Kirk with a link to a live feed of Mt. Aso:
2021-10-20 14:32 JST 2021 Kirk with a link to a live feed of Mt. Aso: 【阿蘇 噴火】ライブ配信【阿蘇山(熊本)情報カメラ ライブ配信】KKTニュース https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_i0lxG5Bao ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 26 · Comments: 2 · Shares: 4 ← 2021-10-20 14:21 JST 2021-10-20 14:40 JST → Around this time … 2021-10-23 13:06 JSTKirk here with the RKK video of the selfie I posted the other day. On RKK's news program yesterday, they were saying that this got way more hits that their news reports normally do. What I posted the other day:https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/6162862520453795RKK video on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSD9guOdjQRKK news article:https://rkk.jp/news/backno_page.php?id=NS003202110201847070111 2021-10-22 18:27 JSTKirk here, back from a little walk in which I came across an ambulance bogged down in traffic. What I saw was on the so-called "Kokutai Doro" (国体道路), close to its intersection with the East Bypass (東バイパス). The ambulance was up ahead of me but by merely jogging a little, I almost caught up to it. I couldn't make out the details but I'm pretty sure that drivers were not pulling over promptly. I saw this in Kumamoto but I think it's a national phenomenon:https://buzzmag.jp/archives/181336This article features quite a few complaints about drivers not getting out of the way. What I haven't been able to find, though, is any reference to a "crying wolf" phenomenon due to patrol cars that turn on their lights for no clear reason. My concern is that this practice merely trains drivers not to perceive such flashing lights as a big deal. As someone who learned to drive in the U.S., I suspect I'm not alone in experiencing a pretty severe stress response whenever I see flashing lights in my rear-view mirror. And, when it comes to flashing lights, my impression is that American drivers actually tend to be a good deal more "obedient" than Japanese drivers (e.g. pulling over immediately, at least in my experience). Generally, I have to admit that policing in Japan seems to be more successful and less problematic than policing in the U.S., but when I see ambulances struggling to get through traffic, I can't help but think that the police bear some responsibility.In this regard, I have a question for any Japanese people who may by reading this: Is my perspective entirely foreign? In other words, are there Japanese people who share my concern that patrol cars with flashing lights may be causing problems for ambulances and other emergency vehicles? 2021-10-22 00:06 JSTKirk here with an eruption update. It seems that, luckily, no one was hurt yesterday. But the eruption is causing problems just the same. On RKK today, I saw reports about damage to crops, canceled reservations at tourist facilities, and little kids having to wear goggles to protect their eyes from the volcanic ash. By the way, this Japan Times article has a YouTube video you may be interested in. It's from Japanese TV so the narration is in Japanese but the images are good.Cleanup begins after eruption at Mount Aso in Japan 2021-10-20 19:47 JSTKirk here with a picture I took of my TV screen (RKK). This man said that, after reaching the summit of Nakadake, he turned his back to the volcano, held up his camera to take a selfie and then noticed the eruption. Then, hearing rocks falling, he ran for cover and found a concrete shelter made for such occasions.I'm not sure if I believe him completely (could he really have not noticed something was happening until he was ready to take the selfie?) but it's quite a story -- and quite a selfie. By the way, I'm pretty sure he was closer than 1 kilometer, the restriction that was in effect at the time. Pretty good evidence, in my mind, that such restrictions should be taken seriously. This man could have easily lost his life if he had been hit by one of the rocks that he heard falling around him.RKK said that there were 16 hikers near the volcano (about a kilometer or so) but that all are safe and accounted for. 2021-10-20 14:40 JSTThis YouTube video from a Japanese-language news report gives the best view of the eruption that I've been able to find so far. -- Kirk阿蘇山噴火 現地で数十人避難 被害の有無確認中(2021年10月20日) 2021-10-20 14:32 JSTKirk with a link to a live feed of Mt. Aso:【阿蘇 噴火】ライブ配信 (this post) 2021-10-20 14:21 JSTKirk here. Mt. Aso has erupted. As far as I know, no one has been hurt. The NHK video (in English) relates the current eruption to earlier ones. In 1953, six tourists were killed and over 90 people were injured. Then, the report continues, 12 people were killed in 1958. In 1979, 3 people were killed by ejected rocks. I recommend that you take a look at the video.Mount Aso in Kumamoto erupts | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News 2021-10-20 14:19 JSTKirk with an update from Kelly Hansen on the Daiz meat-substitute products:"Daiz products are being sold at Youme town (took this photo at the one across from Kumamoto Gakuen Dairaku), but seem to be selling out quickly."Thanks Kelly! 2021-10-19 17:23 JSTKirk with some news about migratory spoonbills that are expected to pass through this area. By the way, I see that some ducks are flying with the spoonbills. I wonder what that's all about. Maybe they wanted to be in the picture too. ;)Japan Photo Journal: Endangered migratory spoonbills arrive in Japan for winter - The Mainichi 2021-10-18 22:22 JSTKirk here. I've posted about a lot of different topics over the years but I think this is my first post about samurai wall doodles. ;)Samurai wall doodles dating back 200 years found in quake-hit Japan town go on display - The Mainichi 2021-10-18 07:57 JSTKirk here with some business news. Kyushu is sometimes referred to as Japan's "silicone island" about the production of semiconductors. See, examplehttps://www.semi.org/en/blogs/technology-trends/semi-china-delegation-searches-for-the-secret-of-japans-silicon-islandNow, TSMC is preparing to join those manufacturing in Kumamoto:https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/10/9bc53309be17-breaking-news-tsmc-eyes-building-japan-plant-in-2022-start-of-operations-in-24.html"The world's largest contract chipmaker is considering building the new plant adjacent to Sony's plant for image sensors used in smartphones in Kikuyo in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, a person familiar with the matter said."Here's an NHK report (in English, with video) on the same news:https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211015_11/TSMC eyes building Japan plant in 2022, start of operations in 2024
