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William To understand Ariake Sea is to understand Kumamoto and to know that it is the canary in the coalmine. It is not so much of a sea as a bay - a narrow body of water surrounded by four prefectures: Kumamoto, Saga, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki. And it is dying.
The canary here is the catch of asari clams. In the below graph, dark blue is Kumamoto, and as can be seen, the catch has dwindled to basically zero. Yet the shellfish remains a required element of miso-soup centered Kumamoto breakfasts. To feed this need, Japan has turned to imports, mostly from China and Korea. However, asari are a bit like champagne: produced in Spain, for example, the same item must be called "cava."
Kumamoto governor Kabashima has requested that the Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Association suspend shipment of asari produced in Kumamoto for two months, saying that foreign-produced clams are being distributed under the guise of being produced in Kumamoto. Better in my opinion would be to restore Ariake Sea by reclaiming the water-purifying wetlands which have been sacrificed for unused farmland and unneeded seawalls.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6c27cb3fdf49312e331acf62f8ab22ceb449b532

Kirk here. The number of infections confirmed today is 594, about half of the peak. Good news. I hope we're over the hump.
By the way, what follows is a quote from an e-mail I received from the International Center in Kumamoto City. The consultation service described here is something to keep in mind if you occasionally have questions related to life here in Kumamoto that you need help getting answered.
=== start quote ===
【Consultation】
If you have any troubles in daily life in Kumamoto, please consult Kumamoto City General Consultation Plaza for those who are from overseas. Multiple languages are available.
Kumamoto City General Consultation Plaza for those who are from overseas
（Managed by Kumamoto International Center）
〒860−0806
4-18, Hanabatacho, Chuo-ward, Kumamoto-City
The 2nd floor in Kumamoto International Center
Opening time : 10 am - 6 am
Closed Day　　]
The 2nd and 4th Monday, New Years Holidays（December 29th ～ January 3rd）
　TEL:096-359-4995（Direct one）　FAX:096-359-5112　　　　
URL　http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/plaza/
　E-mail：[email protected]
熊本での生活について困ったこと、分からないことがあったら、「熊本市外国人総合相談プラザ」に相談してください。多言語で相談できます。
熊本市外国人総合相談プラザ
（運営 熊本市国際交流振興事業団）
〒860−0806 熊本市中央区花畑町4−18 熊本市国際交流会館2階
開設時間　午前10時～午後6時　　休館日　　第2・第4月曜日、年末年始（12月29日～1月3日）
　TEL:096-359-4995（直通）　FAX:096-359-5112　　　　
URL　http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/plaza/
　E-mail：[email protected]
（一財）熊本市国際交流振興事業団ホームページです

William Kumanichi introduces a group of college students primarily from Kyushu Luther Gakuin University volunteering to support children not attending school due to problems such as family environment or mental health - a number which is increasing due to the coronavirus.
Volunteers are currently being sought for a three-day activity session for children from February 12th. Those interested should contact Omi-san at the Kumamoto YMCA, 096 (353) 6391.
不登校の児童生徒の支えに　熊本県内の学生グループのボランティア｜熊本日日新聞社
　不登校の児童や生徒たちの支えになろうと、熊本県内の学生らでつくるグループがボランティア活動に取り組んでいる。メンバーの一人で、熊本大法学部１年の野尻有紗さん（１９）＝熊本市＝に、活動内容や参加しての...

Kirk here with a note about a local artist we lost in 2018:
---- start quote ----
Chimei Hamada (1917-2018) was a printmaker and sculptor that represented postwar Japan. Having gained popularity with “Elegy for a New Conscript” series, based on his own harsh war experience, he then did not only focus on the society as a motif but gradually started including motifs like human beings or the “self” as well, and so presented prints diverse in character.
---- end quote ----
Source:
https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/en/events/-/2021%2FD680
Currently, an exhibition of his work is in progress but, unfortunately, it's in Kanagawa Prefecture, not here. Here's an English page about it:
https://magcul.net/260499?lang=en
Finally, here's a link to a previous post about Mr. Hamada:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/871582739581826

William Live in Kumamoto as an American long enough and talk will eventually turn to the "Kumamoto Band." In a nutshell, an American educator, LL Janes, arrived in Kumamoto in 1871 to establish the first school of foreign learning, the Kumamoto Yogakko (熊本洋学校). The first three years saw instruction in topics such as mathematics and English, mostly to sons of former samurai, but in his fourth year (and due, apparently, to curiosity of his students), Janes began to teach (not proselytize) Christianity.
On January 30, 1876, about 40 of these students gathered at Hanaokayama to hold a prayer meeting and declare their determination to devote themselves to Christianity and serve the country. They became known as the "Kumamoto Band" (熊本バンド). Many of them later played very important rolls in the Meiji-era government and the establishment of modern education and democracy in Japan. (Janes also introduced the YMCA to Japan and had trouble translating the word "youth," which did not exist at that time.)
A ceremony is held every January 30 at a small memorial park on Hanaokayama to commemorate this event. The hill is a repository of Kumamoto history; if you haven't explored it nook and cranny, you should. Kumanichi has the story of this year's event.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/544085

William Kumanichi provides a day in the life of corona in Kumamoto by age. Surprising is that the second largest group is those under 10 years. Younger people are more likely to be asymptomatic but may still transmit the virus, as are those vaccinated.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/542198

Good morning friends, Atsuko here with some information on where to get PCR testing.
List of "medical treatment, examination medical institution" in Kumamoto-shi.
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/common/UploadFileDsp.aspx?c_id=5&id=26721&sub_id=84&flid=279153
The list is attached on Kumamoto city HP.
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/hpkiji/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=5&id=26721
If your goal is not only to get a PCR test, but if you suspect that you have been infected with corona and want to deal with it quickly, I would recommend that you call for an appointment and go directly to a medical facility where you can get a PCR test.
The public health center seems not to work well now, and if you wait for the public health center to contact you, the response will often be delayed.
If you go to a hospital where you can get a PCR test, you will be able to get antipyretic and other medicines immediately.
The phone call to make an appointment will probably be in Japanese.
コロナに なった みたいです。
I suspect that you have been infected with corona.
PCR うけたいです。
I would like to take a PCR test.
よやく できますか？
Can I make an appointment?
いつ いけばいいですか？
What time should I go?
This YUBISASHI sheets are also useful.
https://www.yubisashi.com/covid19/
Please take good care and be safe!ଘ(੭ˊ꒳​ˋ)੭✧

William Kumanichi points out a shortage of corona antigen test kits, with testing at hospitals thus prioritized to "essential workers" and those with symptoms - and even then, shortages persist.
A vending machine for test kits at ￥3,000 apiece has been installed at the Sakuramachi mall However, it too is now sold out (the phrase 入荷待ち, nyūka-machi, means "awaiting stock"), and when it will be restocked is unknown. Still, if you're unsure if you've been infected, I suppose visiting a vending machine is better than waiting in a crowded doctors office.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/542201

Kirk here with some information that may be of special interest to those of you with small children. The following Kumanichi article says that parents of kids attending pre-school (hoikuen or youchien) are being requested to keep their kids at home if possible.
There's been quite a lot of news like this about kids not being able to attend school, which obviously complicates things for working parents.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/540760
By the way the number of positives in the prefecture today was 1123 -- not a record but still quite high.

Chuck Waterman here: Still no ticket for a booster shot for this 60-65 year old age bracketer. Very glad you got yours, Carlton. Has anyone heard an estimate for the rollout of the next set of mailed booster tickets?

Kirk here. The page received an inquiry about PCR testing:
"Good morning. Would you mind posting information for non-Japanese speaking people about where PCR testing centers are and if there is English assistance available? Thank you."
There are two things I can do in this regard. The first is to share an earlier post I made on the topic:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/6644740002266042
The other thing I can do is to request that people share their knowledge and wisdom in the comments to this post. I seem to recall seeing something in the news about shifting away from trying to give PCR tests to all who would like to take one because the labs are overwhelmed. My memory is fuzzy but perhaps the idea was that you either had to have clear symptoms or be aware that you had had contact with an infected person. Another thing I wonder about is whether or not antigen (antibody?) tests are being recommended now.
Also, I recall seeing something like "no walk-ins" (by appointment only) for tests. Is that right?
I don't have time at the moment to research the topic so I hope the good readers of the page will share what you know. Thanks! :)

Kirk here reporting 1) that there were 1281 new infections identified today (another record) and 2) that the official risk level in Kumamoto Prefecture has been raised from 2 to 3 on the prefecture's 5-point scale. The image you see is from the following page pn the prefecture's website:
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/30/51409.html
The following article on the Kumanichi website says that the level increase means that hospitals may (or will?) need to restrict services.
According to the article, criteria for level 3 include at least 874 new infections in a week (there have been about 5200 in the past week) and a hospital bed occupancy rate of at least 40% (it is currently 49.5%).
https://kumanichi.com/articles/540765

Kirk here with information about a recently unveiled One Piece statue:
One Piece Zoro Statue Unveiled in Kumamoto
A new bronze statue of Zoro from One Piece has been unveiled in Kumamoto Prefecture, as part of its ongoing revitalization efforts.

William We had planned a series of posts on out-of-the-way beaches closer to summer, but a Kumanichi article has forced our fingertips to start a tad early. Just over the first Amakusa bridge is a large natural port named Kushi (串, or "shish ka bob", perhaps due to its linked shape), which harbors both fishing boats and yachts. Its beach is likely the closest swimmable to Kumamoto, though the water quality is marginal. The crescent-shaped beach of good-quality sand lies at the base of a steep bluff accessible by stairway; the sea, always waveless and quite warm, is covered with smooth stones and dotted with octopus pots, making it attractive for snorkelers. Better, though, is taking in its magnificent views by hiking. A trafficless road skirts the bay, and a path rounds the steep hill of the western peninsula. Some good swimming may be found just at the harbor entrance, if you manage to find your way down. As a small town, one may park pretty much anywhere - a hint is to find the road that heads up to the shrine on the peninsula and parking there, thus eliminating one climb. There is an onsen called Yumigahama onsen (弓ヶ浜温泉 - google for photos).
As new roads are built, the area is finally growing more accessible to town. Kumanichi writes about a man named Fujikawa Moriaki born in Kushi and a Kyushu Gakuin high school graduate, who plans to build ten cottages on the bluff overlooking the sea. The two-story cottages, to open in October, are intended as shared workspace as the pandemic leads more to work from home, a phenomenon which may outlast the pandemic itself. The plan sounds quite interesting - inspiring views from workplace windows, contemplative walks a step outside the door. An asset unique to Japan it may well become. We'll report more as information becomes available.
Kumanichi article: https://kumanichi.com/articles/539171
Onsen: https://hikyou.jp/report/dayuse/51283/
More about Mr. Fujikawa: https://kumamoto-cen.or.jp/member/515/

William Speakers of Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese who are interested in translation between those languages and Japanese, please PM me at my Facebook page, William Baerg for a discussion.
Thank you.

Kirk here feeling both surprised and pleased to learn about a way in which schools in Kumamoto are actually quite progressive:
"The city of Kumamoto has made student participation in the establishment and change of school rules compulsory under its school management regulations for municipal elementary, junior high and high schools."
Kyushu drives changes to school rules to ensure freedoms are respected
A substantial number of prefecture-run schools in the region are only now lifting restrictions on the color of students' underwear.

Kirk here, reporting that there were at least 1018 positives today in Kumamoto Prefecture -- a new high, of course. Even if Omicron is generally less severe than Delta, high numbers of new infections means that there is an increased risk of hospitals being overwhelmed. Yesterday, RKK reported that two hospitals, the National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center (国立病院機構 熊本医療センター) and Kumamoto Central Hospital (熊本中央病院) had begun refusing to accept patients from other hospitals or limiting the number of such patients (links below). That's just two hospitals and I think there are plenty of hospitals who are currently able to take up the slack. But, nonetheless, it's not a good sign, especially as the daily number of people who test positive continues to increase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ULs8zHl9z4
https://rkk.jp/news/backno_page.php?id=NS003202201251431520111

William Sign of the times: the number of non-Japanese entering Kyushu via its only international airport, Fukuoka, fell from a tad over 5,000,000 in 2018 to 6,119 in 2021. Considering the population of Kyushu is 13 million, that's about 0.0004 foreign visitors per native. Many shops which depend on visitors are likely feeling pain.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/539199

Kirk here with the news that 901 people tested positive today for COVID-19, a new high. The Kumanichi article I found that news in linked to the following site with various statistics:
https://kumanichi.com/theme/covid19/visualization
The graph shows the number of positives per 100,000 in various parts of Japan. Okinawa is the highest, followed by Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Hyogo and then Kumamoto. That makes us 8th.
By the way, as has happened to me before, Facebook lost the part of this post after the URL, so I had to try to remember what I had posted and type it in again. :(

William Kumamoto agriculture relies heavily on foreign labor. As this Kumanichi article points out, "Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, foreign technical intern trainees have been unable to come to Japan. The government has extended border measures to prohibit new foreigners from entering the country until the end of February. Even in Kumamoto Prefecture, where many trainees work in the agricultural field, prospective immigrants have been stalled, while trainees who have reached their working deadlines are returning home one after another, and labor shortages are becoming more serious. Farmers are wondering if they can get the effort they need during the spring farming season." (That's pure Google Translate, BTW.) So now, on top of it all, we may face food shortages this spring.
迫る農繁期、技能実習生来れず　水際対策の入国禁止、２月末まで延長　人手不足が深刻化｜熊本日日新聞社
　新型コロナウイルスの影響で、外国人技能実習生が来日できない状態が続いている。政府は、外国人の新規入国を原則禁止する水際対策を２月末まで延長。農業分野で多くの実習生が働く熊本県内でも入国予定者が足止め...