I went to Ezuko for a little walk after the rain. I was not disappointed. :) -- Kirk
2023-09-10 19:04 JST 2023 I went to Ezuko for a little walk after the rain. I was not disappointed. :) -- Kirk ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 44 · Comments: 1 · Shares: 2 ← 2023-09-10 15:49 JST 2023-09-10 20:28 JST → Around this time … 2023-09-12 11:18 JSTI think lots of humans would like to live longer, healthier lives. Research at Kumamoto University on naked mole-rats (not those dressed-up mole rats) may lead to important discoveries that, in turn, may help us do so (maybe ;) ). -- KirkJapanese scientists may have unraveled the secret of aging resistance in naked mole-rats 2023-09-11 20:00 JSTKirk here with something for sunflower fans about and event in Yanagawa:https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=780399150759983Yanagawa is just beyond the border with Kumamoto in Fukuoka prefecture. Yanagawa is also known for its canals, on which tourists can enjoy tours. For more information about that see the following page (which is the source of the second photo):https://www.ana-cooljapan.com/destinations/fukuoka/yanagawarivercruising 2023-09-11 16:44 JSTKirk here coming back to the Fujisakigu festival. I found a book in my university's library that presents interesting information about the festival (see cover image). On pages 78 and 79, it says that in 1982, public dissatisfaction with the involvement of yakuza in the festival (apparently, yakuza groups were shaking down folks in town by demanding "contributions" to fund their participation in the festival) and the abuse of horses. In response, a "Fujisakigu Reitasai Decorated Horse Supervisory Committee" was established and a set of rules written up and distributed. In 1983, four groups that were found to be in violation of the rules were banned from the festival the following year. Impressive! But, the author doesn't say (at least not in this part of the chapter) whether or not such enforcement of rules was continued in following years. This got me wondering about contemporary rules that the groups must follow. I found an application for on the shrine's website that requires all participating groups to follow rules established by the shrine but I couldn't find the set of rules itself. If they are really committed to enforcing a set of rules, I think that publishing them for all to see would be a good start. Indeed, the animal rights group I quoted in my last message complained that the shrine had not yet responded to a request for a clear list of rules (but this was a few years ago). 2023-09-11 09:31 JSTKirk here with an introduction to an article titled "TSMC Kumamoto fab expected to spur Taiwanese investment in Japan." The most interesting aspect of the article to me was the graphic you see. Kumamoto is Fab 23 (fabrication plant no. 23) and will be producing chips that have transistors that are between 12 to 28 nanometers big. This is not as good as what is produced in Taiwan where 3 nm chips are already being made and 2 nm chips are in development. The size of the chips is important "because the smaller the size of a single transistor, the [more] tightly they can be packed together" thus making faster, more powerful chips:https://pocketnow.com/chip-nanometer-technology-explained/The chips to be produced in Kumamoto will be considerably less advanced than those produced at the fab under construction in Arizona. Kumamoto's chips will be closer to those produced in Shanghai and Nanjing in terms of the level of technical sophistication.https://focustaiwan.tw/business/202309070018 2023-09-10 20:28 JSTKirk here with a lengthy article that I highly recommend for fruit history buffs (I know you're out there ;) ). The article explores the roots of Kumamoto's banpeiyu industry in Japan's colonization of Taiwan. Currently, "Kumamoto accounts for 96% of Japan’s entire banpeiyu harvest, and the southern Kumamoto city of Yatsushiro is a particular specialist in the fruit, which is harvested in winter and has become a popular seasonal gift."“Banpeiyu”: The Citrus Connecting Taiwan and Kumamoto 2023-09-10 19:04 JSTI went to Ezuko for a little walk after the rain. I was not … (this post) 2023-09-10 15:49 JSTKirk here. This guy's videos are fun to watch. And, if you have any interest in using a smartphone to make entertaining videos yourself, I think you'll get some good ideas from watching them. The first half of each video is a sort of "making of" video (showing how he does it) and that's followed by the final product. All of the videos published so far show fun things to do in the Ashikita area.https://www.facebook.com/kininaru.kumamoto/posts/pfbid037f47fKryw9it2endZMcvhTZkMuNXaZvrbVxhAQWLhchxqF6dNMSTECi2uVaR4He2l 2023-09-10 14:48 JSTSouth African cuisine on the 16th at the YMCA. Yumm. -- Kirkhttps://www.facebook.com/ywcakumamoto/posts/pfbid02UzqqqavmWTrN8qwRWG7p6T6892UWoVFxcgS56mGqTiajYYSQUXGAChjKuN7nNCLulTo find more events like this one, check out the Kumamoto International Events Calendar:https://www.facebook.com/events/calendar 2023-09-10 13:21 JST"This event was not just about flying from one city to another; it symbolized the strong ties between Taiwan and Japan and opened up new opportunities for travelers." -- quoted by KirkSTARLUX Airlines launches maiden flight to Kumamoto 2023-09-09 22:55 JSTKirk again with the last in my three-part series on the treatment of horses in the upcoming festival. The picture you see is from the Wikipedia page about the festival:https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%97%A4%E5%B4%8E%E5%85%AB%E6%97%9B%E5%AE%AE%E7%A7%8B%E5%AD%A3%E4%BE%8B%E5%A4%A7%E7%A5%ADThe placement of a picture of a horse kicking up its hind legs (with someone at the horse's side doing who knows what) on the Wikipedia page fits with my contention that making horses kick like this is a feature of the festival, not something that a few "bad apples" make their horses do. This photo seems to have been chosen by editors of the Wikipedia page with pride, not as an indictment.But, the local police have been quoted as follows:「馬に後ろ蹴りさせるという行為はどの場所であれ不適切な行為にあたる。」(My translation: Making a horse kick up its hind legs inappropriate in any location.)https://ameblo.jp/momokohime7/entry-12113399705.htmlMoreover, on February 2 of 2019, police filed charges related to three cases of abuse that occurred in 2018 festival and were reported by Japan's Animal Rights Center.https://arcj.org/issues/entertainment/festival/fujisakihachimangu/These 2018 incidents received considerable media attention in 2018. In response, Mayor Onishi issued the following statement: "藤崎八旛宮秋季例大祭において一部で馬の虐待行為が行われていると報道されましたが、いかなる場合でもそうした行為があってはなりません。今後神社等の主催者側で検証されると思いますが、参加者はルールやマナーを守り伝統ある祭りが健全なものとなることを強く願っています。" (My translation: It was reported that some horses were abused during the Fujisaki Hachimangu Autumn Festival. Such behavior must not be allowed under any circumstances. I am sure that the organizers of the festival will investigate the matter. I strongly hope that participants will observe the rules and manners and that this traditional festival will be a wholesome one.)According to Japan's Animal Rights Center, part of the problem is that the "rules" are unclear because the 奉賛会 (Hosankai), the body the runs the festival, has not (at least as of 2018) responded to requests to make a clear body of rules. Moreover, while Mayor Onishi recognized the egregious nature of the treatment of the horses in 2018, a member of the Hosankai defended an incident of whipping (one of the three incidents about which police filed charges) as follows: "馬にムチを打つ行為は虐待ではなく調教." (DeepL translation: Whipping a horse is not abuse, but training.) So, one key problem is that the Hosankai, the main governing body for the festival doesn't seem to be bothered enough by bad behavior to try to reign it in.https://arcj.org/issues/entertainment/festival/event1376/The same post on the Animal Rights Center website indicates that there is a group in Minami Aso called "OPEN SESAME FARM (animal sanctuary)" (南阿蘇の余生馬牧場 オープンセサミ) that has been working to improve the treatment of the horses. There are indications that the number of groups who lead their horses through the parade in a quite, dignified manner that minimizes the stress experienced by the horses has been increasing.To conclude, here are some takeaways from my recent study of this issue.* It's not just foreigns who are concerned about it. There are significant numbers of Japanese people, including the mayor, who have expressed concern.* There are people who are trying to change the culture of the festival so that horses do not experience any more stress than absolutely necessary.* But (and this is important), the leadership of the festival has failed to impose strict rules that would prevent such bad behavior and many people who love the festival want to see agitated horses. So, I think problems will continue.P.S. My previous post on this issue arehttps://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid04eyYQicYycqGaaxXLNVm4NB5a3NA3H77R6Bj8xCuRbpgrgponZXwsrHGrrzkc3iElandhttps://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid028eHHikF3qK57uN8XRB8xzDyCMTVQ2e63F9MSMSgnEpEctygvF3i6L8xuqwa7VZW8l 2023-09-09 22:11 JSTWilliam Yeah - yeah, this is the guy. If I held him in a splayed hand, he'd overflow my fingertips. Funny thing is he scuttled to a spot mid-wall, as if that would make him invisible. Spiders are not known for their intelligence.This guy is an アシダカグモ ("big-legged spider," probably as they have big friggin' legs), or Heteropoda venatoria, or huntsman spider.Here's the good thing: they are totally not interested in you, but they will eat every single cockroach that they can detect with eyes on top of their head which can see even behind them. So while you might be startled to see one, leave him alone and the next morning you'll be delighted to find chunks of cockroach husks on your genkan floor.アシダカグモ - Wikipedia
