Kirk here with basketball news:
2023-10-10 14:48 JST 2023 Kirk here with basketball news: Kumamoto gets back at Kiefer’s Shiga in B.League Division 2Kiefer's squad slips, Bolick rides bench as Fukushima wins, Roosevelt Adams misses Yamagata game https://www.spin.ph/basketball/japan-b-league/kumamoto-beats … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 4 · Comments: 0 · Shares: 0 ← 2023-10-09 15:44 JST 2023-10-10 23:25 JST → Around this time … 2023-10-12 17:36 JSTKirk here. Response to Mr. Yagi's morning tram photo has been amazing. It's "reach" has been about 200 times the norm for this page.Click on the following link to see Kumamoto International's greatest post ever (though I'm pretty sure that most anyone reading this is one of the 100,000 or so who have already seen it):https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0w1vhkEqcmvUs3CqTH631QUmid5M8U8je8ruG82udMpBbnrUEZDZVcSPtwCqsrrE5l 2023-10-11 19:56 JSTKirk here with news that Kumamoto City if becoming more international. After a brief dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign population in the city has grown to 7657, an all-time high (first image). On factor cited on the RKK news segment I'm introducing was TSMC and another was the return of foreign students after the pandemic (second image; they illustrated this with a replay of a segment with exchange students who were studying at my university). This uptick in the foreign population was enough to temporarily reverse the downward trend of the city's population overall.https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/771848?display=1&mwplay=1 2023-10-11 16:00 JSTKirk here with sad news on the Minamata issue. The government's decision to fight the recent court's decision is yet another illustration of why legal issues are still unresolved after more than half a century. The phrase "justice delayed is justice denied" comes to mind. I think the phrase is particularly apt because many of the plaintiffs are elderly. (For Japanese readers: "Justice delayed is justice denied" can be translated "裁判の遅延は裁判の拒否に等しい" but I think "justice" is a bit broader in meaning an nuance than "裁判.")https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/a86fdd48bf4b-govt-pref-appeal-court-ruling-on-unrecognized-minamata-victims.htmlOther articles:https://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2023101001152https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2023101000904/Government, prefecture appeal court ruling on unrecognized Minamata victims 2023-10-11 12:10 JSTKirk here. Public transportation (trains in particular) can get you to Aso, but how do you get around once you're there? I got a notice today about a place in Aso that rents mopeds (they say "小型モビリティ" [small mobility]) for 650 yen an hour. This came to me because I have a Google alert for 外国人 and 熊本 and the article says, basically, "Foreigners OK too." Well, I should hope so! If they excluded foreigners that would be a real problem. But, on the other hand, it's good to know that they wanted to make a point of saying that they welcome rentals by folks like us. :) 2023-10-10 23:25 JSTKirk here with another news article.--- start quote ---Under the proposed reforms, local governments will be empowered to draw up plans and issue permits for the construction of factories in urbanization control districts (farmlands and forests), where development is currently restricted under the urban planning law. Japanese laws generally ban converting land set aside for agriculture for any other purposes.--- end quote ---I glad to see economic development but can't help but feel a little anxious about the loss of farmlands and forests.By the way, the original article was published in by the Nikkei but it's behind a paywall so I chose this.Japan To End Restrictions On Acquiring Farmlands, Forests To Promote Rapid Construction Of Factories In Strategic Areas Like Semiconductor, Batteries 2023-10-10 14:48 JSTKirk here with basketball news:Kumamoto gets back at Kiefer’s Shiga in B.League Division 2 (this post) 2023-10-09 15:44 JSTMore high-tech news:-- KirkMA-tek follows big clients as it expands - Taipei Times 2023-10-09 12:50 JSTRoasso did very well this year against more highly ranked clubs. They got close to making it to the Emperor's Cup final but lost to Kashiwa. -- KirkFootball: Kashiwa hammer J2 Kumamoto to reach Emperor's Cup finalhttps://www.nippon.com/en/news/kd1083651217298669644/Photo from this Kumanichi article:https://kumanichi.com/articles/1195848 2023-10-09 08:10 JSTKirk here with another bit of TSMC news.--- start quote --Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is making remarkable strides in its $8 billion chip plant project in Kumamoto, Japan. Contrary to challenges faced in the U.S., the Kumamoto project is surpassing expectations, with tool installations scheduled to commence this October and full-scale production slated for 2024. TSMC’s success in Japan can be attributed to the proactive support from the Japanese government and streamlined regulations, enabling swift progress.--- end quote ---TSMC's Japanese Chip project surges ahead, boosting Global Semiconductor Research - Gizmochina 2023-10-08 18:39 JSTKirk here. Shibuya in Tokyo is being quite emphatic that they don't want people to celebrate Halloween there. Kumamoto, on the other hand, has a website devoted to promoting various Halloween events that are planned. One of them is this dance contest. Hey dancers, how 'bout struttin' you stuff?Here's the website with videos and information in Japanese about other events:https://www.kumamoto-halloween.com/P.S. Being 6'4" (193 cm) and relatively thin, I've always wanted to get professional make up, a good outfit (including thick monster shoes to make myself that much taller) and walk as Frankenstein, around handing out candy while continuing to look as scary as possible. Probably won't be able to do that this year, though. Maybe someday. ;) 2023-10-08 12:24 JSTKirk here with news about a bullying scandal regarding Ozu High School's soccer team. The Japan Times article is behind a paywall but the NHK article and video are available for free. I heard on the news yesterday that the soccer team will be rendered inactive for the time being due to the issue.Probe launched over 'serious' Kumamoto soccer team bullyinghttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/10/04/japan/society/kumamoto-school-soccer-bullying/Japanese student criticizes school's response to soccer club bullying casehttps://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231004_11/Probe launched over 'serious' Kumamoto soccer team bullying
