Posts

The Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital gets high marks. -- Kirk
Japan’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Facilities 2026
Newsweek and Statista are proud to introduce our ranking of Japan's Best Physical Rehabilitation Facilities 2026.

New bank branches open. -- Kirk
Regional banks open new branches in Japan's Kumamoto Pref. as TSMC effect kicks in - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- Regional banks are opening new branches across areas of Kumamoto Prefecture in southwest Japan where the population is expanding.

Direct flights between Kumamoto and Cheongju return. This, now, in addition to flights connecting Kumamoto with Seoul/Incheon and Busan/Gimhae. -- Kirk
Air Busan Restores Kumamoto–Cheongju Connectivity With New Daily Route Launch - Travel And Tour World
Air Busan resumes Kumamoto–Cheongju flights on Sept 23 with daily A320 service, restoring Japan–South Korea connectivity after 3 years.

Here'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. -- Kirk
Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi and a native Georgia species
Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi and other member from a delegation from Kumamoto, Japan, Rome's sister city, visits Rome July 2-3 as guests of the Rome City Commisison. Here, Onishi is

Sorry to keep harping on rain-related topics but it's what I'm finding in my news feed. -- Kirk
Memorial held for 2020 rain disaster in Kumamoto
Participants included bereaved family members, land minister Yasushi Kaneko and Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura.

As 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
-Nolan Hiott, WRGA- https://youtu.be/wN3zUJSfdMU The delegation from Kumamoto, Japan has more in common with R...

Kirk here. I just took this screenshot from the following web site:
https://www.river.go.jp/kawabou/pc/ov?zm=8&area=89&clat=32.4723&clon=130.443&mapType=0&viewGrpStg=0&viewRd=1&viewRW=1&viewRl=1&viewRn=1&viewPoint=1
Rainfall is heavy here in Kumamoto now but, due to previous rainfall, rivers in northern Kyushu are nearer flood levels. If you live near a river, the link I've pasted above may be somewhat helpful in keeping an eye on things. However, sadly, regardless of whether or not you read Japanese, there's no "one stop shopping" for river levels in a particular area. The following page has links to several different websites, each of which presents only a slice of the kinds of information someone wondering about whether or not they need to take evasive action might need. Ah . . . :(
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/bousai/list00904.html

Kirk here with a historical item from NHK World. Click on the link, not the image, to see the video.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260704_01/

This video from NHK (in English) contains footage of flooding in Oguni-machi and Nagomi-machi --Kirk
Japan's northern Kyushu region hit by landslides, flooding caused by downpours | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Heavy downpours triggered flooding and landslides in the northern Kyushu region of southwestern Japan early on Thursday morning.

The AI "photo" you see is pretty darn cringeworthy. But, the story of a father and son who got inappropriately rambunctious in a Yamaga Onsen may very well be true. As portrayed in the article, there's a moderately happy ending; the idea that an onsen isn't a pool got through and all was well after that. Still, the main adjective that comes to mind is "cringe" both regarding the inappropriate behavior that stemmed out of ignorance (I've been there, done that, if not exactly the sort of thing described here) and the AI-laden way in which it's presented in SPA!, a fairly popular magazine. -- Kirk
--- ChatGPT translation starts ---
“They Don’t Understand Hot Springs”: The One Line from an Elderly Regular That Silenced a Foreign Tourist Parent and Child Swimming in the Bath / In 2025, Visitors to Japan Hit a Record 42.68 Million, and “Cultural Differences” Spread Even to Famous Local Hot Springs
Nikkan SPA!
June 27, 2026, 8:44 a.m.
A moment on a trip when you slowly soak in a bath. Your body gradually warms up, and before you know it, a sigh slips out: “Ahh…” What if, in the middle of that quiet moment, you suddenly heard someone shout “Jump!” followed by a huge splash?
Foreign tourist parent and child swimming in the bath 1
Image is an AI-generated illustration.
According to an announcement by the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 reached 42.68 million, setting a new record. At hot spring resorts, it is becoming increasingly common to soak in the bath alongside guests from overseas.
This time, we introduce a true episode that drew a strong response in the past: the story of “a certain parent and child” at Yamaga Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture. A foreign tourist father and child began using the bath like a swimming pool. What was the simple English phrase that a local elderly regular said to them, and what were his honest feelings afterward in the lobby?
In the latter half of the article, as inbound tourism continues to increase, we would also like to think a little about how we ourselves should behave at hot springs and other travel destinations.
＊　　＊　　＊
Japan is booming with inbound demand. But now, in many places, “bad manners” by foreign tourists have become a problem. Some aspects of Japanese culture can be difficult for them to understand in all their subtlety, and even when there is no ill intent, there are cases where people around them feel annoyed or inconvenienced.
Yamaga Onsen is located in northern Kumamoto Prefecture. Its water is known for being somewhat lukewarm, allowing visitors to soak slowly and for a long time. What unfortunate incident did Yuki Yoshida, a pseudonym, experience there?
Although It Was a Hot Spring, It Was “Just Like a Pool”
Mr. Yoshida visited Yamaga Onsen on a day off at around 3 p.m.
“It wasn’t a crowded time of day. There were only a few elderly customers in the bath, along with some people who seemed to be local regulars, quietly enjoying themselves. Then some white foreign tourists came in, and the whole atmosphere completely changed.”
They were a father, probably in his thirties, and a child who seemed to be in the early years of elementary school. The parent and child appeared to rinse themselves off lightly, but it was clearly only a formality.
“Jump!”
Amazingly, the father picked up the child and dove straight into the bath. With a loud “splash!” the water surged, and some of it even hit elderly customers nearby.
The father then laughed and shouted “Yeah!” while splashing around, and began swimming and playing together with the child.
“They were using it exactly like a pool. Everyone who happened to be there was frowning.”
“No Swimming! No Pool!”
Foreign tourist parent and child swimming in the bath 2
Image is an AI-generated illustration.
Finally, an elderly man who seemed to be a regular, perhaps in his seventies, stood up beside Mr. Yoshida. Although his English was not fluent, he repeatedly said in simple English, “No swimming! No pool!” while making a hand gesture telling them to stop.
The father looked somewhat embarrassed and said, “Oh, sorry, sorry,” but he did not seem to really understand what he had done wrong.
Perhaps sensing the tense atmosphere around them, the parent and child quietly stayed in a corner of the bath after that. But Mr. Yoshida had become fed up and decided to get out a little earlier than planned.
As he was resting in the lobby, the elderly man who had warned the foreign tourists earlier came over to him.
“We’re glad they came all this way, but they really don’t understand hot springs…”
Hearing the man mutter this, Mr. Yoshida could only give a wry smile and say, “I guess it’s a cultural difference.”
A hot spring is something to be enjoyed quietly. It is unfortunate when that kind of unspoken understanding breaks down because of a language barrier or lack of knowledge.
“It was an incident that made me think about the ‘small gap’ between the ever-increasing number of foreign tourists and Japanese culture.”
Text by Mutsuki Fujiyama
Are They Really the Only Ones Who “Don’t Understand Hot Springs”?
In this episode, a foreign tourist parent and child jumped into the bath and began splashing around. After warning them, the elderly regular muttered in the lobby, “They really don’t understand hot springs…” His words seemed to contain not so much anger as a touch of sadness.
Incidentally, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 was 42.68 million, a record high. That was more than 5.8 million higher than the previous year, when the figure was about 36.87 million. This also means that visitors from overseas have begun making their way even to famous regional hot springs such as Yamaga Onsen.
But what we should pause to consider here is this: practices such as “you soak quietly in the bath” and “you rinse your body properly before entering” may come naturally to people born and raised in Japan, but they are not necessarily “common sense” for people from other countries. If someone grew up in a culture of swimming pools and jacuzzis, it may not be unreasonable for them to look at a large bath and think of it as “a place to jump in and play.”
Still, Beyond the Steam
Of course, that does not mean that “anything goes.” In this case, after the father was warned by the elderly regular, he and the child did quietly spend their time in a corner of the bath. Even with brief English mixed with gestures, if you communicate something, it can get across. I feel that the elderly man quietly taught us that.
When you think about it, when we ourselves travel overseas, can we really say we understand all the local manners perfectly? Probably not. If someone calmly teaches us about something we did unknowingly, the rest of our trip will surely become just a little richer. When the positions are reversed, what kind of words can we offer?
Lowering your body slowly into the bath, relaxing your shoulders, and letting out a long breath. The next time someone is flustered on the other side of the steam, I hope I can be the kind of person who adds just one gentle word. I say that also as a reminder to myself.
Foreign tourist parent and child swimming in the bath 3
Image is an AI-generated illustration.
Reconstructed by the Nikkan SPA! editorial department
Mutsuki Fujiyama
Editor, writer, and travel writer. A super “jack-of-all-trades” around media work, from reporting and writing to manuscript editing, convenience-store runs, and even ghostwriting for celebrities. Books include Overseas Underground Travel, True Stories! I Tried All Kinds of Dubious Experiences, and The Ten-Dollar Night View. Has also contributed to many works, including the Ultimate Overseas Travel Guide Created by Travel Experts series. X, formerly Twitter: @gold_gogogo.
--- translation ends ---
「温泉をわかってない」湯船で泳ぐ外国人観光客の親子を黙らせた“常連のおじいさんの一言”／2025年は訪日客“4268万人”と過去最高、地方の名湯にも広がる「文化の違い」 | 日刊SPA!
旅行先で、ゆっくりと湯船に浸かるひととき。じんわり身体が温まって、思わず「はぁ……」と声が漏れる。そんな静かな時間に、突然「ジャンプ！」と大きな水音が響いたら――。日本政府観光局（JNTO）の発表に…

Kirk here with a blurb about heavy rain that fell in the Aso area. Fortunately, the sun is out today.
--- from the article ---
The seasonal rain front stalled across mainland Japan on Friday, with the city of Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture being heaviest hit after seeing a total of 167.5 millimeters of rain over the course of 12 hours up to around 11 a.m.
--- end quote ---
Heavy rain continues across country with two approaching tropical storms
Central Japan Railway said the Tokaido Shinkansen may be delayed or suspended Saturday, while East Japan Railway warned of possible regular train line delays over the weekend.

Kirk here. I reported (that is, presented a translation of someone else's report) about on-the-job injuries experienced by foreigners in Kumamoto some time ago. The report is basically the same, as I recall, with some added details.
--- start ChatGPT translation ---
Foreign workers’ occupational accidents: 40% involved workers with less than one year of experience — Insufficient safety training at hiring may be a factor, Kumamoto Labour Bureau
June 26, 2026 — Safety Staff News
The Kumamoto Labour Bureau has compiled data on occupational accidents involving foreign workers that occurred within its jurisdiction in 2025. The number of workers killed or injured in accidents requiring at least four days off work was 60, an increase of 11 from the 49 recorded in 2024.
About 40 percent of the victims had less than one year of work experience. The bureau analyzed the situation as suggesting that “safety and health education at the time of hiring and other training may not be sufficiently provided.”
By status of residence, technical interns accounted for the largest number, at 27 people, or 45 percent, followed by specified skilled workers, at 19 people, or 32 percent. By industry, manufacturing had the highest number, with 22 people, followed by construction with 17, and agriculture and forestry with eight.
Occupational accidents involving foreign workers within the bureau’s jurisdiction have tripled compared with five years ago and are on an upward trend. The Labour Bureau plans to urge employers to provide safety and health education that is easy to understand, including by making use of multilingual warning materials and illustrated teaching materials on hazardous work that have been released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
--- end ChatGPT translation ---
外国人労災 経験１年未満が４割　背景に雇入れ時の教育不足も　熊本労働局｜安全スタッフ ニュース｜労働新聞社
熊本労働局は、令和７年に管内で発生した外国人労働者の労働災害の状況をまとめた。休業４日以上の死傷者数は60人となり、令和６年の49人から11人増加した。被災者の約４割は経験期間１年未満で、「雇入れ時の安全衛生...

Kirk here with an English translation of an article about foreign workers. The "specified skilled worker" moniker is an awkward (but, according to the government, officially correct) translation of 特定技能 [tokutei gino], which is a step above the "technical intern" (技能実習 [gino jisshu]) status. The article says that Kumamoto has a low retention rate for such higher level workers; they tend to go to other parts of Japan.
--- start ChatGPT translation ---
Kumamoto Aims to Help “Specified Skilled Worker No. 1” Foreign Workers Settle in the Prefecture
June 25, 2026, 7:15 p.m.
Foreign worker numbers reach a new record high
A meeting was held to consider coexistence with foreign human resources. It was reported that the number of foreign workers employed in Kumamoto Prefecture has exceeded 24,000, setting a new record high.
Many workers are also moving to other prefectures
At the same time, among foreign workers who transitioned from the Technical Intern Training Program to “Specified Skilled Worker No. 1,” a status for workers who can immediately contribute in specific fields, 32.8% moved from Kumamoto to other prefectures. This was the fifth-worst rate in Japan.
With the aim of encouraging workers to settle in the prefecture, Governor Kimura said, “We would like to promote mutual cooperation in developing both the regions these workers come from and Kumamoto, as well as in human resource development.”
Last updated: June 25, 2026, 7:15 p.m.
--- end translation ---
熊本の外国人労働者「特定技能1号」県内への定着目指す（2026年6月25日掲載）｜KKT NEWS NNN
外国人の人材との共生を考える会議が開かれ、県内で働く外国人労働者が2万4000人を超え、過去最高を更新したことなどが報告されました。

Kirk here. Classes at my university have been cancelled tomorrow due to projections of heavy rain. It may be worst, according to this report, during the early morning hours. The lower row, obscured by the gentleman's arm, is about the danger of landslides. If you live in a low level area or near a steep slope that may become the site of a landslide you may need to evacuate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqEqYol2DyM&t=2s

Kirk here. First of all, please note that the radar image is from 2019, not today. But, there have been warnings that this kind of thing may happen here early tomorrow. Here's a Claude translation of one report:
--- start translation ---
[BREAKING] "Half-Day-Ahead Forecast for Stalled Heavy-Rain Bands" Issued for Kumamoto and Nagasaki Prefectures
Authorities warn that bands of torrential rain could form, sharply raising the risk of a major rain disaster.
■ Kumamoto Prefecture: from the early hours of the 24th through early afternoon
■ Nagasaki Prefecture: from late night on the 23rd through early afternoon on the 24th
--- end translation ---
This was published at 17:40 today (Tuesday, the 23rd) here:
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2c4631f629a55109554e94fcdc5d0e566e627dfc
Here's a note from Claude about the key meteorological term (線状降水帯):
The Japanese term in this report is 線状降水帯 (senjō kōsuitai), which the news media usually translate literally as a "linear precipitation band." That phrase is accurate but doesn't convey much to most English speakers, so here's the idea in plain terms: storms keep forming and passing over the same area, one after another, for hours at a time. Instead of moving on the way ordinary rain does, the heavy rain effectively stays parked over one place and keeps pouring down. That's what makes it dangerous — not a passing shower but a downpour that lingers and adds up fast, which is how serious flooding and landslides happen. The Japan Meteorological Agency began using this term widely around 2014 as a way to warn people quickly, and a "half-day-ahead forecast" means they're flagging the risk roughly twelve hours before it might develop, so there's time to prepare.

It looks like we’ll continue to have rainy, typically Japanese rainy-season weather next week as well.
For the past few years, we haven’t really had a rainy season that felt like a true Japanese tsuyu, so I’ve been enjoying this year’s return to a more traditional rainy season.
Around Ezu, where I work, the rice fields filled with water almost all at once this week, creating beautiful reflections across the landscape, and rice planting has begun. I think many rice fields will be busy with planting this weekend.
Please enjoy the rainy season in Kumamoto. The lush green scenery, the sound of rain, and the newly planted rice fields are all part of this special time of year in Japan.
The page below show the rice fields being filled with water, which I shared here previously.
Atsuko ٩(ˊωˋ*)و
https://www.facebook.com/share/1F5heKJ4JA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Here's a ChatGPT translation of an article about the need for more foreign workers in Kumamoto. -- Kirk
--- start translation ---
“Developing Human Resources Who Contribute to Friendly Relations”: Kumamoto Prefecture Survey Finds Demand for About 4,000 Foreign Workers Over Three Years
TV Kumamoto
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
As labor shortages become increasingly severe, demand is rising among companies and other organizations for foreign workers.
In response to general questions at the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly on June 10, Governor Kimura revealed that there is demand for about 4,000 foreign workers in the prefecture over the next three years.
Governor Kimura:
“Responses from 70 organizations indicated that over the next three years, they will need approximately 1,500 foreign workers in agriculture, about 500 in construction, and 200 in food-service manufacturing, among others.”
According to the prefecture, a prefectural survey found that there is demand for about 4,000 foreign workers in Kumamoto Prefecture over the three-year period beginning this fiscal year.
At the same time, Governor Kimura said, “It is also true that there are voices of concern about the easy use of foreign labor.” He added that accepting foreign workers merely to secure labor “would lead to dissatisfaction on both sides and must absolutely be avoided.”
Governor Kimura:
“Foreign workers should receive proper vocational training and language training in their home countries, then work in Kumamoto Prefecture, acquire skills and knowledge, and return to their home countries. Throughout this entire process, up to their return home, both sides should cooperate in human-resource development.”
In addition, when asked by Assembly Member Yoichi Fuchigami about the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower regarding the sending of workers and related matters, the governor said that “discussions toward concluding the agreement are underway.”
He then emphasized, “We would like to realize human-resource development that contributes not only to the industries of both countries, but also to friendly relations.”
--- end translation ---
「友好関係に寄与する人材育成を」３年間で約４０００人の外国人材の需要　熊本県の調査｜FNNプライムオンライン
働き手不足が深刻化する中、企業などの受け入れ需要が高まる外国人材についてです。木村知事は、１０日の県議会一般質問で、県内では今後３年間で約４０００人の外国人材の需要があることを明らかにしました。【木村...

Kirk here with something to do in Kumamoto City at Sakura-machi.
Kumamon's XR interactive content, "Kumamon Dungeon," will open in Kumamoto City in July.
Kumamoto Prefecture, JTB, and ABAL are jointly hosting “Kumamon Dungeon,” an experiential content […]

Kirk here with a news item from May that I neglected to share at the time.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260518/p2a/00m/0na/004000c
The article is related to the following posts and how Discovery Kumamoto can help.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02hVh2RvxNcLpGENvxgfBgnSMYDkqQTnjEDQusa51XVvPoFpedhw9QySPTLMc5yefLl
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0382v7hs2DHQ8gsoCedgEJ19xPyGSQmLQ3xtGp7gUFFWNsdf823xjqzvbDJsTkWai2l
Info about roots wanted: Descendant of immigrant to Hawaii to visit Japan's Kumamoto Pref. - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- Does anyone know the Shimada family who lived in Yamaga, Kumamoto Prefecture, over a century ago? That is the question being asked by Lynn

Kirk here with a Gemini translation of a Japanese article about how dangerous "3D" jobs (dirty, difficult, dangerous) in Japan can be. By the way, in Japanese the word is 3K (kitanai, kitsui, kiken). I don't know how these numbers compare with Japanese workers doing the same work.
--- start translation ---
June 10, 2026, 12:30 PM
45% are Technical Interns... Number of Occupational Accidents Among Foreign Workers Increases; Thorough Safety and Health Education Urged
The status of occupational accidents among foreign workers in Kumamoto Prefecture for 2025 has been compiled.
According to the Kumamoto Labour Bureau, the number of occupational accidents involving foreign workers in the prefecture resulting in four or more days of absence from work was 60 (excluding COVID-19 cases), an increase of 11 from the previous year.
Accidents involving foreign workers accounted for 2.9% of the total. Broken down by industry, the highest numbers were in manufacturing with 22 people, followed by construction with 17 people.
By nationality, Indonesia had the highest number with 19 people, followed by Vietnam with 11 people, and the Philippines with 6 people.
In terms of residency status, technical interns accounted for the largest share at 45% (27 people), followed by specified skilled workers at 19 people.
The most common types of accidents were "getting caught or entangled in machinery," followed by "cuts and abrasions," and "reaction to motion or strenuous movement."
Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
The Labour Bureau noted that approximately 40% of those affected had less than one year of experience, suggesting that safety and health education at the time of hiring has not been sufficient. They are calling for education that is easy for foreign workers to understand.
--- end translation ---
45％が技能実習…外国人労働者の労災件数が増加　安全衛生教育の徹底を | KAB ONLINE
2025年の熊本県内の外国人労働者の労働災害の状況がまとめられました。 熊本労働局によると、熊本県内における外国人労働者の労災は休業4日以上の死傷者数が新型コロナを除き60人で、前年から11人増えました。 外国人労....