Here's an article about how Naoko Shirane brought Kumamoto and San Antonio together. -- Kirk
2023-10-23 23:12 JST 2023 Here's an article about how Naoko Shirane brought Kumamoto and San Antonio together. -- Kirk The baroness who paved the way for San Antonio's Toyota plantCrafting the deal that would bring Toyota to San Antonio took years of work by many players. But none of it would have been possible without Naoko Shirane. https://sanantonioreport.org/japanese-royalty-naoko-shirane- … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 4 · Comments: 1 · Shares: 0 ← 2023-10-23 16:00 JST 2023-10-23 23:14 JST → Around this time … 2023-10-25 07:23 JSTWilliam Here is a short summary of Kumamoto Castle restoration with several good photographs. https://kumamoto-guide.jp/en/article/detail/254?fbclid=IwAR1NG76_rGWBxKxk0QJx2ON5gq8NNOl9vWSAaxIpJ08KKGyWB_72U_950mkKumamoto Castle Nowadays, Vol. 3 2023-10-24 19:28 JSTThis article is behind a paywall so I can't read the whole thing but I can see from the headline and picture that it's about master sword smith Genrokuro Matsunaga and that the point is that foreign visitors have finally returned after the COVID-19 lull. -- Kirk https://kumanichi.com/articles/1208509Here are some links to information about Mr. Matsunaga in English:https://mountain-swell.com/info/2015/10/27/matsunaga-genrokuro-a-traditional-japanese-swordsmithhttps://www.visit-kyushu.com/en/discover/blogs/world-katana-sword-making-kumamoto/https://www.guidoor.jp/en/places/4128荒尾市の刀鍛冶工房、訪日客の見学復調 刀匠の松永さん「コロナ前に戻った」｜熊本日日新聞社 2023-10-24 17:42 JSTKirk here. This type of archery is called "yabusame" (流鏑馬). I think that, in combination, the first and third characters mean "running horse." The second character refers to something that is put on the tip of an arrow to make a cool sound when the arrow flies (or perhaps when it hits it's target). At any rate, the archery event will be conducted between 2 and 3:30 on November 3rd, Friday, which is "Culture Day" (文化の日). The venue is Ninomaru Hiroba (the castle).https://kumamoto-guide.jp/oshiromatsuri/events/detail/72By the way, here 's a video of a similar event held at Aso Shrine earlier this year:https://www.facebook.com/reel/636501465238622 2023-10-24 17:20 JSTWilliam Kawashiri (川尻) is a small town in southern Kumamoto near the mouth of Midorikawa. Its location encouraged early manufacturing, with raw materials rafted down the river from the hinterlands and finished products shipped out to sea. It remains famous for sake and oke (bucket) manufacturing and metalwork such as knives and scissors. Wikipedia has more here: https://tinyurl.com/mrybf235There will be a festival this Sunday, 10/29, during which you can visit some smitheries and sake breweries. Don't miss the wonderful handicraft museum and the steps built by Kato Kiyomasa to serve as a wharf. 2023-10-23 23:14 JSTWilliam Kochia (Japanese, "kokiya," also "houkigusa" ほうき草, meaning a plant for making brooms) is an annual plant native to Eurasian and known for its unique round shape and fluffy texture. As they grow, their color changes from vibrant green in the summer to a greenish-red and finally to a bright scarlet in late October. Some enterprising locals in Minamiaso Village have taken to planting cosmos and Kochia together, which are both blooming now, to draw the delight of visitors. Kumanichi has the scoop:秋空に映える〝深紅の絨毯〟 コキア、満開のコスモスと「共演」 熊本・南阿蘇村の「あそ望の郷くぎの」｜熊本日日新聞社 2023-10-23 23:12 JSTHere's an article about how Naoko Shirane brought Kumamoto …The baroness who paved the way for San Antonio's Toyota plant (this post) 2023-10-23 16:00 JSTKirk here with a note on dolphin's in Amakusa:--- start quote ---"Dolphins and traditional skin-diving fishermen that can be traced back to the (ancient) Jomon period have long lived in harmony here," Takasaki says. It's natural to have dolphins right next to us, and that's the value of Amakusa."--- end quote ---Japan Trivia: Kumamoto's 'dolphin sanctuary' highlights history of harmony with sea life - The Mainichi 2023-10-23 09:35 JSTUS Marines train with Japan's Self-Defense Forces in Kumamoto from time to time. Here's a recent example. -- Kirkhttps://www.stripes.com/branches/marine_corps/2023-10-17/marines-littoral-regiment-okinawa-11732639.html 2023-10-22 22:20 JSTKirk here with national news made by KIHARA Minoru, who is from Kumamoto.--- start quote ---Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Monday retracted comments he made over the weekend in which he appeared to imply that a vote for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a key by-election would be good for the Self-Defense Forces and their families — despite the SDF's strict policy of political neutrality.--- end quote ---Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF 2023-10-22 13:35 JSTWilliam Lafcadio Hearn (also known by his Japanese name, Koizumi Yakumo (小泉 八雲 - the surname taken from his Japanese wife https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafcadio_Hearn), was a peripatetic Anglo-Greek writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the West. Hearn longed for the "true Japan," which he found in Matsue - apparently, all else failed in comparison, particularly Kumamoto (where he spent three years, 1891-94), which he abhorred, finding it cultureless and blindly adoptive of anything Western. His Kumamoto house is directly behind Tsuruya; tours are free.Hearn was particularly well-known for his ghost stories. One of the scariest stories I've ever read is "A Passional Karma," which can be read for free here: https://tinyurl.com/4wey3pmb. It's a relatively short, hair-raising tale suitable for English students looking to read their first English literature. Happy Halloween! 2023-10-22 08:00 JSTThis extensive (about 1500-word) article is chock-full of interesting tidbits about the Aso area.In volcanic Aso, the land gives much more than it takes
