For art lovers . . . -- Kirk https://www.facebook.com/fukuokanow/posts/10156164714652810?__tn__=-R
2019-02-20 08:41 JST 2019 For art lovers . . . -- Kirk https://www.facebook.com/fukuokanow/posts/10156164714652810?__tn__=-R ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 8 · Comments: 0 · Shares: 2 ← 2019-02-19 20:51 JST 2019-02-20 09:30 JST → Around this time … 2019-02-22 18:50 JSTA note from the Kumamoto International Public Transportation Desk (we're located on a tram): The argument regarding whether the railway spur to the airport would commence from Sanrigi or Ozu has been settled in favor of the former with an additional stop at the Athletic Park (Undou Koen), a ten-kilometer spur. Kumanichi reports that JR has agreed to shoulder 1/3 of the cost but did not report on the remainder. Kumamoto Airport has been privatized and a new terminal is planned to open in 2023, so perhaps that corporation will kick in some dough with the government picking up the rest. The line should reduce travel time between Kotsu Center and the airport from an hour to 40 minutes. - Williamhttps://kumanichi.com/news/862953/ 2019-02-21 10:32 JSTGondolas were a big thing when I was young. Disneyland had one connecting Fantasyland to Tomorrowland, passing through a gap in the Matterhorn. But difficult to maintain and subject to severe safety issues, it was scrapped in the 80s.The same is the fate of Kyushu Sanko's Aso gondola. Opened in 1958, the 858 meter long line elevated passengers 108 meters from the parking lot to the peak. However, volcanic activity and earthquakes have severely damaged the infrastructure. It was shut in 2016, and Kumanichi reports on the company's decision to scrap the cableway completely. It's the end of an era. - Williamhttps://this.kiji.is/470817363386958945?c=92619697908483575 2019-02-20 18:24 JSTMoji (門司), in the the city of Kitakyūshū, is as close as one can get from Kyushu to Honshu without actually being in Honshu. As such, the town was developed as a railroad terminus and port from the Meiji era. Driving north on the Kyushu Expressway, you'll see signs every few kilometers indicating the distance to Moji no matter how far south you are.JR has renovated its railway terminal there, a gorgeous art deco style building (or perhaps an example of Japanese-Western eclectic architecture - architects, please weigh in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese-Western_Eclectic_Architecture ) whose earliest incarnation dates to 1891; it will open on 3/10. If you're looking for a fun spring getaway, this might do the trick. - Williamhttps://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/tabi/mojiko/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1tm79fjJ4AIVhjuWCh1nbAb9EAEYASAAEgLk1PD_BwE&fbclid=IwAR0ZxJO98ex1GmtVpvLnDO_brUJM8B9Vzn5r5vrLLidXfCfeL1M5iLeJBGE 2019-02-20 09:30 JSTThe current walls of Kumamoto Castle date back to the early 1600s, about the same time Harvard University was founded (priorities!). But the buttresses expanded on earlier constructions. The history of the castle dates back to 1467, when Ideta Hidenobu first erected fortifications on a hill surrounded by rice paddy. These fortifications were further developed in 1496 by Kanokogi Chikakazu. In 1588, Kiyomasa Katou was transferred to what was then the northern half of Higo and set about building the castle as we know it today.Kumanichi reports that, during reconstruction of the Iidamaru Turret walls, material from Kiyomasa's earliest works has been identified, dating to 1599, consisting of cobblestone and clay. How the castle appeared in those days is interesting to imagine. The material will be reused in reconstruction of the turret, where 300 of 2,377 stones have been restored. - William清正時代の石垣出土 熊本城・飯田丸 ｜ 熊本日日新聞 2019-02-20 17:17 JSTThis event for March 2nd is primarily for university students and JETs but the announcement indicates that others are welcome too.-- Kirkhttps://www.facebook.com/KUMISA15/posts/2290729667917875?__tn__=-R 2019-02-20 08:41 JSTFor art lovers . . . (this post) 2019-02-19 20:51 JST"Six Kyushu sightseeing trains will meet on March 22 at 1 p.m. at JR Hitoyoshi Station in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture as part of a wider sightseeing train summit to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the steam locomotive Hitoyoshi. "-- KirkKyushu’s Sightseeing Trains to Gather at JR Hitoyoshi Station | Fukuoka Now 2019-02-19 13:32 JSTOlivia here,If you have time to join Irish Dance session organised by Ruth, please come.The details are below:Come join the Irish Céili (Dance Session) Night on Friday, 8th March, from 7-9:30pm✨🍀🎻👣 Venue: Kumamoto International Center・熊本市国際交流会館（Kumamoto City International Center） The St.Patrick's Day Parade will be the next day so you may get a chance to dance there, too, if you're feeling up to it🎶 Live music, easy dances and good fun 💚 Check out the details!! 2019-02-18 23:58 JSTLooks like we're having our first spring, southern rainfall, expected to come down heavily until afternoon Tuesday, and the rest of the week promises similar - which is nice, as the cold snap has broken. Follow the weather at the Japanese Meteorological Agency: http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/index.html If you garden, now is the time to sow. - William気象庁 Japan Meteorological Agency 2019-02-18 20:48 JSTHi! I wasn't able to watch the marathon but I was interested in the results I saw on the news. I know that some athletes with national reputations (notably, Yuki Kawauchi) participated in the 30 kilometer event but I was interested to see that both the male and female winners of the full marathon were local folks: Hiroaki Furukawa (古川大晃, a student a Kumadai, who won for the second year in a row) and Seika Iwamura (岩村聖華, of Hikawa). I haven't heard anything about participation in the full marathon being restricted to local people so I'm impressed at how well hometown athletes have done.-- Kirk熊本城マラソン、１万４千人早春駆ける 熊日３０キロ、片西Ｖ ｜ 熊本日日新聞 2019-02-18 17:00 JSTAn attraction of Kumamoto is its safety, particularly for children. When my kids were growing up, even though their cram school abutted Kumamoto's red-light district, I had no qualms about their commuting alone. They could roam the entire city freely.But that doesn't mean the city is entirely risk-free. Sadly, a Kumamoto government worker has been arrested for sexual relations with a 16-year old girl. Talk with your children. (Tip o' the hat to Jay Onyskin, and visit his cafe/bakery, Out of Step! - link here: https://www.facebook.com/outofstepbagels/ ) - WilliamKumamoto: Government staffer accused of paying high school girl for sex | TokyoReporter