Kumamoto International Archive

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

Kirk with a Japanese-language video news report of the Hifuri-shinji (fire-swinging ceremony) at Aso Jinja. Some non-Japanese participants are interviewed. Anyone you know?
再建進む阿蘇神社　火振り神事美しく（ＫＫＴ熊本県民テレビ） - Yahoo!ニュース
熊本地震からの再建が進む阿蘇神社で、伝統の「火振り神事」が行なわれた。午後７時ごろご神体が阿蘇神社の参道に到着すると、氏子たちが火をつけたカヤの束を振り回して出迎えた。勇壮な火振り神事は、神の婚

Kirk here with a share from the Kurashi-no Nihogo Club Facebook page. The page presents information about opportunities to study Japanese in Kumamoto. This particular post is about an opportunity in the West Ward of Kumamoto City. The page also presents information about Kumamoto in simple Japanese (やさしい日本語). Participating in Japanese classes is not just a way of learning Japanese -- it's also a way of meeting people (other students and Japanese people who come as volunteers, etc.).
https://www.facebook.com/kurashinonihongo/posts/pfbid035V9KRb5xA2ejK7ArAbQZeTCsD54oVtXG34FKdtMYe5pnB6xueJoqz41Y72NssQKJl

William How one feels about zoos is likely inversely proportionate with one's place on the food chain (the more likely one is to be eaten, the more positive one feels about carnivores being caged). Kumanichi notes that a male baby chimpanzee dubbed "Ren" has been moved to public display at the tender age of one. Apparently, Ren was born between Marc (male, estimated 43 years old) and Milk (female, 16 years old) - so you old guys out there: Don't get your hopes down!
The zoo has free parking and is a brisk 15 minute walk from the eponymous tram stop. It was located there due to its abundance of water springs, providing an unlimited amount of pristine water (it was originally located near Suizenji Park but moved due to lack of space). Bring some change to enjoy attractions such as the glass house and elevated tram.
Kumanichi has a dozen adorable photos of the lil' guy (pro hint: humans should avoid posing like this in public to avoid jail - but, hey, he's only one).
https://kumanichi.com/articles/977376

Kirk here announcing that cherry blossoms will bloom a little early this year:
--- start quote ---
Other cities in the Kyushu region are predicted to see cherry blossoms blooming four to six days earlier than usual.
Fukuoka is followed by Miyazaki on March 17, Kumamoto on March 18, Oita, Nagasaki and Saga on March 19 and Kagoshima on March 20.
--- end quote ---
Warmer weather means cherry blossoms even earlier this year | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
Japan will likely see cherry blossoms earlier than usual this year thanks to warmer weather.

Kirk here sharing a post about cherry blossoms in Minami Aso Sakura Park (南阿蘇桜公園). I think this variety is kawazuzakura (河津桜), which blooms a little earlier than the popular some-yoshino (ソメイヨシノ) variety. I'll post later today about the projected blooming date for that variety -- which is almost here!
P.S. Thanks to Ngo Thuy for the post. If, like me, you can't read Vietnamese, you should be able to click on an automatic translation.
https://www.facebook.com/ngo.thuy.794/posts/pfbid0zvraCecDQzrtGNcrtKmaTnTpFG6un6nTsjYxdDq6zT55XHS8KzsE9yXR5trsW9cNl

Kirk here with a share from Kuma Visit about free bus and trolley rides (!!) on March 18th (next week). This is just one of many valuable bilingual posts that has appeared on Kuma Visit recently. If you are unfamiliar with the page or haven't looked at it lately, take a moment to check out the most recent posts!
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/pfbid08QCfCpezn6VpSzrH5682nHR3htpVaKGe1exXzbHKY74AYg98MBYPrCPX3L6tYWsdl

Kirk here. Prefectural high schools in Kumamoto have long held "morning extracurricular classes" (朝課外; asa kagai) to help students prepare for university entrance exams. Recently, the head of the prefectural board of education (pictured responding to questions in the prefectural assembly) announced the board's decision to abolish the practice at prefectural schools. Getting to school in time for these early classes was difficult for pupils and their parents and was also in conflict with the Ministry of Education's call for more autonomous study. The article doesn't say anything about private schools. Have private schools been holding such classes? If so, I assume they may continue because the article only mentions a change in prefectural schools.
「朝課外」を3月末で廃止　熊本の全県立高　実施数十年　主体的な学び促し、教員や保護者の負担軽減｜熊本日日新聞社
　白石伸一熊本県教育長は8日、教育課程に含まれない任意の補習として長年続いてきた「朝課外」について、全ての県立高が今月末で廃止することを決めたと明らかにした。新学習指導要領が重視する主体的な学びを促し.....

Kirk here. The other day William posted about tsubaki (camellia) and sazanka (camellia sasanqua):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02pEea3Y1YR7bwKSSH8iYE9fNvfpW3vmqLL71ZHctNbQfzBn41ntJqqmCMfzc8ekPsl
According to this RKK report, an exhibition of Higo tsubaki (a kind favored by samurai in this area) is in progress at Suizenji Jojuen (Suizenji Park). The exhibition has been prepared by the Higo Tsubaki Kyokai (The HIgo Tsubaki Association), which has members in Germany, Italy and China. It will end on the 12th (Sunday).
海外の愛好家にも人気「肥後つばき」の展示会が始まる | 熊本のニュース｜RKK熊本放送
肥後六花（ひごろっか）の一つ、肥後つばきの展示会が3月9日から熊本市で始まりました。水前寺成趣園（じょうじゅえん）の中で行われているこの展示会は、2023年で38回目を迎えます。会場には、肥後つばき協会の会…

Kirk here with news about International Women's Day, which was yesterday, in Kumamoto. I came across this article about research by Mari Miura of Sophia University. Prof. Miura has ranked all prefectures in Japan by gender equity in various domains. All in all, the situation in Kumamoto is not very good.
Here are Kumamoto's rankings in the four major domains of the survey (see circular graph):
* Politics: 38th of 47
* Administration: 40th of 47
* Education: 18th of 47
* Economics: 10th of 47
One thing I don't like about how this index has been published is that the details are behind a paywall. For your reference, the site with the basic data (only in Japanese at this point) can be found here:
https://digital.kyodonews.jp/gender2023/
I had a lot of trouble finding a page that was not behind a paywall that would tell me what indices made up each domain but I finally found this for 2022:
https://digital.kyodonews.jp/gender2022/paid_ranking
I learned from this page that the "administration" domain, in which Kumamoto is near the bottom, is made up of 10 indices of male-female ratios in various regional committees and management positions in the regional government.
At any rate, the area in which Kumamoto is worst is the make up of the prefectural assembly. Female representation is lower there than any other analogous governing body in Japan. Wikipedia says that only 2 of the 47 members are women.
https://nordot.app/1005991502485028864
Since Japan's ranking in international gender equality indices is abysmal, being toward the bottom in Japan is pretty darn bad, I'm afraid. :( But, I hope that Prof. Miura's work will lead to continued improvement.
熊本の政治、男女の格差大きく　4分野の指数公表　県議会ワースト、行政も40位　【都道府県別ジェンダー】｜熊本日日新聞
上智大の三浦まり教授らでつくる「地域からジェンダー平等研究会」は8日の国際女性デーに合わせ、各都道府...

Fiona here with news of a book published by longtime friend of Kumamoto-i Charmaine Minami. "`Double or Half?` is a light-hearted rhyming story complemented by captivating illustrations, that will appeal to children aged 3 to 8, especially those from bicultural or multicultural backgrounds. Set in Japan, with its wonderfully positive and self-affirming message, the story will also appeal to a much wider audience of `half`, `quarter` or `mixed` children all around the world."
My copy of the book arrived this morning and it is indeed a charming story, beautifully illustrated and I can't wait to read it with my students. My own children are in their twenties now but I'm sure they would relate to the big question the boy in the story asks himself.
Huge congratulations to Charmaine on her first published book! It's available to buy in paperback on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Charmaine-Minami/dp/B0BW27PCFB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33A64A2Y1W4GN&keywords=Charmaine+minami&qid=1678340520&sprefix=charmaine+minami+%2Caps%2C569&sr=8-1

Kirk here with an old bit of news that is not Kumamoto specific but applies to Kumamoto as it does to other parts of Japan. The gist of the Japanese headline is "Questioned 30 times by the police because of his appearance (racial profiling)."
As I pointed out in a post about this topic last year, we (whether we have Japanese citizenship or not) are required by law to comply when police question us. The law also states, however, that they may use their questioning power when there is a suspicion of a crime. So, they're not supposed to be questioning people just because they don't appear to be Japanese. It's been a long time since I've been questioned but, if it happens to me again, after politely answering all of the questions I plan to ask if there was some reasonable suspicion of a crime that caused them to want to question me. If they say "no" I'll ask if their questioning me was within the law. If they say "yes" I'll be curious to know what it was that they suspected or what led them to think their questioning me was reasonable under the law.
Here's last year's post on this topic:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0JA8HisVcPkQfrvusav29z2YwNYjmaoHJVZkvPYVHjHy7So8VrzdgffirSGWShtnjl
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20221007/k10013847801000.html
P.S. My interactions with the police in Japan have been largely positive. And, it may be that problems of this sort are more common in Tokyo than Kumamoto. Nonetheless, I have had a few negative experiences here and hope that police awareness of why racial profiling is problematic increases. The fact that the term レイシャルプロファイリング (racial profiling) is beginning to be used in Japanese strikes me as a positive sign; it's hard to point something out if you can't name it properly in the language of the person you are speaking to.
職務質問30回身に覚えはないのに… レイシャルプロファイリングとは | NHK | WEB特集
【NHK】人種や民族などで職務質問や取り調べをする対象を選別するレイシャルプロファイリングがあるのではないかと東京弁護士会が指摘

William An update on Kumamoto City's conundrum regarding citizenry for non-Japanese (Google translate of a Kumanichi article - I guess this means we can ignore garbage regulations):
On the 7th, the city of Kumamoto decided to remove the wording from the revision of the city's basic ordinance on self-government, stating that the definition of "citizens" includes foreigners. reported. The decision was made based on the fact that there were many opposing voices in the public comment period.
The current ordinance stipulates that "citizens" are residents of the city, commuters to work or school in the city, business operators, local groups, and civic activity groups in the city. Until now, the city has said that foreigners will also be eligible if they meet the requirements, but the aim was to create an environment where foreigners can easily participate in urban development as "regional leaders" by stating it in the ordinance.
At the city council's Education and Citizens Committee that day, several members pointed out, "If foreigners are included in the definition of citizens in the current ordinance, there is no need to dare to specify it." Kenichi Yokota, the director of the city's culture and citizenship bureau, responded, "If the local community is going to be confused, it is premature at this point to stipulate it."
Public opinions will be solicited for one month until January 18th. A total of 1,476 people (457 of whom were residents of the city) submitted 1,888 opinions (588 of them), most of which were against the revision bill. There was also a series of misunderstandings such as, "It will give foreigners the right to vote."
In response to this, Mayor Kazufumi Onishi emphasized, "The revision will lead to antipathy towards foreigners, and it won't do anything if it creates friction." He has postponed the submission of the revised bill to the regular city council as originally planned.
After the committee meeting, Director Yokota clearly stated that he was "moving to delete the wording from the article." He explained that he would reconsider the contents of the revised bill.
熊本市民に外国人「明文化は時期尚早」　自治基本条例改正案、文言を削除へ｜熊本日日新聞社
　熊本市は7日、市自治基本条例の「市民」の定義に外国人を含むと条文に明記する改正案について、「明文化は時期尚早だった」として文言を削除する方針を固め、市議会に報告した。意見公募で、反対の声が多く寄せら.....

Kirk here with rugby news:
"Sponsored by Taisho Pharmaceutical, the teams will compete for the 2023 Lipovitan-D Challenge Cup kicking off Saturday 8 July, at Tokyo’s historic Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo before a second match on Saturday, July 15 at Egao Kenko Stadium in Kumamoto."
All Blacks XV to play two matches in Japan
The All Blacks XV will play two matches in Japan against the Japan XV in Tokyo and the Brave Blossoms in Kumamoto this July, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Japan Rugby Football Union (JFRU) have announced today.

William Passing an elderly man pruning, I remarked, 「椿がきれいですね」and without looking up, he retorted 「椿でなくて山茶花。」("Beautiful tsubaki!" - "They're not tsubaki; they're sazanka.")
After all these years in Japan, I should have known. Both are members of the tea family (yes! steep their leaves for an adventurous drink!), but the Camelia sasanqua blooms about a month earlier (which is now) than the better well-known Camellia sinensis. Wikipedia notes, "The generic name Camellia is taken from the Latinized name of Rev. Georg Kamel, (1661–1706)." (Kirk makes me cite my sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sinensis)
An interesting point about both variants is that they bloom before bugs awake. This explains their wide-splayed petals and large pollen amount: they are pollenated by birds.
Pictured: Sazanka (annoy botanists at your peril).

Kirk here. My posts about how puctual Kumamoto Airport is have gotten many more views than posts on other topics. So, I thought I'd share this commercial about the opening of the of the renovated airport building. Here's the URL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9bC07Lwwc4

Atsuko here, sharing the view of SUIZENJI Park in early spring.ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧
https://fb.watch/j423pnlI9S/

Ruth here with a reminder to wear something green if you're downtown on Saturday, 11th March, from 2-4pm, as that's when the Kumamoto St.Patrick's Day Parade will be held ☘️ There's also an afterparty at Celts on Shimotori from 4-6pm for those who are interested!! 🍻 More details on the parade and proceedings here: https://www.kumamoto-ireland.org/
Thank you to everyone who came out these three Sundays to practice some Irish dances! 🎶 Your participation was greatly appreciated! If anyone is interested in joining future Irish Dance Circle events certainly let me know 👍

Joha(nnes) here from Minamiaso Village.
There is an upcoming multicultural event here in Minamiaso Village (Michi-no-eki "Aso-bō no sato", Kugino) on March 11, 2023. The event aims to promote a better understanding of multicultural residents in general and of course provide an opportunity to catch up with other residents from abroad in the rural areas of Aso. Details can be found at the link below.
https://www.vill.minamiaso.lg.jp/kiji0032350/index.html

Kirk here. Though it may be too late (I'm not sure) I'd like to go ahead and share this post from Mr. Yagi:
https://www.facebook.com/hiromitsu.yagi/posts/pfbid0VHEBLcsjEVJFShsV6oHacKVnTj9pCqvAsjbVF86pP3X7wfGZT3PEM3qPwD2c9692l?notif_id=1677825753024087&notif_t=close_friend_activity&ref=notif

Kirk here with another report on how punctual Kumamoto Airport is:
"Third place went to Aso Kumamoto Airport in the city of Kumamoto with a 92.3% on-time departure rate."
Miyazaki has world's best on-time departure rate in 'small airports' category - The Mainichi
MIYAZAKI -- Miyazaki Bougainvillea Airport in this southwestern Japan city had the world's highest on-time departure rate in the