This is a favorite of mine. Shared by Kirk http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-10-yamamizuki/
2015-06-01 19:22 JST 2015 This is a favorite of mine. Shared by Kirk http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-10-yamamizuki/ Onsen-hop #10 `Yamamizuki`For this week`s report I decided to pop back to try the outdoor bath at a very popular inn `Yamamizuki` (山みず木 21 on the English Map) that I had previo http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-10-yamamizuki/ ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 4 · Comments: 0 ← 2015-06-01 18:50 JST 2015-06-03 19:32 JST → Around this time … 2015-06-05 12:53 JSTHere's some information from the June issue of the SHISEI-DAYORI about health check ups for residents who are 40 years of age or older. For the details, please click the link below:http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/topics/topics_detail.asp?PageID=5&ID=7866&pg=1&sort=0&LC=e 2015-06-06 08:40 JSTDid you know that Kumamoto has an international haiku competition? Poets from all over the world submit poems in English through the web. The deadline is September 9 and 50,000 yen will be awarded to the winning submission.http://kusamakura-haiku.jp/index_e.html 2015-06-04 18:26 JSTHere's some information about an opportunity to get some help learning the Japanese language.http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/event/event_detail.asp?1=1&kiji_id=7406&LC=e&yy=2015&mm=5&id=2&PageType=calTag: LearnJapanese 2015-06-05 07:31 JSTIf you are following the news, you know that there is a big spat going on between Okinawa's Governor Onaga and the Abe administration about the relocation of a base in Henoko. It seems that some of the gravel, etc that will be used to reclaim land for the project is likely to come from Amakusa.--- start quote ---“It is a business opportunity,” said a senior official with the Kumamoto prefectural confederation of operators of quarries, although he said landing such a deal is far from guaranteed. “To some operators, it could represent the bulk of their sales in value.”Goshourajima island in Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, is widely seen as a prospective site for supplying dirt for the base.--- end quote ---http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201506010067Conservation groups focus on suppliers to thwart U.S. base construction in Okinawa - AJW by The... 2015-06-03 19:32 JSTThe recent heavy rains led to at least one evacuation order (Ushibuka in Amakusa) and this landslide in Sakamoto Machi (in the Yatsushiro area). Other responsibilities prevented me from sharing warnings, etc. here, but I have some links on my "Kumamoto Links" page that may be helpful if the rains get heavy again. Look in "Weather" section for the "Kumamoto Disaster Prevention Information" links:http://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~masden/links.htmlPosted by Kirkhttp://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20150603004.xhtml八代市坂本町で１５世帯孤立 県南中心に大雨－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム 2015-06-01 19:22 JSTThis is a favorite of mine.Onsen-hop #10 `Yamamizuki` (this post) 2015-06-01 18:50 JSTThe earthquake that occurred at 8:30 PM Saturday felt fairly weak here in Kumamoto but it was actually a huge event in terms of the rang of the shaking.http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002188980Depth of quake caused widespread shaking 2015-06-01 08:21 JSTAccording to an article published on the Scientific American website last year, the increased volcanic activity we are seeing throughout Japan (and, of course, including Mt Aso) may be related to the 2011 quake:"Japan's massive 2011 earthquake may trigger more, and larger, volcanic eruptions over the next few decades, perhaps even that of Mount Fuji - but predicting them remains close to impossible, a volcano expert said on Friday."http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/japan-s-volcanoes-made-more-jittery-by-2011-quake/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/29/national/volcano-erupts-isle-kagoshima-prompting-evacuation-order/#.VWm2c2Cyty4Volcano erupts on Kuchinoerabu isle off Kagoshima, prompting evacuation order | The Japan Times 2015-05-31 18:09 JSTHere's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!https://vimeo.com/126226639 2015-05-30 12:43 JSTImmediately after the huge eruption on Kuchinoerabu Island, the claim that "Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso" doesn't ring true. "There is some concern that Mount Fuji is showing signs of eruption in the near future, but as things stand, Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso, in Aso Kujū national park on the southern island of Kyushu. It has one of the largest calderas in the world, offering myriad viewpoints over its twisted, pitted landscape." On the other hand, with a qualifier such as "one of the most," I think the statement is eminently defensible. I saw a local news broadcast recently in which an expert pointed out that the volcano is likely to become more dangerous in the rainy season (June to early July).By the way, here's a link to a news article about the eruption in Kuchinoerabu Island, in Kagoshima Prefecture:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/29/national/volcano-erupts-isle-kagoshima-prompting-evacuation-order/#.VWkvumCyu0wPosted by Kirkhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/27/top-10-active-volcanoesTop 10 active volcanoes to see up close 2015-05-29 10:15 JSTUnfortunately, Kumamoto seems to be the home of the poorest region in Japan. The Kuma area is beautiful but I guess the natural beauty of the area doesn't necessarily help people earn money. "The Gini coefficient for them rose from 0.083 to 0.088, and the difference in the average income between the highest ranking, Minato Ward in Tokyo, and the poorest, Kuma village in Kumamoto Prefecture, jumped from 4.7-fold to 6.5-fold."I think that the average age of the residents is a factor here. When young people leave a rural area in order to move to an urban area, it leaves a higher proportion of elderly people, who tend to have very modest incomes. If you click on the following link, you'll find a chart comparing the age distribution in Kuma Village with that of Japan as a whole (the graph on the left side of the page). The graph shows that the age distribution in Kuma Village is heavily skewed to right (the elderly). http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:Demography43513.svgHere's a map showing the location of Kuma Village:https://goo.gl/maps/2JnvDhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/05/24/commentary/japan-commentary/piketty-boom-fading-too-fast/#.VWMexVmqqkoPosted by KirkPiketty boom fading too fast | The Japan Times