Kirk here with a news item. We just observed a minute of silence for the victims at my university.
2026-04-16 12:28 JST 2026 Kirk here with a news item. We just observed a minute of silence for the victims at my university. Kumamoto Earthquake Victims Remembered 10 Years On; Survivor Stresses Importance of Disaster PreparednessMASHIKI, Kumamoto — Tuesday marked 10 years since the first of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. A flower offering stand was set up at a memorial park in front of Mashiki town hall in Kumamoto Prefecture, where bereaved families and others prayed for the souls of the victims. https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/2026041 … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 7 · Comments: 0 · Shares: 0 ← 2026-04-16 08:56 JST 2026-04-17 15:06 JST → Around this time … 2026-04-19 11:58 JSTKirk here with news about how Solaseed Air is planning to help promote the cities of Kumamoto, Kikuchi, and Yamaga, the towns of Takamori and Mifune, and the village of Minamiaso via in-flight announcements and articles in their in-flight magazine. Sounds good. One thing I noticed, though, is the odd punctuation that has become pretty common in Japan, "Go! forward Kumamoto." I once wrote a letter to the editor of the Asahi Shimbun (published nationally; Japanese edition) that NHK's "Go for! Tokyo 2020" (Olympic slogan) was very odd as English because an exclamation mark functions as the end of a sentence and "Go for!" doesn't stand alone as an utterance. Before that, my university wanted to create a poster or something that said "We are! Kumagaku" — all in English (but, of course, for a Japanese audience). Fortunately, the higher ups listened to reason and came up with a better slogan.In Japanese, I have no complaints about this relatively common pattern:トビタテ！日本がまだせ！熊本目指せ！甲子園がんばれ！阪神タイガース頑張ろう！熊本行こう！東北The problem occurs when this Japanese sensibility regarding what an exclamation mark is and how it can be used is applied to English as NHK did with "Go for! Tokyo 2020." The more basic issue is whether punctuation is considered to be part of a language or separate from it. Of course, my view is that punctuation is part of English, so the application of this usage to English bothers me, in part because I suspect it compounds the confusion of young Japanese people who are studying English.Solaseed Air Launches Special “Go! forward Kumamoto” Jet to Support Kumamoto Castle Restoration - TRAICY Global 2026-04-18 12:52 JSTA festival is in progress in Ushibuka. Check out the video if you're interested. -- Kirk --- start AI translation ---The “Ushibuka Haiya Festival” opened on April 17 in the port town of Ushibuka in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, drawing large crowds of spectators.This year marks the 54th time the Ushibuka Haiya Festival has been held.The first event is a mass dance held on the Ushibuka Haiya Bridge.At 3:00 p.m., following a parade by kindergarten children, local junior high school students led the way. To the lively rhythm of the Ushibuka Haiya song, 260 dancers dressed in kimono and matching happi coats paraded across the bridge, chanting “Sassa, yoiyoi.”On April 18 and April 19, a “Haiya Grand Dance” will take place, with a total of 41 groups and about 2,000 dancers parading through the shopping district.Other events include a maritime parade of fishing boats, and the port town of Ushibuka will be filled with festival excitement through April 19.Participants are also welcome to join the grand dance on April 18 and 19 on the day of the event.--- end AI translation ---踊らにゃ損ソン！〝サッサ・ヨイヨイ〟熊本・牛深ハイヤ 4月18日、19日は飛び入りOK | 熊本のニュース｜RKK NEWS｜RKK熊本放送 2026-04-18 12:48 JSTKirk here with some tech/business news. Even with the recently weakened yen 60 billion yen is a chunk of change by any measure. In US dollars it is now about $375–$380 million.---start quote ---The plant in the city of Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, is being constructed by Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a subsidiary based in the Kumamoto town of Kikuyo, at a total cost of 180 billion yen. The factory is expected to have a monthly production capacity of 10,000 300-millimetre wafers, with supplies seen starting in May 2029.--- end quote ---Japan approves 60bn yen for Sony image sensor plant in Kumamoto 2026-04-17 22:56 JSTKirk here with sad news. In 1994, in South Carolina, Susan Smith said that a Black guy had carjacked her vehicle with her two young sons inside. It was a lie. Well, today in Kumamoto another group of people was similarly scapegoated: not Black guys but those nasty foreigners. Early this morning when I was checking news to feed to this page I found several articles about a Japanese person who had been attacked by two people who "appeared to be foreigners and spoke broken Japanese." I doubted the story from the beginning but my suspicion was that the criminals may have been feigning foreignness to throw the police off. In fact, a Japanese rapist recently used that technique to avoid apprehension but to no avail:https://newspicks.com/news/16320651/Folks in Kumamoto heard on the evening news today (and will probably read in the local paper tomorrow morning) that the "victim" had just made the whole thing up. Of course, he's going to get prosecuted because falsely reporting a crime is itself a crime. But, unfortunately, "slander against foreigners" will probably not be one of the charges.The news that two nasty foreigners had attacked an innocent Japanese guy spread like wildfire in Japan. Even now, if you search with key words like 熊本外国人 強盗 you get lots of articles about the "crime" as reported by the liar, not the fact that it was a lie. This is a common problem in journalism. A big fat headline on the front page with a falsehood and a little blurb with a correction buried on page 7 a day or two later just don't balance out. For most of Japan, this bit of news will stay in memory (for those who remember it) as confirmation of why Japan should not allow foreigners to run rampant. Ah . . . :(P.S. In rereading the translation of the Japanese article from RKK that explains that the guy was lying after all, I'm struck by the lack of any mention of the scapegoating of foreigners. Though it will make this post quite long, I'll post a translation of RKK's original article, published before the deception was discovered so you can see the difference. I suppose an argument can be made for not repeating the slander against innocent foreigners. Still, pointing out that discourse about the criminal nature of foreigners is often baseless, as was this report, would have been welcome. --- end ChatGPT translation ---Robbery in the city was “a lie” — elementary schools conducted group dismissals — police unable to confirm any robbery — man in his 50sApril 17, 2026 (Fri) 18:48DomesticIt has been revealed that a man who called 110 in the early hours of April 17 in Kumamoto City, reporting that “I was attacked by two men and had money stolen,” later told police that he had “lied.”Police have also announced that “no facts confirming a robbery could be established.”On the morning of the 17th, a street in Kumamoto City was cordoned off, creating a tense atmosphere.At a spot concealed with cloth, many police officers could be seen.At around 4:40 a.m. on April 17, a man in his 50s in Keitokubori-machi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, made a 110 call saying, “I was attacked by two men and had money stolen.”The man told police that two men approached his car; one pointed a knife through an open window, while the other took 20,000 yen in cash from a bag on the passenger seat and fled.Police, treating the case as a robbery, began an investigation.As a result, nearby elementary schools carried out group dismissals.Parent picking up a child: “I came to pick up my second-grade child. We were informed that a robbery had occurred in our neighborhood, so I was a bit worried.”However, just before 4:00 p.m., police announced, “As a result of the investigation, we were unable to confirm that any robbery occurred.”According to police, no suspects were captured on security cameras near the scene, and the reporting man also told investigators, “I lied.”Police will now investigate the man’s motive for making the false report.According to police, if a false report causes a large deployment of officers and patrol cars and significantly disrupts normal police operations, it may constitute the crime of obstruction of business by deception.The penalty for obstruction of business by deception is up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.--- end ChatGPT translation ---https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/2607790?display=1--- start ChatGPT translation ---“Give us money,” in broken Japanese — “From his appearance and the way he spoke, he seemed to be a foreigner” — Street robbery in Keitokubori-machi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City; police searching for suspects | Kumamoto News | RKK NEWS | RKK Kumamoto Broadcasting April 17, 2026 (Fri), 08:15 DomesticIn the early hours of the 17th, a robbery was reported in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, and police are searching for the suspects.According to police, at around 4:40 a.m. on April 17, a man in his 50s who had stopped his car on a street in Keitokubori-machi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, called 110 reporting, “I was attacked by two men and had my money taken.”The incident occurred on a road near the Kawaramachi tram stop on the Kumamoto City Tram line. Two men approached the car and pointed what appeared to be a knife through the open driver’s side window.The men spoke in broken Japanese, saying “Give us money,” and stole about ¥20,000 from a bag on the passenger seat.The victim sustained minor injuries after being struck in the face by the knife-like object.Both suspects are believed to be in their 30s. One was about 160–165 cm tall and was wearing a gray long-sleeve T-shirt and black pants.Additionally, the victim stated that “at least one of the two seemed to be a foreigner based on his appearance and the way he spoke.”The two men are believed to have fled on foot toward JR Kumamoto Station, and police are continuing their search, treating it as a robbery case.--- end ChatGPT translation ---https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/2605672?display=1 2026-04-17 15:06 JSTKirk here with some news for gamers.--- Quote from Wikipedia ---Ragnarok Online (Korean: 라그나로크 온라인, Rageunarokeu Onrain marketed as Ragnarök, and alternatively subtitled The Final Destiny of the Gods) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by Gravity based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin.'Experience the Kumamoto Farm': Kumamon Comes to Ragnarok 2026-04-16 12:28 JSTKirk here with a news item. We just observed a minute of …Kumamoto Earthquake Victims Remembered 10 Years On; Survivor Stresses Importance of Disaster Preparedness (this post) 2026-04-16 08:56 JSTKirk here with some mascot news. There are quite a few articles having to do with the 10th anniversary of the Kumamoto earthquakes that I need to share. I'll try to do that soon.Pop-up store of Mexico's iconic character Dr. Simi opens in Japan - The Mainichi 2026-04-15 18:08 JSTKirk here. I've posted links to many articles about these statues over the years but this one taught me something about the connection to the quakes that I had either forgotten or missed entirely:--- start quote ----The fact that *One Piece* statues were erected only in disaster-affected areas added a deeper meaning: a “pilgrimage to wounded lands.” Taking commemorative photos in front of the statues and sharing their stories became a ritual that echoed the manga’s theme of camaraderie—“never leaving anyone behind.” --- end quote ---One Piece Statues Spur Kumamoto Tourism Revival 2026-04-15 08:55 JSTKirk here with another news item (video) about Andrew Mitchell and how the earthquakes affect foreigners living in Kumamoto.--- start Claude translation ---"It Felt Like Entering Hell": What Do Foreign Residents Need During Disasters? Lessons from the Kumamoto EarthquakeApril 14, 2026, 17:00"It felt like entering hell"One of the challenges that emerged when the Kumamoto Earthquake struck in 2016 was how to support foreign residents. Differences in language and culture made it difficult for assistance to reach them. We explore what will be needed when the next disaster strikes.Andrew Mitchell:"It's been ten years since I was last here. This is my first time back since the earthquake."Andrew Mitchell (41), originally from the United Kingdom, returned for the first time in about ten years to the university grounds where he took shelter during the Kumamoto Earthquake.Andrew Mitchell:"I felt like I had entered hell. I thought it would never end."How foreign disaster victims were treatedThe Kumamoto Earthquake brought two tremors of the maximum seismic intensity of 7. Andrew, who was an international student at the time, lived in Kumamoto City, where the main shock registered a strong 6 on the Japanese seismic scale. In his home country of Britain, earthquakes only occasionally reach intensity 2 or 3, so he had no idea what to do during a quake. A Japanese neighbor called out to him, and together they evacuated.Unable to sleep due to aftershocksAndrew Mitchell:"I would sit here, then lie down, but the aftershocks kept shaking us and I couldn't sleep at all. International students have no idea what to do when a disaster happens, and of course because our Japanese isn't very good, I was shocked at how hard it was to get information."When he arrived at the evacuation shelter, the signs and notices were all in Japanese, full of kanji. He couldn't understand where to get food or what he was supposed to do next. The following day, he evacuated to Miyazaki City, where he had an acquaintance, and was finally able to eat a proper meal. But...Andrew Mitchell:"I immediately thought of my friends still back in Kumamoto and felt guilty. They might still have no food. It was really painful."The gap between the situation of his friends still in Kumamoto and his own circumstances created a powerful sense of guilt. Even now, ten years later, he can't forget it.Other foreign residents faced different difficulties during the Kumamoto Earthquake.Marlo Suswahyu:"You can't eat the food at the evacuation shelters. That was the first problem."Near Kumamoto University is the Kumamoto Islamic Center. When prayer time comes, Muslims gather there. Marlo Suswahyu (50), who serves as the center's representative, sells halal ingredients and runs a restaurant. During the Kumamoto Earthquake, international students brought their troubles to him.Marlo Suswahyu:"On the first day, all we got was a 500-milliliter bottle of water and one biscuit shared between two people. But that biscuit contained pork, so Muslims couldn't eat it. So for about two days, none of us had any food."The issue was food. Muslims are forbidden from consuming alcohol or anything derived from pork. A few days later, relief supplies arrived from sources including the Indonesian Embassy, and Marlo wanted to share them with others, so he called an evacuation shelter. But...Marlo Suswahyu:"They told me, 'We don't need it. We're fine.' I think they were probably afraid of Islam. It made me a little sad."Still, as he continued his support efforts, people in the community gradually opened up to him.Marlo Suswahyu:"They were only afraid of me at first. Now there's no problem. We're all human beings, so I want to help together with them."Marlo came to believe that the fear of Muslims arose from "not knowing each other's cultures." After the earthquake, he has been actively communicating not only about countries and religions but also about how foreign residents should learn Japan's rules.Marlo Suswahyu:"For example, the rules about garbage, and the rules for riding bicycles have gotten stricter, so we teach each other these things."Foreign residents faced difficulties during the Kumamoto Earthquake when language and culture became barriers. Andrew, from the UK, has been sharing his own experiences through outreach activities since three months after the earthquake. What he has come to realize is that foreign residents can also help people in need. During the 2020 Kumamoto floods, he himself participated as a volunteer. He hopes for "mutual aid" that crosses national borders.Andrew Mitchell:"Don't just be a victim. Even if you don't understand Japanese, foreign residents can do many kinds of volunteer activities. Even without Japanese, gestures are something everyone understands. That's the message I want to share with both foreign residents and Japanese people."Last updated: April 14, 2026, 17:00「避難所でビスケットも食べられず」災害時の外国人へ何が必要？熊本地震の教訓（2026年4月14日掲載）｜KKT NEWS NNN 2026-04-14 21:27 JSTKirk here with a Japan Times article about the restoration work on the castle.I think the article is basically fine but I'd like to add a footnote to this sentence: "The stone walls are expected to take longer to restore. Recognized as a national special historic site, they are characterized by mushagaeshi steep inclines at the top that make it difficult for enemies to climb over them."The word mushagaeshi (musha 武者 warrior; gaeshi [kaeshi] 返し causing to topple back) does imply that the walls were designed to be difficult to scale. However, as this quote from a very detailed webpage about the castle points out, the shape was primarily intended to make them more quake resistant.--- start quote ---This curved slope was designed by Kato Kiyomasa and, compared to vertical stone walls, has greater self-supporting strength and is also more resistant to earthquakes. In fact, during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, while many stone walls collapsed, many of the stone walls dating from the Kato era remained intact. From atop the stone walls, visitors can overlook the entire castle, and the magnificent scenery captivates all who visit.--- end quote ---https://article.bespes-jt.com/en/article/kumamoto-castle/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/14/japan/society/japan-kumamoto-castle-restoration/Kumamoto Castle restoration continues 10 years after quakes 2026-04-14 16:40 JSTKirk here. To be honest, not exactly my cup of tea, but for those of you who might be interested:An exhibition of still images from the anime adaptation of "Are There No Girls Who Are Kind to Otaku!?" is being held in Kumamoto!
