Kumamoto International Archive

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

Kirk here with an inquiry from longtime Kumamoto International participant Jackie:
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Hi, I have a question for the Kumamoto International community. I have been charged with the task of developing a literature “repertoire” for the Lutheran International Primary School that will open at the Luther campus in April. I have a good background in American children’s literature, but am not well-versed in what books could represent other countries. The books must be in English, and it is helpful if they are available on amazon-japan. Wondering if any folks out there have recommendations from your home country of books (ages 5-12) that you think every kid should read. Feel free to send me a direct message or post here. If you have an author’s name to go with the title, that’s even better. Many thanks, gracias, merci, abrigado, danke, asante, and so forth!
This ”repertoire” will eventually become the library at the school, so recommendations for good books that stand the test of time are appreciated.
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Please post thoughts or recommendations in a comment. :)

Kirk here with a fake image that illustrates what seems to be a historical fact. Here's a translations of a Japanese news article from last year:
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Kumamoto City announced by the 21st that they conducted an archaeological excavation on the artificial hill in Suizenji Jōju-en (located in the Chuo Ward), a national scenic beauty and historical site. They have confirmed the locations where soil from the Edo period was used for construction and where, during the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877 (Meiji 10), part of the hill was carved out to place artillery batteries by the government forces. The city will hold an on-site explanatory meeting on the 23rd.
According to the city's Culture Promotion Division, this is the first excavation of the artificial hill. The decision to excavate was made in order to determine the best method of restoration after the top of the hill sank about 60 centimeters due to the Kumamoto earthquake.
From early August to about a month later, they dug down from several centimeters to 50 centimeters at two locations on the north and south sides of the artificial hill. From differences in the color and layering of the soil, they were able to identify sections from the Edo period, the location where the artillery battery was placed, and the layer of soil added after the Satsuma Rebellion. The current height of the artificial hill is approximately 8.5 meters, and it is believed that the artillery battery was placed at a height of about 5.8 meters. Fragments of thin friction tubes (1.5 centimeters long and 5 millimeters wide), used for firing cannons, were also unearthed.
It was previously known from old photographs taken before and after the Satsuma Rebellion that the government forces had carved out the artificial hill to set up the artillery battery.
The on-site explanatory meeting will be held from 4 pm on the 23rd and is free of charge. In case of cancellation, it will be announced on the city's website.
(By Sawako Tobimatsu)
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https://taron.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/11/03/234730
The site is in Japanese. ChatGPT 4.0 did the translation for me.
Thanks to Explore Kumamoto for the tip. :)

Sean here-
立野ダム.
I was fortunate enough to catch a sightseeing train (Minami Aso Railway) gliding past the mostly completed Tateno Dam. Cool weather brings the colors of autumn. A great time of year to catch a train. All aboard!
Some info below about both. Most in Japanese – Although Google translate isn’t perfect, if you have it, it suits the purpose in this case.
Williams original post
https://www.facebook.com/search/posts?q=%E7%AB%8B%E9%87%8E%E3%83%80%E3%83%A0&filters=eyJycF9hdXRob3I6MCI6IntcIm5hbWVcIjpcImF1dGhvcl9tZVwiLFwiYXJnc1wiOlwiXCJ9In0%3D
Cool site about dam, and interesting videos. https://www.qsr.mlit.go.jp/tateno/
NHK video on Minami Aso Railway
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/japanrailway/20230914/2049133/
Minami Aso Railway Homepage
https://www.mt-torokko.com/about/

Kirk here with some news for martial arts fans.
Kumamoto: Back from Brink of Extinction, Local Fighting Style Marks 450 Yrs
HITOYOSHI, Kumamoto — A sword-fighting style that originated in the Kyushu region and was once on the verge of extinction celebrates 450 years since it was first developed. Hyoho Taisha ryu originated in the Hitoyoshi and Kuma regions of Kumamoto Prefecture and is known for its combination of swor...

Hi, Joe Tomei here. I’m not sure if this will make a difference, but I noticed that the Kumamoto internatonal Facebook feed is full of ‘Sponsored’ and ‘suggested for you’ posts. I’m not sure how much of a difference this will make but I’d ask the other editors, when the have a few minutes, to click on the upper right corner and hide those ads so as to discourage the facebook algorithm from adding unconnected posts. For people who aren’t editors, if you know facebook channels or accounts/profiles for businesses that are local, please add them in the comments so we can list them as favorites. I’m not sure if this will work but it is worth a try. Thanks.

Here's a link to an article about Suizenji Jojuen (Garden) with some notes about the "mini Mount Fuji." The article is correct; the grass-covered feature is indeed intended to look like Fuji-san as viewed from the Tokaido. What the article doesn't say is that there's a term for this kind of man-made garden mountain: tsukiyama (築山; literally "built mountain"). The mountain in Suizenji Jojuen is a representative example of the technique. In fact, if you look up the Japanese term on Wikipedia you'll find a picture of Suizenji Jojuen. -- Kirk
See mini Mount Fuji at this traditional garden
The origin of Suizenji Jojuen Garden dates back to the 1630s when the first lord of the Kumamoto area, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, ordered the construction of a tea house and Suizenji Temple near his seat of power at Kumamoto Castle. Although the temple would be relocated elsewhere and Izumi Shrine later bu...

Hi! Kirk again! I got a request for eye doctor (optometrist) recommendations. Information about English speakers and those who seem to be knowledgable about recent medical trends would be particularly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Kirk here posting an inquiry on behalf of a friend who is here in Japan due to serious medical issues that her family member is facing. She needs to receive money from her husband in the States and Japan's Post bank has been recommended to her. Those of us trying to help her, though, wonder if there isn't a better way. As our friend is not a long-term resident of Japan, she can't be expected to deal with the Japanese language. Something that is convenient, has a decent exchange rate (no huge service costs), and doesn't require knowledge of Japanese would be nice. If you could please share your recommendations and thoughts about various options in a comment, I'm sure our friend and many other readers would appreciate it (as will I, of course). Thanks in advance!

Service between Hong Kong and Kumamoto. -- KIrk
Hong Kong Airlines resumes services to Kumamoto | TTG Asia
Hong Kong Airlines will restart its direct service to Kumamoto from December 2, operating three flights a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday initially.

Cool article about kids in Ashikita helping build schools in Cambodia. -- Kirk
Children harvest rice in Japan town to help build school in Cambodia - The Mainichi
ASHIKITA, Kumamoto -- A group of elementary school children here harvested rice on Oct. 12 as part of a food education and international aid program t

Kirk here. This bit about 6-nm chips is news to me. In the last post I made on this topic, 12-nm chips were the smallest that were planned (at least according to my sources at the the time).
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid06LX5qcEazk8T2rH9uVM9AXfZhv1XNLWFExREiQMC9KYKJfkoYZbA6VEiXWzAvRo2l
TSMC plans to produce 6-nm chips in 2nd Japan plant
Japanese government considering subsidies of up to $6bn

Kirk here. Response to Mr. Yagi's morning tram photo has been amazing. It's "reach" has been about 200 times the norm for this page.
Click on the following link to see Kumamoto International's greatest post ever (though I'm pretty sure that most anyone reading this is one of the 100,000 or so who have already seen it):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0w1vhkEqcmvUs3CqTH631QUmid5M8U8je8ruG82udMpBbnrUEZDZVcSPtwCqsrrE5l

Kirk here with news that Kumamoto City if becoming more international. After a brief dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign population in the city has grown to 7657, an all-time high (first image). On factor cited on the RKK news segment I'm introducing was TSMC and another was the return of foreign students after the pandemic (second image; they illustrated this with a replay of a segment with exchange students who were studying at my university). This uptick in the foreign population was enough to temporarily reverse the downward trend of the city's population overall.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/771848?display=1&mwplay=1

Kirk here with sad news on the Minamata issue. The government's decision to fight the recent court's decision is yet another illustration of why legal issues are still unresolved after more than half a century. The phrase "justice delayed is justice denied" comes to mind. I think the phrase is particularly apt because many of the plaintiffs are elderly. (For Japanese readers: "Justice delayed is justice denied" can be translated "裁判の遅延は裁判の拒否に等しい" but I think "justice" is a bit broader in meaning an nuance than "裁判.")
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/a86fdd48bf4b-govt-pref-appeal-court-ruling-on-unrecognized-minamata-victims.html
Other articles:
https://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2023101001152
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2023101000904/
Government, prefecture appeal court ruling on unrecognized Minamata victims
Japan's central government and Kumamoto Prefecture says they have appealed a lower court ruling that ordered them and a chemical company to compensate 128 unrecognized victims of the Minamata mercury-poisoning disease.

Kirk here. Public transportation (trains in particular) can get you to Aso, but how do you get around once you're there? I got a notice today about a place in Aso that rents mopeds (they say "小型モビリティ" [small mobility]) for 650 yen an hour.
This came to me because I have a Google alert for 外国人 and 熊本 and the article says, basically, "Foreigners OK too." Well, I should hope so! If they excluded foreigners that would be a real problem. But, on the other hand, it's good to know that they wanted to make a point of saying that they welcome rentals by folks like us. :)
モトライドツアーズ株式会社のプレスリリース（2023年10月10日 10時16分）熊本県阿蘇地域で小型モビリティを活用した観光MaaS実証実験開始（モトライドレンタル）

Kirk here with another news article.
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Under the proposed reforms, local governments will be empowered to draw up plans and issue permits for the construction of factories in urbanization control districts (farmlands and forests), where development is currently restricted under the urban planning law. Japanese laws generally ban converting land set aside for agriculture for any other purposes.
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I glad to see economic development but can't help but feel a little anxious about the loss of farmlands and forests.
By the way, the original article was published in by the Nikkei but it's behind a paywall so I chose this.
Japan To End Restrictions On Acquiring Farmlands, Forests To Promote Rapid Construction Of Factories In Strategic Areas Like Semiconductor, Batteries
The Japanese government is set to ease land use restrictions in a bid to promote the construction of factories for strategically important sectors such as semiconductors, storage batteries and biotechnology, Nikkei reported.

Kirk here with basketball news:
Kumamoto gets back at Kiefer’s Shiga in B.League Division 2
Kiefer's squad slips, Bolick rides bench as Fukushima wins, Roosevelt Adams misses Yamagata game

More high-tech news:
-- Kirk
MA-tek follows big clients as it expands - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Roasso did very well this year against more highly ranked clubs. They got close to making it to the Emperor's Cup final but lost to Kashiwa. -- Kirk
Football: Kashiwa hammer J2 Kumamoto to reach Emperor's Cup final
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/kd1083651217298669644/
Photo from this Kumanichi article:
https://kumanichi.com/articles/1195848

Kirk here with another bit of TSMC news.
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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is making remarkable strides in its $8 billion chip plant project in Kumamoto, Japan. Contrary to challenges faced in the U.S., the Kumamoto project is surpassing expectations, with tool installations scheduled to commence this October and full-scale production slated for 2024. TSMC’s success in Japan can be attributed to the proactive support from the Japanese government and streamlined regulations, enabling swift progress.
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TSMC's Japanese Chip project surges ahead, boosting Global Semiconductor Research - Gizmochina
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is making remarkable strides in its $8 billion chip plant project in Kumamoto, Japan.