Kumamoto International Archive

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

Kirk here with another NEW WEB EASY article about Kumamoto. As I've written before, I think this is a good site for folks interested in studying Japanese.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10014223751000/k10014223751000.html

William Here is a short summary of Kumamoto Castle restoration with several good photographs. https://kumamoto-guide.jp/en/article/detail/254?fbclid=IwAR1NG76_rGWBxKxk0QJx2ON5gq8NNOl9vWSAaxIpJ08KKGyWB_72U_950mk
Kumamoto Castle Nowadays, Vol. 3
It is Kumamoto City Official Tourism Website. We will introduce the charm of Kumamoto City including tourist spots such as Kumamoto Castle and Suizenji Park and also cooking, events and special products.

This article is behind a paywall so I can't read the whole thing but I can see from the headline and picture that it's about master sword smith Genrokuro Matsunaga and that the point is that foreign visitors have finally returned after the COVID-19 lull. -- Kirk
https://kumanichi.com/articles/1208509
Here are some links to information about Mr. Matsunaga in English:
https://mountain-swell.com/info/2015/10/27/matsunaga-genrokuro-a-traditional-japanese-swordsmith
https://www.visit-kyushu.com/en/discover/blogs/world-katana-sword-making-kumamoto/
https://www.guidoor.jp/en/places/4128
荒尾市の刀鍛冶工房、訪日客の見学復調　刀匠の松永さん「コロナ前に戻った」｜熊本日日新聞社
　新型コロナウイルス禍を経て、荒尾市の「松永日本刀剣鍛錬所」を訪れる外国人旅行客が増えている。ようやく暑さが収まった10月に入り、ヨーロッパからの見学者が相次いでおり、刀匠の松永源六郎さん（75）は「コロ.....

Kirk here. This type of archery is called "yabusame" (流鏑馬). I think that, in combination, the first and third characters mean "running horse." The second character refers to something that is put on the tip of an arrow to make a cool sound when the arrow flies (or perhaps when it hits it's target). At any rate, the archery event will be conducted between 2 and 3:30 on November 3rd, Friday, which is "Culture Day" (文化の日). The venue is Ninomaru Hiroba (the castle).
https://kumamoto-guide.jp/oshiromatsuri/events/detail/72
By the way, here 's a video of a similar event held at Aso Shrine earlier this year:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/636501465238622
熊本城で開催される「くまもとお城まつり」の公式ホームページです。祭りの開催日・詳細・交通情報などをご案内しています。お城まつりは特別史跡熊本城跡で春と秋に継続して開催しているイベントで、市民はもとより...

William Kawashiri (川尻) is a small town in southern Kumamoto near the mouth of Midorikawa. Its location encouraged early manufacturing, with raw materials rafted down the river from the hinterlands and finished products shipped out to sea. It remains famous for sake and oke (bucket) manufacturing and metalwork such as knives and scissors. Wikipedia has more here: https://tinyurl.com/mrybf235
There will be a festival this Sunday, 10/29, during which you can visit some smitheries and sake breweries. Don't miss the wonderful handicraft museum and the steps built by Kato Kiyomasa to serve as a wharf.

William Kochia (Japanese, "kokiya," also "houkigusa" ほうき草, meaning a plant for making brooms) is an annual plant native to Eurasian and known for its unique round shape and fluffy texture. As they grow, their color changes from vibrant green in the summer to a greenish-red and finally to a bright scarlet in late October.
Some enterprising locals in Minamiaso Village have taken to planting cosmos and Kochia together, which are both blooming now, to draw the delight of visitors. Kumanichi has the scoop:
秋空に映える〝深紅の絨毯〟　コキア、満開のコスモスと「共演」　熊本・南阿蘇村の「あそ望の郷くぎの」｜熊本日日新聞社
　熊本県南阿蘇村の道の駅「あそ望の郷くぎの」で、コキア500株が真っ赤に色づき、満開のコスモスとともに南郷谷を秋色に染めている。見頃は今月末まで。

Here's an article about how Naoko Shirane brought Kumamoto and San Antonio together. -- Kirk
The baroness who paved the way for San Antonio's Toyota plant
Crafting the deal that would bring Toyota to San Antonio took years of work by many players. But none of it would have been possible without Naoko Shirane.

Kirk here with a note on dolphin's in Amakusa:
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"Dolphins and traditional skin-diving fishermen that can be traced back to the (ancient) Jomon period have long lived in harmony here," Takasaki says. It's natural to have dolphins right next to us, and that's the value of Amakusa."
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Japan Trivia: Kumamoto's 'dolphin sanctuary' highlights history of harmony with sea life - The Mainichi
As Japan's travel industry recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and tourists flood back into the country, the Mainichi Shimbun has turned the spotli

US Marines train with Japan's Self-Defense Forces in Kumamoto from time to time. Here's a recent example. -- Kirk
https://www.stripes.com/branches/marine_corps/2023-10-17/marines-littoral-regiment-okinawa-11732639.html

Kirk here with national news made by KIHARA Minoru, who is from Kumamoto.
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Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Monday retracted comments he made over the weekend in which he appeared to imply that a vote for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a key by-election would be good for the Self-Defense Forces and their families — despite the SDF's strict policy of political neutrality.
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Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF
Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law explicitly forbids SDF personnel from engaging in political activity, with the exception of voting.

William Lafcadio Hearn (also known by his Japanese name, Koizumi Yakumo (小泉八雲 - the surname taken from his Japanese wife https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafcadio_Hearn), was a peripatetic Anglo-Greek writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the West. Hearn longed for the "true Japan," which he found in Matsue - apparently, all else failed in comparison, particularly Kumamoto (where he spent three years, 1891-94), which he abhorred, finding it cultureless and blindly adoptive of anything Western. His Kumamoto house is directly behind Tsuruya; tours are free.
Hearn was particularly well-known for his ghost stories. One of the scariest stories I've ever read is "A Passional Karma," which can be read for free here: https://tinyurl.com/4wey3pmb. It's a relatively short, hair-raising tale suitable for English students looking to read their first English literature. Happy Halloween!

This extensive (about 1500-word) article is chock-full of interesting tidbits about the Aso area.
In volcanic Aso, the land gives much more than it takes
Locals in Aso have a saying: “The land takes away, but it gives us something, too.”

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William Our friend Jeff Cairns, a legend at the shakuhachi, will team up with Hidehiko Kashihara on guitar for what will certainly be a magical, mesmorizing evening. Jeff lives at the foot of Mt Kimpo, and his music incorporates the wonder of ancient Higo. Information at the link:

Sean here-
File under: Been there. Done that. Don't wanna do it again.

OMO5 Kumamoto by Hoshino Resorts (Tatsuro Sasaki Architects) won Best of Globe at the 2023 Shaw Contract Design Awards! -- Kirk
https://www.shawcontract.com/en-ap/Design/OMO-Kumamoto-by-Hoshino-Resort

Fiona here with news for fans of escape rooms and immersive games. Scrap, one of the pioneers in the escape room industry, is running a night-time amusement park escape game at Greenland in Arao. The event will be held in November and tickets are on sale now. Having played a couple of their games in the past, I would recommend teaming up with people who can read Japanese well!
累計25万人以上が参加した「夜の遊園地シリーズ」最新作！仮面サーカス脱出が全国各地の遊園地で開催！ピエロに扮して素顔を隠し、サーカスに潜む闇をあなたが暴け！夜の遊園地を貸し切って行う唯一無二の体験型エ....

Kirk here with a post from Leanne in Amakusa:
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This is Leanne, Canadian living in Amakusa with an opportunity for two lucky people.
I'm involved in a project focused on creating a pilgrimage route in Amakusa.
We are organizing a two day pilot trip around Amakusa. It is free of charge. We need 2 more English speaking participants for November 26th and 27th.
Email me at [email protected] for more information.
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Sean here -
File under: Really? Yeah really.
Don't let this be you.