empty for new construction.

(Claire) Tomorrow November 3rd is the festival at Rengei in (蓮華院祭り) outside Tamana city.
It was last held 4 years ago. There is a lot of parking at the temple but it’s not walkable from the station and there are no extra buses being laid on this year afaik.
The Yokozuna won’t be in attendance but it is still a really good festival. The temple is on top of a mountain with gorgeous views over the Ariake sea.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/627093686169888?mibextid=kcDB8O