I've never been to Yushima but this video makes me want to go. -- Kirk
2026-04-28 17:51 JST 2026 I've never been to Yushima but this video makes me want to go. -- Kirk NHK WORLD-JAPAN36 likes. "Kumamoto: Food and Exercise on Yushima - A Cat's-Eye View of Japan" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZav-By90Y ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 2 · Comments: 0 · Shares: 0 ← 2026-04-28 17:33 JST 2026-04-28 20:00 JST → Around this time … 2026-05-01 11:39 JSTKirk here. In this post I'd like to report on an anti-immigration "symposium" that was held at the Kumamoto International Center on Wednesday. First, as the International Center is by no means "anti-immigration" or "anti-foreigner" I should explain how it is that such an event came to be held there. I called the International Center and learned that the sponsoring group, Kumamoto Wasamonkai, must have applied to use a conference room and that in such cases, requests are routinely approved unless there's some very clear problem that they know about in advance. Citizens have a right to use public facilities so I can't blame the Center for granting permission. What bothered me a bit more was the Kumamoto Keizai's uncritical publication of the views expressed in the symposium (Kumamoto Keizai is an organization that publishes a reputable magazine and also runs an online news site). I'll report on my phone call with Kumamoto Keizai at the end of this article.First, here's the content I was able to glean from the Kumamoto Keizai article: 1. Panel about immigration: "Countries That Failed at Immigration"A list of countries described as having "failed" at immigration, including Germany and the United States. Each country is dismissed in roughly one line, with no nuance, no acknowledgment of the benefits of immigration in those societies.2. Panel about student scholarships: "Japanese Students Get Loans, Foreign Students Get Free Money"A panel juxtaposes Japanese students with average debt of 310 man-yen and 14.6 years of repayment with foreign students supposedly receiving 140,000 yen per month with no repayment requirement. The figures contain real elements but are presented misleadingly (for example, the "8,108" bankruptcy figure appears to be a 5-year cumulative total presented as an annual figure). The juxtaposition is rhetorical: the panel does NOT advocate for expanded grants for Japanese students, but instead frames the issue as foreigners being unfairly privileged. The recently expanded grant-type scholarships for Japanese students (since 2017 and 2020) are not mentioned.3. Panel about free high-school tuition: Foreigners may get free tuition too!!Japan's high school tuition-free program has been expanded in recent years, and the question of whether it applies to children of foreign residents has become a flashpoint in some political circles. Under current policy, the program does apply to foreign residents who meet the criteria, consistent with international human rights norms regarding children's right to education.The panel frames tuition waivers for foreign residents as problematic. The implied position is that public education subsidies should be reserved for Japanese citizens, or at least that extending them to foreign families is inappropriate. The panel does not engage with the fact that these are typically children of tax-paying long-term residents, nor with international norms on children's education rights.4. Symposium topic: Aso megasolarThe proliferation of megasolar plants in and near the Aso region is a genuine environmental and policy concern. Issues include grassland destruction, groundwater impact, landslide risk, panel disposal and toxic contamination, and the structure of FIT contracts. Local governments including Aso City have taken positions opposing large-scale installations that damage scenery. The Ministry of Environment expanded the Aso-Kuju National Park boundaries in part to restrict megasolar development.The framing of this as a "foreigner problem" is probably connected to concern about foreign capital and Chinese involvement. In reality, most major Aso-area megasolar operators are Japanese companies or Japanese subsidiaries (JRE is now an ENEOS subsidiary; BCPG Japan is Thai-owned but operates through a Japanese SPC). Chinese-manufactured panels are common in Japan generally (over 80% of panels), but this reflects global market reality rather than foreign ownership of Aso-area plants. Aso City itself has explicitly pushed back against viral SNS framings, noting that some content causes fuhyo higai (reputational damage) to local tourism. The panel takes a real environmental concern and overlays it with a foreign-threat framing that misidentifies the actual policy and economic causes.5. Symposium topic: Multiculturalism and religionOn June 7, 2025, approximately 700 Muslims gathered at Kumamoto Castle's Ninomaru Plaza for Eid al-Adha (犠牲祭) prayers, with permission from Kumamoto City. This was the first time the festival was held outdoors in Kumamoto, due to the indoor mosque space being insufficient as the local Muslim community has grown (driven largely by international students and technical interns from countries like Pakistan and Malaysia). The event generated significant online reaction, with some commentators framing it as "silent invasion" or cultural threat. Kumamoto Prefecture has about 4,533 Muslims as of end of 2023 (roughly 0.27% of the population). Other related topics in current debate include halal food in schools, mosque construction, and Islamic burial practices.I do not know what was actually said at the meeting on this topic. However, given the framing of the other panels and the overall stance of the display, it is reasonable to suspect that the discussion treated religious differences as problems requiring management or restriction, rather than as ordinary features of a pluralistic society. The Kumamoto Castle event is a likely focal point, given its prominence in local discourse, but other topics (halal accommodation, burial practices, mosque construction) could also have been addressed.6. Symposium topic: Foreign domestic support worker programKumamoto Prefecture announced plans to launch the foreign domestic support worker program (家事支援外国人受入事業) in 2026 under the National Strategic Special Zone framework, in connection with its special zone designation tied to TSMC's arrival. The program was originally launched under the Abe administration in 2017 and has been operating in six other jurisdictions (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Hyogo, Aichi, and Chiba City). Workers come exclusively from the Philippines, are employed by approved companies, work on 5-year visas, and are subject to government oversight. The Kumamoto announcement generated 413 public comments raising safety concerns, prompting Governor Kimura to hold a press conference on October 29, 2025 explaining the program. Legitimate debate exists around worker protection, the feminist policy question of importing care labor versus restructuring Japanese workplaces, and the program's primary benefit to wealthy households.Though I don't know what was actually said at the meeting, given the broader stance of the display, it is reasonable to suspect the discussion focused on opposition to the program — likely emphasizing crime and safety concerns, characterizing it as "immigration coming to Kumamoto," and treating it as a threat to local society. However, this is inference.I called Kumamoto Keizai. I was not able to speak with the gentleman who put the article together but I was able to express my concern to another journalist who was kind enough to take my call. The thrust of what I said was that the combination of the venue and the uncritical publication may have given the content a certain "seal of approval" in the eyes of readers. I think Kumamoto Keizai should have done some fact checking or provided context or alternative views. Or, if they were not prepared to do that, I think they should have, at the very least, omitted the photo of the clearly anti-immigration and highly problematic panels.Finally, here's the URL of the Kumamoto Keizai article:http://www.kumamoto-keizai.co.jp/content/asp/dejikame/dejikame_detail.asp?PageID=20&Knum=24726&PageType=top1 2026-04-30 09:03 JSTKirk here. This reminds me of "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" by Jon Ronson. I can't condone the vigilante doxing and public shaming of the bullies but, on the other hand, if the mother truly felt that school authorities would not take the violent bullying seriously, that may be the bigger problem. I don't know the name of the school; the article just says that the beating occurred "on the rooftop of a commercial building in central Kumamoto."Mother turns to ‘expose account’ to exact revenge for bullied son | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis 2026-04-29 20:56 JSTLocal business news. -- KirkYomiuri: Mitsui Fudosan Joins Kumamoto Chip Industry Cluster Development 2026-04-29 16:19 JSTAccident at the zoo. Staff member seriously injured but expected to survive. -- KirkRhino Charges Zoo Keeper Inflicting Serious Injuries 2026-04-28 20:00 JSTI've never been to Yushima but this video makes me want to go. -- Kirkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZav-By90Y 2026-04-28 17:51 JSTI've never been to Yushima but this video makes me want to …NHK WORLD-JAPAN (this post) 2026-04-28 17:33 JSTKirk here with an article on Minamata disease. I was surprised by the percentages of people who came to see their symptoms as Minamata disease relatively recently.--- start quote ---Some respondents said they had only recently become aware that they had the disease, which afflicted residents who consumed marine products tainted with wastewater by chemical manufacturer Chisso Corp.Asked when they realized that they themselves had Minamata disease, 2.2 percent answered “recently,” 13.7 percent said “10 years ago,” and 32.8 percent said “20 years ago.” In total, 48.7 percent said it was within the past 20 years.--- end quote ---Even if the harm from mercury came decades ago, I have seen from my interactions with patients that the effects tend to get much worse with age. So, in that sense delayed recognition of the nature of the health problems one experiences probably shouldn't be surprising; it's harder to put everything together when the symptoms are still relatively mild.67% of Minamata disease patients and victims say harm unresolved | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis 2026-04-27 17:43 JSTKirk here with another article (same picture but different article I think) about Andrew Mitchell's activities. Go Andrew!Foreign Residents as Key Partners in Disaster Preparedness | JAPAN Forward 2026-04-25 17:46 JSTYou might be thinking about what to do during Golden Week and you don't have a car. Here is a suggestion.Take the bus from Kotsu Center to Kumamoto Shinko, and from there the ferry to Shimabara, Nagasaki. The ferry ride in itself is fun - bring some bread to feed the seagulls. It's about a 40 minute cruise across scenic waters - pay attention to Mt Fugen, which erupted within my memory, killing 43 people.The Shimabara ferry terminal is within walking distance of the town. It was a samurai town, so there are many bukeyashiki (samurai residences) with interesting architecture which you can tour, lined by small canals they used to tap for water. These canals are now filled with koi, so save some of the seagull bread to feed them. There is a small castle there, but it is not worth visiting.The town is the center of the Shimabara Rebellion (1637), an uprising by the local Christian population, encompassing Amakusa, against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Guess which side won. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimabara_Rebellion But the Shimabara folk have never forgotten this and are fiercely independent. - William 2026-04-25 07:48 JSTKirk here with more about the subsidies for Sony's Kumamoto plant.Assessing Sony Group’s Valuation As Japan Backs New Kumamoto Image Sensor Plant 2026-04-24 17:29 JSTTSMC news. -- KirkTSMC unveils smaller, faster next generation chips | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
