For Kumamon fans who might need to rent a car in Kumamoto. -- Kirk
2024-03-10 12:44 JST 2024 For Kumamon fans who might need to rent a car in Kumamoto. -- Kirk Explore Kumamoto in a Kumamon Rental Car! | Kumamoto ScoopKumamon, a beloved local mascot not just in Japan but a Tour Kumamoto in style with Kumamon themed rental cars! From compact to SUV, these adorable rentals promise a delightful ride. https://en.akumamoto.jp/archives/220947 ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 9 · Comments: 0 · Shares: 0 ← 2024-03-09 17:00 JST 2024-03-10 16:03 JST → Around this time … 2024-03-12 19:15 JSTKirk with a note on the governor's race. The gentlemen in the picture is MOHRI Hidenori (毛利秀德). The bad news is that he's taking an anti-foreign stance. The good news is that I don't think he has any real change of winning.--- quote from interview in Kumanichi ---Q: Your motto is "Politics by the Japanese, for the Japanese" but there are many foreigners living in Kumamoto.A: Appropriate measures should be taken for those who are currently living here, but when it comes to the use of various systems such as welfare and health insurance, there should be a distinction between Japanese and foreigners. The number of foreigners is increasing due to the country's immigration policy, and there are many foreigners and foreign capital buying land in Japan. If this continues, Japanese culture will disappear. If I become governor, I will also consider stopping the prefecture's efforts towards multicultural coexistence.--- end of disturbing quote ---Translated by ChatGPT with a little tweaking by Kirk https://kumanichi.com/articles/1352081--- original Japanese text ---－モットーは「⽇本⼈による⽇本⼈のための政治」です。県内には外国⼈も多く住んでいますが。「今住んでいる⼈には、それなりの対応が必要だろうが、⽣活保護や健康保険といった各種の制度の利⽤については⽇本⼈と外国⼈で線引きすべきだ。国の移⺠政策で外国⼈は増えており、⽇本の⼟地を買う外国⼈や外国資本も多い。このままでは⽇本⼈の⽂化もなくなる。知事になったら、県の多⽂化共⽣の取り組みを⽌めることも検討する」--- end original Japanese ---I'll write a bit more about the race for the governor's office some other day. 2024-03-12 16:55 JSTKirk here sharing this nice post from Michi No Eki Aso. Reading the post made me want to visit Tarutama Onsen, in part because I'm particularly interested in facilities with private baths.Tarutama Onsen in southern Aso 2024-03-11 18:15 JSTKirk here, forwarding information from an e-mail I received from the Prefectural Advisors.--- start quote ---Can you believe it’s already March? I hope you guys are keeping well! Without further ado, we present you with the YOKA Winter 2024! The newest edition of the YOKA is now available for your reading pleasure on KumamotoJET.This issue of the YOKA features...First Winter - Melanie Wakefield"The Right to Bear Arms" - Shane MeekinCome Join - KUMAJETJET Spotlight - Ryan PascuaWinter in Kumamoto - Alexander Gilmour"JP VS NZ" - Megan Wilson"How Far to Home" - Paige Turner"The Oil Squisher" - Austin FontenotArtist Statement - Quinlan FletcherWinter Fashion - Shawna Kay LipscombePhotos Exhibition - Austin Fontenot, Lily Nguyen, Tiffiany Tsang, Shane MeekinInternational Recipes - Julie Pearl GuanzonThis YOKA was Designed by Megan Wilson--- end quote ---URL: https://www.kumamotojet.com/reiwa/the-yoka/I'm always impressed by the extremely high quality of the artwork in each edition of YOKA. :) 2024-03-11 12:23 JSTJoe Tomei here, apologies is this has been posted before but I picked up this English postcard for the red Charichari bikes that have popped up around town explaining the process. I've never used one so anyone who has experiences with the bikes, please comment!! 2024-03-10 16:03 JSTWilliam The history of the Buddhist temple (and former Shinto shrine) Honmyoji is complex. It got its start in 1585 - in Osaka, actually - to pray for the repose of the soul of Kato Kiyomasa's father, Kiyotada. In 1600, after Kiyomasa became the lord of Kumamoto Castle, it was moved to within Kumamoto Castle grounds. Kiyomasa died in 1611, and according to his will, a statue of himself was enshrined at Jochi-byo Mausoleum on Mt. Nakao, to which the temple and shrine were relocated and co-occupied from 1614. Due to the Separation of Shinto and Buddhism ordinance during the Meiji period, the temple and shrine were separated, with the shrine moved to Kumamoto Castle to become Kato Jinja and the temple remaining as we know it today.Leprosy (or "Hansen Byo," as it's known in Japanese) affected the temple greatly. Afflicted beggars lined its steps, and inns were created along the slope to accomodate both beggars and pilgrims alike. Devote pilgrims donated stone lanterns which proceed up the center of the double steps, and many cherry trees were planted.It is the cherries that will catch your attention at this time of year. Rather than a sit-and-drink hanami, consider a mobile (and rather strenuous) one, drinking in the fragrance of the cherries and the historical ambience (as well as a beer or two) while you enjoy what really should be a World Heritage Site. During this season, the stairs are illuminated at night, when it's also less crowded. It's a very long walk from the tram stop Honmyoji to the top and back. Your legs may hate you the next morning, but your memories (and camera) will not. (Photos ripped from Web.) 2024-03-10 12:44 JSTFor Kumamon fans who might need to rent a car in Kumamoto. …Explore Kumamoto in a Kumamon Rental Car! | Kumamoto Scoop (this post) 2024-03-09 17:00 JSTWon't be long until the cherry blossoms start to pop! :) -- KirkLatest Japan Cherry Blossom 2024 Forecast: When & Where to See Sakura in Japan (Updated 2/29) | LIVE JAPAN travel guide 2024-03-09 15:35 JSTWilliam Kumanichi notes that the new library `annex "Children's Book Forest Kumamoto" (Honnomori, 本の森 - "Book Forest" in Japanese), designed by architect Tadao Ando, will open with a ceremony to be held on April 7th. The library is a two-story building of reinforced concrete and wood and a design featuring an atrium structure with tall bookshelves lining one wall containing about 10,000 books, mainly for children.General admission will begin at 1:30 pm on the 8th. In order to enable comfortable usage, participant numbers will initially be limited to 50 for admission up to 100 minutes, and reservations will be required which can be made on the Honnomori website from March 25th (probably a good idea to wait a few weeks for the hype to die down): https://kodomohonnomori.kumamoto.jp/This looks to be an incredible asset to Kumamoto. https://kumanichi.com/articles/1349236 2024-03-09 15:27 JSTPostscript: Atsuko posted a useful Google-translate link that makes this site pretty intelligible, even if you don't read Japanese:https://kumamoto--guide-jp.translate.goog/oshiromatsuri/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&fbclid=IwAR3EZGvP7NKk4L1OLjT9Vh9l5CY1_5oYQSUeXgrxZ7DYoFLdyrVDxsKMlxoThanks Atsuko!--- original post ---Kirk here with a bit about the Oshiro Matsuri ("castle festival") that's starting today. A large number of events is planned but, alas, nobody seems to have thought about how to share information about the events with people who don't read Japanese. Even though I can read Japanese pretty easily, I still find it to be a bit of a pain in the *** to look through events by clicking on all of the buttons they have used to segregate the information. If they would just give us one page with all of the events and brief explanations listed in chronological order, in text that can be copied, I could then copy the text, use AI to translate it, and share it here. :(Perhaps someday I'll have an opportunity to tell the mayor that the city's event promotion could be greatly improved by a few simple changes to their approach. In the meantime, if you know of any good source of information about the festival in English, please let me know in a comment. I haven't been able to find anything yet. 2024-03-09 15:16 JSTAtsuko here with an introduction to the spring festival in Kawashiri, which will be held tomorrow, March 10.Kawashiri is an interesting town. It is full of old streets with many temples and rice warehouses, old stores such as cutlery and sake breweries, Japanese sweets, delicious bread and ramen shops. The remains of the oldest public toilet in Japan is also located near the Kasegawa River. Last week I went to Kawashiri Elementary School for an exchange program, and the third graders taught me about it.Please enjoy the spring festival in such an interesting town with new sake, Japanese sweets, and various other delicious foods.ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーMarch 10, 2024 [Kawashiri Kuramae Street Festival]is finally being held!This year, a section of Kuramae Street will become a pedestrian paradise.You can relax and enjoy Kawashiri in spring.https://kawashiri--sui-com.translate.goog/infomation/%e5%b7%9d%e5%b0%bb%e8%94%b5%e5%89%8d%e9%80%9a%e3%82%8a%e7%a5%ad%e3%81%ae%e3%81%8a%e7%9f%a5%e3%82%89%e3%81%9b%e3%81%a7%e3%81%99/?fbclid=IwAR3xia2shMKl-2eEXW2meN1gAnQdDmh0uQyFdxVNTfY4lvlsjCmPm19YXkw&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en 2024-03-09 15:01 JSTI didn't know that there was such an event in Hong Kong. :) -- KirkGear up for the return of Kumamon Run in Hong Kong this April
