Tamana is not a location that arises in most people’s minds when considering Kumamoto. Tamana has strawberries. And goldfish. The two don’t go well together unless you’re into extreme cuisine.
But they do have Kanakuri Shisou (金栗 四三, かなくり しそう), who was actually from Nagomi but attended school in Tamana as, at the time, (around 1900), Tamana was the closest place where schools existed. Kanakuri-san is famous for many reasons but primarily for introducing athletics to Japan, and is the origin of the name of our main stadium, KK Wing (Kana Kuri).
Anyway, NHK has this morning drama called “Taiga Drama”, (大河ドラマ), always from 8:00 and which my wife would rather die than miss. Their next series will produce a representation of Kanakuri’s life, and Kumanichi reports that preparation has begun of a set in Tamana. Northern Kumamoto is a rather ignored location. Perhaps this series will bring greater attention to the strawberries and goldfish. - William
