This is not about Kumamoto but Takachiho is right on our border with Miyazaki. -- Kirk
2018-11-27 22:22 JST 2018 This is not about Kumamoto but Takachiho is right on our border with Miyazaki. -- Kirk Body found in river after 6 people killed at Miyazaki house：The Asahi ShimbunTAKACHIHO, Miyazaki Prefecture--Police are investigating the deaths of seven people here as a possib https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201811270029.html?utm_i … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 25 · Comments: 1 · Shares: 3 ← 2018-11-27 15:51 JST 2018-11-27 23:55 JST → Around this time … 2018-11-29 20:53 JSTHere's a bit of news (with a video in Japanese) about the activities of the Kumamoto Jikei Hospital, which is known internationally for the "baby hatch" it has established to save the lives of babies that might otherwise be abandoned by their mothers. First of all, if you are unfamiliar with what the people at Jikei Hospital have been doing, here's a link to a set of Japan Times articles to help you catch up.https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/jikei-hospital/Now, here's the news. A variety of Japanese media are reporting that an international association (The IABB --> International Association of Baby Boxes) has been established and that a web site ("HP") has been built for the association. Though nothing is said in the reports that I've seen about the site being multilingual, I thought that the site might have an English side that I could introduce on this page.So, I searched, and searched, and . . . well, you get the idea . . . I came up more-or-less empty handed. I was able to find lots of web-based articles that introduce the new web page as their main story -- but NONE of them include a URL! The failure of Japanese news organizations to provide links -- even when the whole point of the news article is to introduce a web site -- never ceases to amaze me.It was just last month when I had a similar problem finding the web site about tattoo-friendly onsen in Oita that was discussed in an NHK news report:https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2168270769913010I was ultimately able to get the URL by sending an e-mall to the organization that was mentioned in the story.Sigh . . . -- KirkP.S. Here's a link to an NHK article about the new baby box website (which doesn't contain a link to it, of course):https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/kumamoto/20181121/5000003947.htmlhttps://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20181129-00000005-rkkv-l43ベビーボックス国際団体がＨＰ開設（RKK熊本放送） - Yahoo!ニュース 2018-11-29 18:24 JSTWhen my kids were growing up, we were blessed with who we called "tonari no ojisan" (the old guy next door). My kids being bereft of grandparents in Japan, he fulfilled that roll to such an extent that I rigged a calling system between our houses so that he could just push a button and I'd be there to help. He became family.He had a fascinating history. A whiz at mathematics, he was dispatched during the war to the commissary division, but eventually found himself outflanked by allied forces. He talked about how he had to survive on an island by eating insects while isolated as the war enveloped all north of him. (My kids are good at the abacus thanks to him.) He later became a guard for the emperor.As part of that personality trait, he was a compulsive gambler, and I'd oft see him heading for the keirin (競輪、bicycle racing) bus. Along with pachinko and a few other exotic species, keirin is one of the myriad of ways Japanese can gamble.Kumanichi reports that repairs to the Kumamoto velodrome, located in the Suizenji athletic park area, have commenced, but will cost ¥ 2.9 billion. That's about ¥ 2.8 billion more than I have. This includes shrinking the veledrome's stands to add more greenery and parking. This Kumanichi article gives details. Tonari no Ojichan always knew his gambling habit was problematic (when he won, he'd give us a melon, but that was rare). I think he would have approved of this. - William熊本競輪場、再開は21年末以降 雨水処理が検討課題に - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is 2018-11-29 12:47 JSTNew Years is fast approaching, and with it market festivals. Here are two that are musts.Most are familiar with Kokai Shotengai. It began as a market for lower-class samurai in the Edo era (Kokai Bridge didn't exist then, but it was a "watariba" (渡場 - a location for poled ferries) connecting their lower-class housing with the higher-class east side of Shirakawa; it then thrived as a black market during the rationing period following WWII as a place where farmers could evade price controls by selling directly to the masses. The street maintains that scrappy atmosphere. Their festival will begin from 10:00 on Saturday, 12/1.Tasaki Market （田崎市場, Tasaki Ichiba - photo below), the main market for produce and fish in Kumamoto, will hold their annual "Thanksgiving Fair" this Sunday, 12/2. As is usual with this market, it begins early, from 06:30, but will continue to the early afternoon (hint: be there at 06:30). If you've never visited this hidden gem, this is the time to do so. It's a rather lengthy but doable walk from the Tasaki terminus of the streetcar. Dress warmly. - William 2018-11-28 10:44 JSTWow! There's a halal-certified food-processing facility in Amakusa! -- KirkJapanese firm tapping halal Japanese dishes in Singapore 2018-11-27 23:55 JSTPost traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is something I'd always associated with military veterans and thus far removed from my life, but my response to the quakes has provided me an inkling as to the phenomenon. It is of course triggered by ground movement such as nearby construction that shakes the house. This morning, though, I noticed it could be triggered by mere sound: a vehicle producing sound in the same frequency as that preceding a large quake caused my arm hair to rise.My response is subdued - I don't panic, my pulse rate doesn't rise, but I become instantly, intensely aware of my surroundings. I'd like to hear similar stories from those who experienced the quakes. Please comment below. - William 2018-11-27 22:22 JSTThis is not about Kumamoto but Takachiho is right on our …Body found in river after 6 people killed at Miyazaki house：The Asahi Shimbun (this post) 2018-11-27 15:51 JSTToday's Google Doodle caught my eye, so I checked it out. It was Fujita Tsuguharu (藤田 嗣治, ふじた つぐはる), apparently a famous painter who lived between 1886 and 1968. Particularly well-known for his paintings of cats and women, he spent 1913 - 1933 in Paris, enduring WWI there; a serious Francophile, he was naturalized French in 1955. He was also quite a funny-looking fellow.The reason I mention this is, though he was born in Tokyo, he moved to Kumamoto with his family at age 7 and lived here for four years, attending Kumamoto University Fuzoku Elementary School. So there is a connection. His paintings are delightful; Google them. - William 2018-11-27 13:08 JSTKumamoto's pop-up escape room is open again in December. You have one hour to solve the puzzles, break the codes and find all of the hidden treasures. Teams of 2-6 players must work together to escape before time runs out. Although there is some English reading involved, there are plenty of hints available along the way. So far, a Japanese family team and a team of English teachers share the lead, with a break-out time of 1 hour 3 minutes. No-one has managed to escape in under an hour...yet. There's a prize for the first team to do so! The game costs 1000 yen per player (500 yen for elementary/junior high school students). There is a 20% discount available if you can send the answer to a puzzle with your booking. To make a reservation, check opening times or find out more information, please visit the ESCAPE FROM BRITZ Facebook page.Fiona 2018-11-27 10:10 JSTKumamoto Booklovers are still going strong, heading into our 15th year! This is what we'll be reading and talking about over our monthly dinners in 2019. New members are always welcome, just join the Kumamoto Booklovers Facebook group to keep up with what we're doing.January City of Thieves, David Benoiff February Reservoir 13, Jon McGregor March Commonwealth, Ann PatchettApril In Cold Blood, Truman CapoteMay The Last Samurai, Hellen DeWitt June What it means when a man falls from the sky, Lesley Nneka ArimahJuly Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood September The Gangster We Are All Looking For, Lè Thi Diem Thúy October My Year of Dirt and Water, Tracy Franz November Clothes clothes clothes music music music boys boys boys, Viv AlbertineFiona 2018-11-25 21:56 JSTKirk had asked me about the photo of deer on the beach in Akune, and I thought the response deserved a separate post. A 15-minute walk from the JR Orange Line station will bring you to Shin Akune Port, from which a 10-minute ferry ride, uh, ferries you to the uninhabited Akune Ooshima. It's a rather large island but lacks water - hence, the "uninhabited" part. The island has been selected in both "Top 100 Coastal Pine Trees" and "Top 100 Beaches" sections of list-crazy Japan, but it's also home to a large number of deer who say,"Hey, Hal, do you wanna eat grass, or shall we visit the tourists on the beach, who will feed us unhealthy snacks?"One can guess how Hal responds.There are facilities on the island, including lodging, but they are highly seasonal, though the island is open year-round. A call to their tourist center might be wise before a visit. Info is at the link. - Williamhttp://www.akune-oshima.com/ 2018-11-25 21:55 JSTThis video is of a TV show that was a prequel to a contest that was held today. I caught the end of it on NHK and was very impressed with the performance of the school from Yatsushiro. They won! You can get a taste of their winning technology about 19 minutes into this video.I think the level of the competition is really amazing. The field is obviously moving forward quickly.At any rate, congratulations to all Robocon Club members from Yatsushiro Kosen (熊本高等専門学校八代キャンパス)!https://ynctdenken.web.fc2.com-- KirkサイエンスZERO▽高専ロボコン直前SP 今年はロボット同士の華やかな空中戦！
