The Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital gets high marks. -- Kirk
2026-07-09 21:47 JST 2026 The Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital gets high marks. -- Kirk Japan’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Facilities 2026Newsweek and Statista are proud to introduce our ranking of Japan's Best Physical Rehabilitation Facilities 2026. https://rankings.newsweek.com/japans-best-physical-rehabilit … ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 2 ← 2026-07-07 09:51 JST 2026-07-10 09:20 JST → Around this time … 2026-07-13 18:55 JSTJoe Tomei here, sharing a post from Andrew Mitchell on a publication he co-authored. Unfortunately, it is behind a paywall, but if you are interested, I'm sure he can provide you with an author's copyhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09555803.2026.2689944=====I'm pleased to share a new publication that I've co-authored with my colleague, Florian Axt: Getting by but not getting ahead: Muslim families, community networks, and school lunch accommodations in Kumamoto City, Japan.Our article explores how Muslim families in Kumamoto navigate school lunch accommodations and asks an important question: why do parents continue negotiating with schools individually, despite the presence of an organised local Muslim community?Using interviews with Muslim parents and Japanese educators, we argue that the answer lies not simply in institutional willingness, but in the structure of community networks themselves. While strong bonding ties exist within the national and ethnic communities that make up Kumamoto's wider Muslim community, the diversity of halal interpretations makes it difficult to establish a shared position that could be communicated collectively to schools or local government.Rather than seeing this as a failure of community organisation, we argue that it is a structural feature of a diverse community. This has important implications for policy: effective accommodation should not depend on communities speaking with a single voice. Instead, municipalities should develop frameworks that allow schools to respond flexibly to individual needs while providing clear institutional support.The paper also identifies three different models of school lunch accommodation currently operating in Kumamoto, including one that we believe has strong potential for wider application.Many thanks to the Muslim families, educators, and community members who generously shared their experiences and made this research possible.Getting by but not getting ahead: Muslim families, community networks, and school lunch accommodations in Kumamoto City, Japan 2026-07-12 16:23 JSTComing to Kumamoto! Here's a Claude summary of the information on the web page I found in my news feed:--- start Claude summary ---NES-FES.: EXILE THE SECOND Special (Summary)TKU's early-Saturday-morning music program "NES-FES.," VJ'd by EXILE NESMITH, is holding its first-ever live event as the show enters its 8th broadcast year, featuring a performance by EXILE THE SECOND — the group's first-ever live show in Kumamoto and NESMITH's first time performing at this venue. Timed to the 10th anniversary of the Kumamoto earthquake, the event reflects NESMITH's wish to encourage recovery among Kumamoto residents and let fans outside the prefecture see how Kumamoto is doing now. The event will include both live performances and a talk session.- Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026- Time: Doors 17:45 / Start 18:30 / End 20:30 (tentative)- Venue: KUMAMOTO-JO HALL, Main Hall- Lineup: EXILE THE SECOND- Organizer: TKU- Program site: https://www.tku.co.jp/nes-fes/--- end summary ---https://www.ldh.co.jp/eng/news/detail.php?lang=eng&site=EXILE&newsid=0000054913-- Kirk 2026-07-12 14:29 JSTThis article renewed my appreciation of the architecture of the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art. -- KirkRetro Japan: Kumamoto art museum with personality-packed ceiling boasts open, airy space - The Mainichi 2026-07-11 18:21 JSTHey! It's been a minute. Joe Tomei here. I have a few Funky Friday Finds, but I've got a solid schedule of classes on Fridays, so apologies for an FFF on Saturday, but it is BBQ!Piggy's BBQ is located at the end of Kami tori in a 2nd floor walkup. The owner's superpower is turning smoke into flavor. It's a bit pricey, but the BBQ plate can be shared with 3. They use tortillas instead of white bread, but other than that, it is pretty spot on. The place is small so I recommend you make a reservation. Here's google map link, with the phone number. 2026-07-10 09:20 JSTThis article has lots of enticing photos that made me want to visit Kurokawa again. -- KirkKurokawa Onsen celebrates 40 years of its beloved bathing pass with redesign, summer festivities 2026-07-09 21:47 JSTThe Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital gets high marks. -- …Japan’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Facilities 2026 (this post) 2026-07-07 09:51 JSTNew bank branches open. -- KirkRegional banks open new branches in Japan's Kumamoto Pref. as TSMC effect kicks in - The Mainichi 2026-07-06 21:31 JSTDirect flights between Kumamoto and Cheongju return. This, now, in addition to flights connecting Kumamoto with Seoul/Incheon and Busan/Gimhae. -- KirkAir Busan Restores Kumamoto–Cheongju Connectivity With New Daily Route Launch - Travel And Tour World 2026-07-06 19:23 JSTHere's a short little video of a surprised Kumamoto Mayor Onishi having a close encounter with an American alligator in Rome, Georgia (a sister-city of Kumamoto). It's true that alligators are native to southern Georgia, but I think Rome is a bit beyond the range of their natural habitat. -- KirkKumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi and a native Georgia species 2026-07-05 18:06 JSTSorry to keep harping on rain-related topics but it's what I'm finding in my news feed. -- KirkMemorial held for 2020 rain disaster in Kumamoto 2026-07-05 11:43 JSTAs this video explains, both Kumamoto and Rome, Georgia (in the US) were involved in civil wars. In Kumamoto, it was the Seinan Senso or Satsuma Rebellion and Kumamoto Castle was where government forces faced SAIGO Takamori's rebels. -- Kirk[VIDEO] Delegation from Kumamoto Visits Rome Area History Center
