Arao has a very attractive and informative English website: http://arao-kankou.jp/language/english/
2015-03-29 19:00 JST 2015 Arao has a very attractive and informative English website: http://arao-kankou.jp/language/english/ ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 14 · Comments: 1 · Shares: 0 ← 2015-03-29 11:03 JST 2015-03-29 19:42 JST → Around this time … 2015-03-31 11:49 JSTHere's something that was posted to this page a few minutes ago by Paul Beaufait:--- start quote ---Facebook searches I've tried have failed to turn up anything like this, so I'd like to share a pointer to a site where you can sign-up for email disaster alerts in Japanese for Kumamoto City:https://www2.fastalarm.jp/kumamoto/htdocs/ (熊本市災害情報メール)Once you submit an email address (via the topmost link), and follow the link in a follow-up message that you'll receive, you'll need to make selections from a variety of menu options: some quite fine-grained (e.g.: earthquakes filtered by intensity and location), and others not-so (e.g.: volcanic eruptions throughout the archipelago).One morning last week, for example, I received an air-quality alert for high concentrations of fine particulate matter (< 2.5 µ), and another as soon as the concentrations diminished. --- end quote ---Thanks Paul! This is a good service. I think it shouldn't be too terribly difficult for the city to make versions of it in other languages (the phrases needed could be pre-programmed so that the messages could be generated more-or-less automatically) but for now we only have Japanese.https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/467992026683385 2015-03-31 18:47 JSTMost of this video put out by Kumamoto University focuses on what makes Kumamoto a nice place to live and study.https://youtu.be/97S964eXROQAct Now! Kumamoto University for International Students 2015-03-31 09:58 JSTThe graphic, taken from the web (https://pixta.jp/illustration/7017579), illustrates the controversy over the differing "weight" of votes in different parts of Japan. If two districts both elect one representative to the national government but one district has a larger population than the other, the votes cast by people in the larger district "weigh" less:--- start quote ---The Fukuoka High Court, in its Wednesday decision, ruled that the elections in the constituencies of Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita and Kumamoto prefectures were “unconstitutional” but did not go as far as to invalidate the results. --- end quote ---http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/03/29/editorials/letting-popular-will-prevail/Letting popular will prevail | The Japan Times 2015-03-30 16:44 JSTHere are some pictures of the festivities in Kengun yesterday. Next year, I'll try to let everyone know about this in advance. See alsohttps://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/804358952970872 2015-03-29 19:42 JSTThe photo is from the following article about karate training in Kumamoto:http://www.thevanguard.ca/Sports/2015-03-26/article-4090703/Milton-Bourque-off-to-Japan-for-highlevel-karate-training/--- start quote ---Bourque, a fifth-degree black belt in the Chito-ryu style and chief instructor of the Mukashi Karate club in Yarmouth County, was interviewed March 23, two days before he was scheduled to leave for Kumamoto, Japan, where he was planning to spend a couple of weeks training.Bourque and Mitchell German, a Clare native living in the Halifax area, are the only two Nova Scotians who made the trip. In Japan they would get to train with Soke Sensei, the supreme instructor for the Chito-ryu style of karate.--- end quote --The Chito-ryu has come up on this page several times in the past. See, for example,https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/777968468943254andhttps://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/10153910578375655You can find a brief summary of some of the history of this school of karate here:http://bcchitokai.com/history.htmlIf you read Japanese, check out the following page:https://ja-jp.facebook.com/pages/%E4%B8%80%E8%88%AC%E8%B2%A1%E5%9B%A3%E6%B3%95%E4%BA%BA-%E5%9B%BD%E9%9A%9B%E5%8D%83%E5%94%90%E6%B5%81%E7%A9%BA%E6%89%8B%E9%81%93%E9%80%A3%E7%9B%9F/255418737997021 2015-03-29 19:00 JSTArao has a very attractive and informative English website: (this post) 2015-03-29 11:03 JSTHere's a photo of the cherry blossoms that I took near my home yesterday.Posted by Kirk 2015-03-28 17:09 JSTI'm not sure, but I think this may be a first: The advertisement of a house for sale on Kumamoto-i. --- start quote ---We are moving, and our home of 12 years is for sale. It has had many improvements done over time. There are two kitchens and various separate living spaces--also a large separate office. There are five upstairs bedrooms, and parking for 5 cars. Suitable for a school, large family, two separate families, etc. A photo walk-through is available: http://bit.ly/1CQCcTZ Located in Minami-Kumamoto (just south of Rte. 57), about a 20 minute drive to the castle. If interested, p;lease contact Ann by email:[email protected]You are welcome to view the house (Miukinishi 1-14-18) by appointment.--- end quote ---https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/13191Yahoo! Groups 2015-03-27 19:00 JSTI recently happened upon the results of the 19th “Kusamakura” Haiku Competition sponsored by Kumamoto City. As you can see, awards are given for submissions in English as well as in Japanese. The Japanese side of the website says that the detail regarding this year's competition will be announced on June 1st.Posted by Kirkhttp://kusamakura-haiku.jp/backnumber/2012/english_e.html 2015-03-24 20:41 JSTKumamoto University is advertising three new academic positions. Applications are due by the end of April. For details please go tohttps://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/13190 2015-03-23 20:00 JSTOn March 20th, Japan marked the 20th anniversary of the subway nerve gas (sarin) attack by members of the Aum Supreme Truth cult.This article looks at the cult's roots in Kumamoto. The "guru" at the center of the cult, Asahara Shoko (Matsumoto Chizuo) was born into a family of tatami mat makers in Yatsushiro City and later based the cult in Aso.According to the article, if Kumamoto police had been able to cooperate better with other law enforcement agencies, the activities of the cult might have been significantly curtailed before they were able to commit major acts of terrorism.--- start quote ---There had been a chance to cut deep into the cult before the incident when the group was charged by Kumamoto prefectural police with violation of the National Land Utilization Law in 1990.But the police in Kumamoto and other prefectures concerned conducted investigations of the cult separately due to conflicts over jurisdiction, which made it impossible for law enforcement nationwide to establish a system under which they could work together to deal with the cult.--- end quote ---http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002020444Expert: Attack shows need to anticipate urban terror risks
