Years ago, I was in my hometown near Los Angeles waiting for my wife outside a Japanese supermarket and fell into conversation with an older woman distributing fliers for a shogatusu celebration, and it turned out she had emigrated from Kashima several decades previously. She was shocked to hear my stories of how Kashima had developed since then (huge shopping malls!) Kumanichi has an article on Kumamoto diaspora in LA who have organized a group called “Kumamoto Reconstruction Assistance Hinokuni Festival IN LA Executive Committee” 「熊本復興支援火の国まつりＩＮ　ＬＡ実行委員会」to hold a festival coinciding with the Hinokuni Festival to raise funds for earthquake relief. It’s a small world. Hope the approaching typhoon will not adversely affect the festivities. Enjoy, everyone! - William