Kirk here. Good news! The restoration of Aso Shrine has been completed!
2023-12-09 10:00 JST 2023 Kirk here. Good news! The restoration of Aso Shrine has been completed! Aso Shrine Fully Restored for 1st Time since 2016Aso, Kumamoto Pref., Dec. 7 (Jiji Press)--Reconstruction of a two-storied gate of Aso Shrine was completed on … https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2023120700175/aso-shrine-f … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 40 · Comments: 1 · Shares: 3 ← 2023-12-08 20:21 JST 2023-12-09 15:00 JST → Around this time … 2023-12-15 10:11 JSTSean here,Does anybody have any recommendations or personal experience with the purchasing or renting of water dispensers/coolers? I am not interested in water service, as Kumamoto water is the best. However, I like the convenience of having hot and or cold water on demand.Thanks. 2023-12-10 16:45 JSTSean here, reporting from the “I read it on the Internet, so it must be true” deskTokyo's PAWSitive Touch offers a unique experience: dog-on-dog massage therapy. Picture a fluffy Shiba Inu kneading a nervous Chihuahua while a Basset Hound dispenses wisdom through barks. Canine Zen awaits stressed pups, from Jack Russell deep tissue to pampered pug cucumber masks. It's not your typical spa, but if you're ready for tail-wagging joy and canine camaraderie, PAWSitive Touch is the place to be. 2023-12-09 19:01 JSTKirk here, trying to get back to the issue of Higo Bank demanding that many foreign residents appear at one of their banks with documents in hand to identify themselves.A meeting that Mr. Nakashima of Kumustaka and I had with a bank representative helped me understand their position a bit better, though there are still many important questions left unanswered.In regard to the question of why they would be asking people who have been here a long time (especially those with permanent residency) to appear, it seems that before 2018 they had not been collecting the information they are now required to collect. So, that would seem to explain -- to some extent, at least -- why old-timers would be hauled in, but there are many issues that cannot be clarified so easily. I've done very little at this point but Mr. Nakashima is continuing to work on these questions, going as far as to contact the relevant government authorities to get their official explanations regarding various points of contention. In the meantime, if you do not feel you can comply with the bank's demands please contact them, either in writing or by phone, to request an alternative method of giving them the information they need. The Higo Bank representative indicated a willingness to be flexible in response to requests for special consideration.One thing I learned as a result of our discussion is that Japan has been under pressure from and international organization called the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to reduce the risk of money laundering (see https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14430373). Similar demands for reform have been made on many countries, including the United States. But, we suspect that Japan may be somewhat unique (?) in targeting foreign residents in order to show that it is working to reduce the risk of money laundering. The text in the image I've added is from an FAQ put out by the government and clearly indicates that banks like Higo should verify the visa status of customers (CDD = Customer Due Diligence). But, FATF documents I have looked at thus far don't seem to say anything about the need to crack down on foreigners. Rather, this seems to be coming from the Japanese government. So, here's a question I hope you can help me answer: Have any of you heard anything about foreign residents in your home countries or other countries being subjected to similar sudden demands to appear at a bank, or to submit documents remotely? If so, please either contact me personally or, better yet, share what you know in a comment. Thanks!Frequently Asked Questions Regarding “Guidelines for Anti-Money Laundering andCombating the Financing of Terrorism”https://www.fsa.go.jp/en/news/2022/20221109/20220805_en_amlcft_faq.pdf 2023-12-09 18:11 JSTSean here-Raku Sato, a member of Teen Driven, has embarked on an exciting journey as a young entrepreneur. If you believe that today's teenagers are not merely lazy, overpampered smartphone zombies, but rather possess the potential to be innovative and driven individuals, then read on. Let's support Raku's initiative and encourage his entrepreneurial spirit. -Japanese below-My name is Raku Sato.I studied abroad in Oxford and London, England from August 12 to September 2 this year.I decided to hold a solo exhibition/pop-up store called "UK trip pop-up" to introduce the various cultures and landscapes I saw and felt there, as well as the Japanese culture I passed on to the local people.I will introduce my travel memories and activities and sell interesting and cute products that I have purchased in the area!Please come and enjoy my exhibition at UNUSUAL!開催日→12/9〜12/30UNUSUAL→熊本県熊本市中央区白山２丁目１３−９ 富士ビル 1Fこんにちは。佐藤楽です。僕は今年の8/12〜9/2までイギリスのオックスフォードとロンドンに留学をしてきました。その際現地で見て感じた様々な文化や景色や、逆に自分が現地の人々に伝えた日本の文化を紹介するために、"UK trip pop-up"という個展を開催することにしました。僕の旅行の思い出や活動内容の紹介展示、そして僕が現地で買い付けてきた面白くて可愛らしい商品の販売もあります！ぜひ！UNUSUALで僕の展示をお楽しみください!開催日→12/9〜12/30UNUSUAL→熊本県熊本市中央区白山２丁目１３−９ 富士ビル 1F 2023-12-09 15:00 JSTKirk here. I've been in Kumamoto for a while now but until reading this article, I didn't realize that poinsettias were a local product.Shipments of poinsettias for Christmas season in full swing in southwest Japan - The Mainichi 2023-12-09 10:00 JSTKirk here. Good news! The restoration of Aso Shrine has …Aso Shrine Fully Restored for 1st Time since 2016 (this post) 2023-12-08 20:21 JSTKirk here with some recent news and some background. News: Governor Kabashima has decided not to run for a fourth term. Background: There seems to be something of a tradition of stopping at three terms. In the early 1980s then Governor SAWADA Issei tried to ignore that unwritten rule but was interrupted by HOSOKAWA Morihiro, who later became Prime Minister. The image you see is from a video recounting that history. I'll post a link the the video in a comment. 2023-12-08 14:44 JSTKirk here with an update regarding a national issue (not limited to Kumamoto) that we've discussed here in the recent years: getting stopped and questioned by police merely because one happens to look foreign. I'm glad to say that the issue of treating people as potential criminals merely because of how they look (that is, racial profiling) has gotten increased attention in recent years. I say "I'm glad" because I'm hoping that such attention will help to keep such abuses of power in check, at least to some extent. The image is of a book published this year but a lawyer who is particularly concerned about the rights of foreigners. I've just started reading it but it seems quite good. I'll put links in comments to this post. 2023-12-08 07:58 JSTMany thanks to the JET and JTE community who raised 3万 for Christmas gifts for kids in Kumamoto carehomes by buying seasonal goods from the チーム トナカイ booth at their annual professional development conference!!! This Sunday, 10th December Team Tonakai will hold a bazaar at Sunatori CC - it's in Kuwamizu-honmachi 6-29, just a 5-minute walk from the Shogyo HS tram stop! If you've some items to donate for sale please drop them off by 11am 💡 If your contribution is bigger than one shopping bag's worth please contact Team Tonakai in advance - by Saturday 3pm. We look forward to seeing you there to mingle with mince pies* and jingle your yennies from 10-4pm 🎶 🎄🎁 - Ruth Parking limited, so consider parking at the gym or taking the tram! *mince pies not guaraChristmas Bazaar Fundraiser - Team Tonakai 募金活動募金活動=fbl 2023-12-07 14:20 JSTWilliam Dual nationality is a thing. If you're a foreign national in Japan, it's not such a big deal, but if you have children here, it is. I taught my kids to show their Japanese passport when exciting and their US passport when entering. They still do this.It would be good if Japan just went ahead and allowed dual nationality.Court rules Japan's dual nationality ban constitutional 2023-12-06 20:00 JSTKirk here with something from the Fiji Times. Personally, I'm not a big fan of how they plaster "@ The Fiji Times" on all of their pictures, but, setting that aside, some readers of this page my find their account of Kumamoto's recovery from the earthquake and One Piece author Eiichiro Oda's role in that effort to be of interest.Mesmerising Japan - Part 4 - The Fiji Times
