http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610170031.html
2016-10-18 18:31 JST 2016 http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610170031.html Students pull out the stops to help Kumamoto pay tribute to victims：The Asahi ShimbunMINAMI-ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--University students forced to flee their campus here because of a s https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610170031.html?utm_i … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 11 · Comments: 0 ← 2016-10-17 23:15 JST 2016-10-18 19:16 JST → Around this time … 2016-10-20 18:53 JSTI just found this page on the Kuma Visit site. If you're looking for a good place to eat, check it out.-- Kirk http://kumavisit.com/where-to-eat/WHERE TO EAT | Kuma Visit 2016-10-20 12:29 JSTIn addition to the six tournaments held each year (three in Tokyo and one each in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka), the big guys conduct exhibition tournaments in such provincial towns as - Kumamoto! Yes! - It is almost time for the Ozumo Kumamoto Basho, which will be held on December 10 at the Prefectural Gymnasium. Tickets run as low as 4,000 yen for nosebleeder seats (but again, this is a small gym, so even the cheap seats are not bad). For an extra 3,000 yen, you can get a special bento, tea, and a bag of "sumo goods."Even if you don't want to shell out the dough to watch the fights, sumo aficionados should mark this date on their calendar: As this is an exhibition match and thus does not count towards their ranking, the wrestlers tend to be low-key and treat their time here as a sort of vacation. Hang out around the gym before or after the event and you'll likely be able to meet some of the sumotori; listen to their conversations and you might figure out where they'll be going to drink that night and maybe join in (happened to me a few years ago). More info is at the link: http://www.tku.co.jp/web/event/kumamotobasho - William 2016-10-19 10:18 JSTClick on the link to find information, in both English and Japanese, about a free artistic event for elementary-school-aged kids to be held at the International Center on November 3rd.https://dancedakuriah.wordpress.comSee alsohttp://streetofart.crayonsite.com-- KirkStreet Of Art 2016-10-19 22:22 JSTHere's an announcement from the Kumamoto International Foundation about an event scheduled for Nov. 5th. I think the "Japanese craft art (chigirie)" is a kind of paper tearing art. With the art and also yoga for kids, it looks like a particularly good event for families with kids.-- Kirk 2016-10-18 19:16 JSTIt's pear season! - or, more precisely, the season for Asian pears (nashi, 梨). The kanji occurs occasionally in family names such as 梨坂 and 梨本. Probably due to some ancient marketing ploy, Western pears are generally referred to in Japanese as "la France" (ラフランス), and the two are not related. The nashi, common from Nepal throughout East Asia, is round and crisp, much more like an apple, and generally peeled before eaten.Unfortunately for many lowland nashi farmers, elevated heat levels have resulted in an historically high level of blight this year, with some farmers losing up to 80% of their crop, as this Kumanichi article explains. http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161018001.xhtmlA common joke is that nashi are healthy because they are low calorie (a play on the homonyms 梨 and 無 - "nothing"), and, sadly for many farmers, it seems the latter will be their incomes this year. - William猛暑、ナシ大打撃 荒尾産・新高“ヤケ”被害広がる－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム 2016-10-18 18:31 JSTStudents pull out the stops to help Kumamoto pay tribute to … (this post) 2016-10-17 23:15 JSTI was asked to participate in an NHK World program (broadcast outside of Japan and on the internet) reflecting on the passage of six months since the earthquakes first struck. I was invited to appear on the show to talk about this Facebook page and how our team of editors tried to get information out in English. My section of the program is toward the end. Earlier on in the program, there's a section about Franck Limoges' work with Michi No Eki Aso. I found appearing on live TV to be a little nerve racking. I was on a live RKK program more than a decade ago but we had a lot more time on that program and we didn't have to plan everything out in advance. Here, the questions were worked out before hand (which, in a way, made it easier) but I had to get my pre-arranged answers out within very clear time limits -- something I'm not very good at.Being a rather self-centered person, I've written mostly about my own part in the program but I think it would be worth watching even if I weren't on it. ;) Take a look!-- KirkP.S. The web page has a detailed text summary of the main parts of the program. Some of you may prefer to scan the text before committing to watching the whole thing. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/newsroomtokyo/aired/20161014.htmlKumamoto Quakes Then and Now - NEWSROOM TOKYO - TV - NHK WORLD - English 2016-10-17 20:37 JSTFireworks bring festive fun to earthquake-hit Kumamoto：The … 2016-10-17 13:19 JSTThe article below is only tangentially related to Kumamoto, but it turns out that the first time liquid baby formula was legally allowed to be consumed in Japan was when it was distributed as aid following the quakes. One thing my parenting experience has taught me is that simply shoveling powdered formula into your infant's mouth is not ... uh ... good. (Note to new parents: hot water is required.) Apparently, though, bureaucratic inertia had not kept pace with food sterilization techniques until (briefly, at least) yesterday. So good for you, new parents! One less thing to worry about!https://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-to-allow-liquid-baby-formula-hoping-more-men-will-join-in-child-rearingOn a similar note, it also turns out that America is sitting on a cheese glut equaling 777,240 cubic meters due to subsidies encouraging production exceeding demand. Meanwhile, here in Japan, we're lucky to get a stick of butter. Think maybe the two sides could allow for the transport of a few thousand cubic meters of cheese? - Williamhttp://www.vox.com/2016/10/13/13268980/cheese-glut-united-statesJapan to allow liquid baby formula, hoping more men will join in child rearing 2016-10-17 08:38 JSTMemorial Service Held for Kumamoto Quake Victims 2016-10-16 23:28 JSTA note from the Kumamoto International entomology desk: Love those little spiders in your house!Now is peak season for Hasarius adansoni, known commonly as Adanson's House Jumper, and "haetori" (ハエトリ, "fly catcher") in Japanese. They're the little black guys with white mandibles (the females often have white spots on their abdomens) who currently occupy most every nook in your house, from the living room to the ofuro.As this article notes: DON'T KILL THEM! They are wonderful animals in many ways:- They jump really fast - really, and have no qualms about hurling themselves off any height;- They eat anything that moves, including mites and small roaches, so will keep your house pest-free;- Though they make small nests for sleeping, they are hunting spiders, so do not make webs;- The species lives in warm climates around the world and was first identified by some French guy named Adanson in Africa over 200 years ago;- They're entertaining to watch on a computer monitor as they chase the cursor around.Like most hunting spiders, they have an eye atop their head that allows them to distinguish light shading but not to visualize objects, so if you place your finger an inch or so behind one, you can observe as he whirls around to see what it is; they only distinguish between prey and not prey, and as your finger falls in the latter category, it is good fun for all.Welcome these lil' guys, and thank them for keeping your home otherwise bug-free. More info with videos at the link. - Williamhttp://rocketnews24.com/2013/06/07/337685/【殺さないで】よく家で見かける「黒くて小さいクモ」の名前が実はメチャクチャかっこいい / しかもハエやゴキブリを食べてくれる！
