Kirk here. A big badminton tournament is currently underway here in Kumamoto.
2023-11-14 12:56 JST 2023 Kirk here. A big badminton tournament is currently underway here in Kumamoto. 2023 BWF Badminton Kumamoto Masters JapanFollow this exciting Super500 tournament in Japan, where the world’s bests will compete for Olympic qualification points! https://olympics.com/en/sport-events/2023-bwf-badminton-kuma … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 5 · Comments: 0 · Shares: 1 ← 2023-11-12 22:11 JST 2023-11-14 15:38 JST → Around this time … 2023-11-17 15:24 JSTAtsuko here.This is the Christmas donation party that Ruth shared with us the other day. As Kirk has pointed out here before, it's hard to get the word out for reading without pictures, so I made a flyer.We are looking forward to making fried food for lots of participation. Invite your friends and come!ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧Ruth's sharehttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=727637032731424&id=100064554018003&sfnsn=moLast time before coronahttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=716964753800047&id=100064595866098&sfnsn=moーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーThank you for your big support in 2023!!I would like to say Thanks to you at this year end. And I would like to ask you to help out us to give X'mas PRESENTS for lots ORPHANS. They wait their X'mas presents this year also, as usual, with lots of hope.We would like to give X'mas presents for orphans as many as, as much as we can.So all amount of fee becomes donation for PRESENTS. So we should bring our foods, drinks, snacks, sweets by ourselves.We should bring enough to share friends.This year, the place will cost 1,500 yen. I will pay that.Please come and join us!!Many participants make lots DONATION. Many guests make many kids Happy!!!Please invite and bring your friends!!Enjoy Happy X'mas, being TONAKAI together!!12/2(土) pm5:30～8:30大人adult 2000yen学生university students, ALT 1000yen子どもunder 18years kids 500yenPotluck style Party!!You should bring enough foods or drinks, snacks or sweets for yours, for sharing others. Thanks😉💕If you can't bring your own food, you'll have to pay an extra 2,000 yen for the meal.ALL amount of FEE becomes the DONATION💖 of X'mas PRESENTS for ORPHANS!!Detailshttps://www.facebook.com/share/LprQTvBpGY7tCpkG/ 2023-11-16 21:11 JSTAtsuko here.Information about events to learn about Palestine and Gaza.This is a Kumamoto university event, but it is a hybrid sponsored event that you can participate in online without being a Kumadai student or going to Kumadai on the day of the event.( •̀∀•́ )/https://fb.me/2NXOgqqXl1sjXK8ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーPalestine Current situation facing Palestinians including Gaza and issues facing society.Given the current violence and suffering among Palestinians and Israelis, there is renewed interest in the social and political situations in the Middle East. This talk will address the recent history in the region and some of the causes for the current situation, as well as a discussion about the possible prospects. There will be Q&A at the end of the talk.The talk will be held in English with Japanese interpretation The event is hybrid and will be in person as well as on Zoom The Event is Free and Open to Public but Registration is Required https://bit.ly/3MCsVZ1Deadline 11.23.Joshua Rickard is a Social Anthropologist and currently Associate Professor, Project Faculty at Kumamoto University. He has a PhD from the University of Kent and was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the National University of Singapore. He has carried out extensive fieldwork in Palestinian communities since 2007 and his research interests include migration, civil society movements, and how the notions of community and belonging are rearticulated by people in uncertain and transitory situations. His book The Fragmentation of Palestine was published in 2022 with I.B. Tauris-Bloomsbury.現在のパレスチナ人とイスラエル人のあいだにおける暴力と苦しみを受 け、中東の社会的・政治的状況に対する関心が再び高まっています。この 講演では、この地域の近年の歴史と現在の状況の原因のいくつかの例を取 り上げ、今後起こりうる見通しについても議論します。講演の最後には質 疑応答も予定しています。 講演は英語、日本語通訳つき。 会場参加、またはZoomを利用したハイブリッド形式で開催。 参加費無料、事前登録が必要。https://bit.ly/3MCsVZ1申し込み締切 11月23日ジョシュア・リカード熊本大学多言語文化総合教育センター 特任准教授 文化人類学者。ケント大学で博士号を取得後、シンガポール国立大学で博士研究員を務め る。2007年よりパレスチナのコミュニティで広範なフィールドワークを開始し、移民や強 制移住、市民運動、不確実で一過性の状況にある人々によってコミュニティや帰属の概念 がどのように再定義されるのかなどを研究テーマとしている。著書に、The Fragmentation of Palestine: Identity and Isolation since the Second Intifada (パレスチナの分 断:第二次インティファーダ以降のアイデンティティと孤立)(2022)I.B. Tauris- Bloomsbury出版。《リンクからお申し込みください/Please register from the link》https://bit.ly/3MCsVZ1 2023-11-16 19:58 JSTKirk here. RKK reports that there was a demonstration of about 50 people in downtown Kumamoto today calling for an end to the attack on Gaza and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.I'll put the link in a comment. 2023-11-15 15:11 JSTKirk here. Sometimes readers of the page kindly share essays and/or pictures with the editors. This essay and the pictures came from Gene Toda (Gene is on the left in the closeup photo). Thanks Gene! He generously shared many more photos with us but I picked out these two as "illustrations" for his essay. --- Essay from Gene ----A few days ago, I came across an article about the US Marines conducting a joint exercise with JMGDF in Kengun, Kumamoto. The irony of it struck me as amusing. Currently, I am serving in the US Navy, with 18 years under my belt, and residing in MCAS Miramar base housing. However, my roots trace back to Kumamoto, Japan. Throughout my Navy career, I have been posted in various locations, including Norfolk, VA, Atsugi and Sasebo in Japan, Diego Garcia, Guam, Bangor, WA, and now San Diego, CA. My early life was spent in Ashikita, Kumamoto until high school. Later, I moved to Kumamoto city to attend accounting school. From 1992 to 1998, I served in the JMSDF and was stationed in Sasebo. Shortly thereafter, I married an American who was an English language teacher at the time and moved to the US in 2001. After spending four years in Indiana, I joined the US Navy in 2005.This week, I attended a week-long course called "Advanced Enlisted Leadership Development". Today was our final day, and we were tasked with presenting on "My Leadership Philosophy". During my speech, I shed light on the stark contrast between Eastern and Western cultures. I spoke about the collective culture of the East versus the individualistic culture of the West. I shared anecdotes of my upbringing and how I was taught the values of teamwork and respect from an early age. In kindergarten, we wore the same uniforms and learned synchronized dancing. Everyone had a role to play - be it cleaning, serving lunch, leading the class or heading teams. We took turns in these roles and everyone was an integral part of the community. We had sports festivals and cultural festivals where everyone had the opportunity to showcase their unique character and skills.In Japan, leaders are seen as patient, hardworking, and loyal to everyone. However, adjusting to the individualistic culture of America has been challenging for me. In Japan, we have a saying: "The nail that sticks out gets hammered". But in the US, unique talents are celebrated and individuals are encouraged to hone their abilities. A friend once told me: "You have to be greedy sometimes. If you don’t say what you want, you don’t get anything. The squeaky wheel gets the oil". Another friend shared a similar sentiment with the quote: "The crying baby gets milk".I've observed that in America, outspokenness, extroversion, cleverness and alpha-type personalities are often idealized and valued in leaders.I concluded my speech by stating that my leadership philosophy has been shaped by my experiences in Japan and the Japanese Navy. I believe in emphasizing teamwork, respect, understanding different perspectives, continuous improvement, and mutual learning. By embracing these principles, I am confident that we can create a positive and empowering work environment where individuals can thrive and collectively achieve success. 2023-11-14 15:38 JSTKirk here. The other day I posted a YouTube link to this ABEMA News segment featuring Kumamoto International's own Hari Devokta, talking about his meeting the other day with the mayor. I was amazed (and actually rather disappointed) to find the "reach" (number of viewers) of the post to be pretty dismal -- a measly 116 at this point. That makes it one of the least popular posts on this page. I'm reposting it now without the link (in order to avoid any suppression by the Facebook algorithm) to double-check to see if people really just aren't interested or if there's something about the Facebook platform that caused this to get ignored.By the way, it was quite popular on YouTube: 55,000 views, 510 comments (many of them praising Hari's performance).I'll add a link to my original (extremely unpopular) post in a comment. 2023-11-14 12:56 JSTKirk here. A big badminton tournament is currently underway …2023 BWF Badminton Kumamoto Masters Japan (this post) 2023-11-12 22:11 JSTAtsuko.Here is a share of Hitoyoshi's sky Lantern Festival.I am from the northern part of the prefecture, so I don't often go to the southern part of the prefecture, but I was very interested in this Lantern Festival and went there for the first time tonight.It was fun and beautiful with lots of lanterns flying around. But it was very cold. It was so cold that I went to a nearby hot spring to warm up. Today was the Hitoyoshi Onsen Festival, so I could enter for only 200 yen for adults. It is very slippery.We also bought a cup of Kuma shochu for 200 yen. I forgot to take a picture of it, so I took a poster of Kuma shochu.Aoi Shrine was lit up and looked beautiful.I was surprised to find some venison sprinkles at a nearby Yumemart. It is indeed Hitoyoshi.https://www.hitoyoshi-skylantern.com/home 2023-11-12 20:11 JSTKirk here: "TSMC will soon announce a plan to build its second wafer fab in Japan, according to industry sources. The fab will be involved in 6nm process manufacturing, and the Japanese government has pledged at least JPY750 billion (US$4.96 billion) in subsidies..."A billion yen here, a billion yen there and pretty soon you're talking about real money. To put it in perspective, the budget for the entire government of Kumamoto Prefecture (education, public works, the whole shebang) was JPY900 billion last year so a figure that is close to the budget of the entire prefectural government will go to one factory.TSMC to soon announce 2nd fab project in Japan, say sources 2023-11-12 16:15 JST*NOTE* It has been pointed out that the "Mifune" the onsen ad refers to is a "Mifune" in Saga, not the Mifune in Kumamoto. However, the remaining info is accurate, and the town does deserve a visit. Apologies for the mistake and thanks for the correction.William Japanese place names tend to be based on physical attributes or economic purpose. Sometimes, though, you'll note a 御 (a general honorific with multiple pronunciations and meanings: https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%BE%A1-448357 ) or 御幸 (miyuki, a sure sign that one emperor or another has visited the location https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BE%A1%E5%B9%B8 ). One example is the main road up to the castle, 御幸坂 (Miyukizaka - good read here https://tinyurl.com/4fb9zauw ), which was carved out of the castle to facilitate the visit of the Meiji Emperor in 1902 to relieve him of the embarrassment of having to pass through the then-extant multiple, twisting gates designedhttps://tinyurl.com/4fb9zauwThe town of Mifune (御船) has more ancient lineage. Apparently, when the Emperor Keiko (https://tinyurl.com/kdwj6de2) visited around the year 170 (obviously, time mileage may vary) during his campaign to incorporate Kyushu into the fledging Yamato state, which later became Japan, he traveled by boat. Hence, the name 御船.Mifune is eponymous with the Mifune River, long used to raft goods from Kyushu's interior. It remains a center of lumber processing. It is a small, picturesque town and will celebrate the autumn leaves with a month-long event through December 3. This is a wonderful chance to discover the historical roots of Kumamoto. Much information at the link: https://www.mifuneyamarakuen.jp/autumn/?fbclid=IwAR2MhVMVEeDJ17j2k91VFaf5HiWS2LxneLiDm5uVmSRvgzdGW93w1uxS8yI紅葉まつり｜九州 武雄温泉 御船山楽園 2023-11-11 22:04 JSTSome of you know of Kumamoto's TEAM TONAKAI and the hard work done by volunteers and supporters alike to create fundraising events and encourage people to give what they can so that some 300+ kids in orphanages in Kumamoto get their own presents at the end of the year... Well, among the line-up of events currently being arranged, チーム トナカイ welcomes you to come along, dig deep, and join a delicious dinner party in Suizenji, on Dec. 2nd, that'll give us all food for thought this season!! POT LUCK PARTY Fundraiser!! 🦌🍳🍪🍖🥬12月2日(土)の夜に、水前寺で、一品料理・ポットラックパーティーの募金活動にご招待いたします✨Circle the date!!! 日付をお忘れなく!!🍲🥐🍺🎁✨https://fb.me/e/vr2x4vJWzPlease invite and bring your friends!! Enjoy being TONAKAI together!!◎大人adult 2000yen◎学生university students, ALT 1000yen◎子どもunder 18years kids 500yenPotluck Party!!You should bring enough foods or drinks, snacks or sweets to share with others. Thanks😉💕If you can't bring your own food, you'll have to pay an extra 2,000 yen for the meal.ALL amount of FEE becomes the DONATION💖 of X'mas PRESENTS for ORPHANS!!Ru-dolph AKA Ruth 🦌 2023-11-11 16:12 JSTNEWS FLASH: Kumamoto International editor Hari Devkota is really smart!!!Actually, this isn't news -- I think just about everyone who knows Hari is already aware of the fact. But, it seems to have been news to those who watched him on the Abema NEWS segment. Here are some comments on the YouTube page:--- start ChatGPT translations of YouTube comments ---@711akikooHari-san is very proficient in Japanese. I also live abroad, so I often don't know what year of Reiwa it currently is, and it's troublesome when I have to fill in documents during my occasional visits back to Japan.30 likes@user-sg3yu9xr1fI think it's admirable how this person from Nepal can speak so logically and coherently.50 likes@HM-ql7ncI thought it was impressive how this Nepalese person spoke in very fluent Japanese and made very sensible remarks, to the point that even Pakkun was left with nothing much to say. It seems like he's really thought deeply about Japan.14 likes--- end of translation (which was tweaked by Kirk) ---The video is about the flap over the "demand" that the Japanese government do away with year names like Reiwa 5. Of course, this was a mostly a misunderstanding -- the person who brought up the issue in the meeting with the mayor the other day was merely asking that dates be displayed in "2023" format IN ADDITION TO "令和5年" format. As you can see from the comments I translated and others on the YouTube page, that's a position that lots of Japanese folks support.Hari did a great job (as expected) but I was not very impressed with others on the show. The university professor who was supposed to enlighten us regarding the "foreigner as shimin [市民]" controversy didn't even seem to understand the issue very well. And the MC tried to get some debate going by positing an extreme interpretation of foreigners overrunning the country that I didn't find to be particularly helpful. But, even faced with rather weird questions from the host, Hari continued to speak reasonably and wound up winning fans on the show. Good job, Hari!
