Thanks for sharing this, Jessica!
2014-07-14 11:13 JST 2014 Thanks for sharing this, Jessica! Jessica And Rob's Adventure : Mt. Nakadake in Aso, Tsujunkyo, and Gorogataki Falls http://jessicaandrobertg.blogspot.jp/2014/07/mt-nakadake-in- … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 7 · Comments: 0 ← 2014-07-13 22:49 JST 2014-07-16 17:31 JST → Around this time … 2014-07-18 16:05 JSTThis is about a Kumamoto-based company that has invented a video stabilizer for iPhones. I haven't decided what to do yet but personally I'm temped to contribute $79 and get my hands on a prototype.http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/compact-iphone-camera-stabilizer-launches-on-kickstarter-16-07-2014/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gizmon/elephant-steady-smallest-stabilizer-everCompact iPhone Camera Stabilizer Launches On Kickstarter (video) 2014-07-17 18:33 JSTI've been meaning to share posts from this excellent blog about Kurokawa Onsen but have been a bit distracted lately. This is one of many posts that onsen-lovers should enjoy.http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-1/Onsen-hop # 1: `Kurokawaso` 2014-07-17 18:36 JST----- quote ----In a lecture early this month, Sadao Togashi, a professor emeritus of law at Kumamoto University, spoke of recent recognition that not only coastal residents but also dwellers of upland districts near the Shiranui Sea became affected after eating contaminated fish purchased from vendors.“The central and prefectural governments have never conducted comprehensive, broad-based health checks,” he said. “Meanwhile, medical research on Minamata disease has focused mainly on patients with serious symptoms, overlooking only mildly symptomatic patients.---- end quote ----http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/09/national/dont-forget-minamata-disease-say-lobbyists-organizing-major-lecture-series/Lecture series keeps Minamata in spotlight | The Japan Times 2014-07-16 17:31 JST"Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday effectively gave its approval for the restarting of two nuclear reactors in Kagoshima prefecture, southwestern Japan, recognizing their compliance with stricter safety regulations created after the Fukushima nuclear accident."The reactor is not in Kumamoto but it is quite close to southern Kumamoto.http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/108619.phpJapan reactors gain safety clearance 2014-07-16 17:38 JSTNew facility offers virtual tour of volcanic Mt. Aso in … 2014-07-14 11:13 JSTThanks for sharing this, Jessica!Jessica And Rob's Adventure : Mt. Nakadake in Aso, Tsujunkyo, and Gorogataki Falls (this post) 2014-07-13 22:49 JSTI shared a picture of a church in Sakitsu (Amakusa) the other day. The Japanese post that contained the picture I shared was prompted by the decision to apply for world heritage status.https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/669557379784364http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/108550.phpHere's another article from the Japan Times:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/10/national/japan-recommend-christian-sites-world-heritage-list/"A government panel on Thursday endorsed churches and other Christian sites in Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures as candidates for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listing in 2016."Govt to recommend Nagasaki churches as world heritage 2014-07-13 22:33 JSTIt seems that the main attractions at this "Happy Kumamoto Summer Festival" will be Kumamon and a few other yurukyara. Date: July 20Time: 17:00 - 20:00Place: Near Kumamoto Station (see Japanese text for details)http://kumanago.jp/topics/?mode=detail&id=1119The picture is from last year:http://k-topics.blogspot.jp/2013/07/blog-post_17.html 2014-07-10 21:35 JSTOne reader (who shall remain nameless because the message came to me privately) opined thusly:"news from your page are flooding my newsfeed with the Taifoon information. Please remember The Boy Who Cried Wolf story. "It turns out that the reader didn't intend to imply that I was exaggerating or distorting the information that I was introducing. Still, I didn't appreciate the reference to "crying wolf" because, in the story, the problem was NOT that the boy delivered too many factual reports about actual wolf sightings and argued too often that precautions should be taken. The problem was that the boy lied and claimed that there was a wolf nearby when there wasn't. An important difference, I think.Nonetheless, the reader was probably not alone in thinking that I posted too often. Perhaps so. But it's hard to know in advance exactly what information will be considered to be useful and what won't. As a matter of fact, a link to an article describing the evacuation of Amakusa earlier this week, something that I posted as an afterthought, not thinking that it was particularly useful, turned out to be the most popular post of the week; several people chose to forward it and it wound up getting over 3,000 views. Though I try to avoid posting junk, I think I'd rather follow a "when in doubt, share on the page" policy and let readers sort out what they do and do not find to be of interest.Well, if I didn't "cry wolf" perhaps Japanese officials did. There were some comments about last night's evacuation notices being overreactions. Of course, in retrospect, the evacuations were not necessary. On the other hand, given the information available at the time, I think the officials probably made a good call for two reasons. 1. Storm systems are chaotic systems, which means that their course, where and how much water they dump, etc. cannot be predicted with complete accuracy. 2. I know that at least one of the areas that was evacuated, Hitoyoshi, is very flood-prone and has a history of serious (and deadly) floods. Heavy rain can produce very different results in different places.By the way, one issue that got a good deal of coverage on TV was a premature rescinding of a warning in Okinawa. As I recall from what I saw on TV, the storm system seemed to have passed but after meteorologists rescinded a warning a very narrow band of intense rain appeared over a populated area. I think the point is that when you are dealing with the weather, prediction is a very difficult business. Personally, I would rather that pubic officials err on the side of caution.I learned a few other lessons in the process of trying to maintain the page this week but I think I'll stop writing for now. Have a nice weekend, everyone! 2014-07-10 09:51 JSTThere are no more "warnings" for Kumamoto, only "advisories."http://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/349_table.html 2014-07-10 06:31 JSTThis little video of changes in satellite images shows the storm dissolving.http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/region/japan/1/Storm warnings, however, are still under effect.
