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Kirk here. In looking for some sort of information about Kumamoto on the web I happened to find this website. It has quite a lot of information about onsen in Kumamoto -- not just what you see in this picture. It also has a page of information about tatoo-friendly establishment, including several onsen in Kumamoto.
By the way, I've been to the onsen in the photo on the lower right. This unique spot is in Manganji, in the Oguni area. You undress and bathe without privacy -- men and women together. I think it's a vestige of traditional Japanese bathing customs.
The 10 Onsens You Should Visit in Kumamoto — THE ONSEN MAGAZINE
We've selected the 10 best onsens in Kumamoto. If you are planning to visit Kumamoto, read this article to know must-go onsens there!

Kirk here with some notes on the tidal surge warnings we had here in Kumamoto and throughout Japan's Pacific coastline.
It turns out that this was a new sort of phenomenon and that even the pros in the JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) were caught off guard.
The illustration you see with this post is the same as what I saw on NHK's 7 PM news program. It seems that the surges that occurred in Japan were mostly the result of atmosphereic pressure waves (waves that travel OVER the ocean), not of waves that were tranmitted directly THROUGH the water, as is normal. This confused the experts because it is the first recorded instance of the phenomenon occurring.
Normally, waves transmitted through the water will be bigger at points closer to the source. In this case, however, Japan had some surges that were considerably larger than those observed at the Pacific islands located between Japan and Tonga. The reason for this is that the effects of atmospheric pressure waves on the water tend to accumulate.
Another point that confused the experts was that atmospheric pressure waves propagate more quickly than waves that move though the water. So, the normal predictions about when waves might arrive were way off.
Confusion about these issues led the JMA to issue "no big deal" statements early on and then have to scramble to call for national tsunami warnings later as the actual messurements started to come in.
(This summary is based primarily on my understanding of what I saw on TV. I hope I got it basically right.)
P.S. Despite the warnings, there wasn't any damage in Kumamoto as far as I know. I think, though, that surges caused some relatively minor problems in other parts of Japan.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220116_36/
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/01/cf82db4e9f53-urgent-japans-pacific-coast-hit-by-tsunami-after-tonga-eruption.html
Atmospheric pressure changes observed across globe | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Sudden changes in atmospheric pressure and sonic booms were observed around the world after a massive underwater volcanic eruption near Tonga on Saturday.

Kirk here. I made a little graph to illustrate how the numbers of positive tests in Kumamoto have been rising. On the one hand, this is a new record, but, on the other, the pace of the daily increases seems to be slowing. Here's hoping for the best.

William. Kumamon reminds all pet owners to tag your pets by the collar or with microchips. The former is easier as owners are then generally called by the local koban; the latter requires a trip to the animal welfare center (Kumamoto Doubutsu Aigo Center - 熊本動物愛護センター) - which also has a plethora of lovely animal available for adoption. For some reason, Kumamon made no mention of neutering, which the animal center does not provide - seems there is an understanding between the center and vets to allow the latter the profitable procedure. For any pet-related questions, please let us at Kumamoto International know. (And, no, masks are not required for pets.)

Kirk here. Kumamoto's COVID-19 number today is 415, a new record but not a huge jump from yesterday. The image is from a TKU news segment that aired yesterday in which it was reported that, with one exception, the number of people who can sit together at one table in a restaurant or bar will be limited to 4 beginning Monday. The exception is that in establishments that have received some special certification from the prefecture (? 県の認証店) and where customers must present proof of vacination or a recent negative test result (? ワクチン接種証明書や陰性証明書), up to 5 at a table can be permitted. (I've inserted question marks because I don't understand the system well, though I'm pretty sure that my translation accurately represents the meaning of the Japanese text in the article.)
熊本県飲食店での新たな対策を発表【熊本】（TKUテレビ熊本） - Yahoo!ニュース
熊本県は先ほど「飲食店での感染防止対策を強化する」と発表しました。 【木村副知事】 「飲食店での人数制限について踏み込ませていただきたい」 熊本県は、会食によるクラスターの発生を防ぐため来週１７日・

Carlton with an update on Covid booster shot reservations.
Some of you may have received a notice on LINE that reservations would be taken from today (1/15) for those resident in Kumamoto City over the age of 18 who received their 2nd vaccinations between June 1 and June 6, 2021.
As my 2nd jab was June 9 I decided to see when I might be able to make my reservation. Once again I commend Kumamoto city for setting up a good international hot line for foreigners to obtain vaccination information:
-----------
熊本市新型コロナワクチンコールセンター
　　　096-300-5577
　　　8：30～19：00（土・日・祝も開設）
【やさしい日本語】
COVID-19（新型(しんがた)コロナウイルス）ワクチンのことについて、わからないことを電話(でんわ)で質問(しつもん)できます。
日本語(にほんご)、英語(えいご)、中国語(ちゅうごくご)、韓国語(かんこくご)、ベトナム語(ご)、タガログ語(ご)で話(はな)せます。
【熊本市(くまもとし)新型(しんがた)コロナワクチンコールセンター】
電話番号(でんわばんごう) ：096-300-5577
土曜日(どようび)・日曜日(にちようび)・祝日(しゅくじつ)もしています。
時間(じかん)：午前(ごぜん)8時(じ)30分(ふん)から午後(ごご)7時(じ)

【英語】
Kumamoto City has set up a call center for citizens regarding COVID-19 vaccinations.
If you have any questions about the vaccination procedures, please don't hesitate to call.
This service is also available in English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog.
【Kumamoto City Covid-19 Vaccination Call Center】
Phone number: 096-300-5577 (also available on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays)
Service hours: 8:30 to 19:00
________________________
I was told that because of the date of my 2nd shot, June 9 last year, I would receive a "reservation ticket" in the mail this week. I was then told that next Saturday, June 22, reservations for my group will be accepted. I was encouraged to call the same number above: 096-300-5577 and make my reservation thru the Call Center but only after I had my "ticket".
I also asked if I could take the ticket directly to the same clinic which administered my first 2 jabs to save some time. I was told NO. The reservations must be made through the Call Center OR via the reservation website. The procedure seems to be the same as for obtaining the first and second vaccinations.
Good luck everyone.

Kirk here with a new record number of postitive tests in Kumamoto: 390. (This is the highest number ever in Kumamoto since the start of the pandemic. The previous high was 317, which was marked on August 20th of last year.)
I got an e-mail today telling me that all of my classes, including seminars, should be conducted remotely beginning Monday.
By the way, as an editor on this page I can see that my post on "atozeki" (a word in Kumamoto dialect) got WAY more views and reactions, etc. than anything I have posted about COVID-19 in the past week or so. That's understandable. I'm tired of this COVID-19 thing too. I just hope you all will do what you can to avoid getting sick. :)
熊本県 新型コロナ 新たに390人感染確認 過去最多 | NHKニュース
【NHK】熊本県では14日、新たに390人が新型コロナウイルスに感染していることが確認されたと発表しました。これは、去年の8月20…

Kirk here with a little lesson in Kumamoto dialect. "Atozeki" (あとぜき) is a convenient little word used in Kumamoto to mean "close the door behind you." I'm not sure what the equivalent would be in standard Japanese but it's so compact and convenient to use that I think it would be a nice addition to the national language.
Here is a little comic that shows how it can be used in conversation:
https://www.web-nihongo.com/j_hougen/jh_p032/

Kirk here with a little attempt to put the COVID-19 spike we are experiencing in context. The image you see displays the global number of COVID-19 case (daily positives, that is) since this whole thing started. It's clear that we are entering a new phase and that what we are experiencing in Kumamoto is a rather mild case (so far, at least) of what is happening throughout the world. Taken from the WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard:
https://covid19.who.int

Kirk here. The numbers in the little graph I put together speak for themselves. I found out about this watching sumo on TV. Today's number (296) and the phone number for consultation in foreign languages was shown on the screen (in Japanese). I found the same number and the English blurb you see on the following web page:
http://www.kuma-koku.jp/support-center/page156.html
Carlton posted at the following URL about calling this number:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/6577449135661796

Kirk here with more on COVID-19. 177 people tested positive today, prompting the governor to raise the risk level a notch to Level 2. He said that he will consider whether or not to ask the central government to declare "pre-emergency" status for Kumamoto after consulting with leaders of other prefectures in the Kyushu area. Pre-emergency status is also referred to as "quasi-emergency" status in English, "man'en boushi tou juuten sochi" (まん延防止等重点措置) in Japanese, or "mambo" for short.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75matUwntnM&t=1s
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202201121757170111

Carlton. I am not trying to induce fear or depression to this forum, but I was prompted by this article in JapanToday <https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/end-of-life-conversations-can-be-hard-but-your-loved-ones-will-thank-you> to wonder if anyone knows of sources of helpful information on this subject for those not fluent in Japanese living in Japan. Thanks in advance from someone who is enjoying pretty good health but is also feeling increasing pressure by the Department of Motor Vehicles here to release my hold on my driver's license due to my aging.
End-of-life conversations can be hard, but your loved ones will thank you
Death – along with taxes – is one of life’s few certainties. Despite this inevitability, most people dread thinking and talking about when, how or under what conditions they might die. They don’t want to broach the topic with family, either, for fear of upsetting them. Ironically, though, ta...

Kirk with another share from RKK. Nothing special. Just a lot of snow in the Aso area:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S69JtrfJRo
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202201111548300111

Kirk with more COVID-19 news. As you can see in the image, RKK reports that there were 109 positive test results today. The numbers of verified Omicron cases have also increased.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrWeHNuUpSA
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202201111745390111

Kirk here with information on free PCR testing for people living in Kumamoto who meet the following two conditions:
1. You are unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccination due to health reasons
2. You do not have a fever or a cough
The testing site you see in the picture is very near the City Hall (Shiyakusho) building in downtown Kumamoto City. There are many other locations.
The photo is from the following Japanese news article:
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQ187362Q18TLVB005.html
See the following page for an English description of the details and a list of venues:
http://www.kuma-koku.jp/support-center/page156.html
I suspect thought that the expiration date of the program may not be correct. The following Japanese-language government website says the end of this month but the English notice says the end of March:
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/30/120272.html
By the way, the page in Japanese includes a link to a pdf with all of the available locations.
P.S. Numbers of positives are continuing to rise. I'll most more about that tomorrow.

William. When my son was young, I didn't give him a power shovel for precisely this reason: Some guy from Tamana found himself with too much time on his hands and carved the phrase "2022 Power" into a cliffside. He meant this as a sign of encouragement for our Corona-ravaged era. No word on his plans for 2023.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/522317

William. Oyster season is upon us - winter is the wise season to feast on the bivalves as the plankton they harbor which would normally kill humans is at a low level. Kumamoto is particularly famous for oysters. In fact, there is an oyster variety prevalent in Oregon called the "Kumamoto oyster" as the sea conditions there were deemed suitable for its mariculture. Find a friend with a car and head down to the Minamata region, where oyster huts are prevalent　(牡蠣小屋, kakigoya), for both a gastronomical and cultural treat. Just don't mention Johnny Depp. https://travel-star.jp/items/25006?image_id=561264

Kirk here with another COVID-19 / Omicron update. Numbers are continuing to rise. As you can see in the image, 61 people were determined to have COVID-91 today and of these 19 are suspected of having Omicron.
６１人がコロナ感染 １９人はオミクロン株の疑い 熊本県｜NHK 熊本県のニュース
県内では、９日、新たに６１人が新型コロナウイルスに感染していることが確認されたと発表されました。 新たに感染が確認された人を居住地別でみ…

Kirk back with another Omicron report. As you can see in the first image, the prefecture had 59 new positives today, a major increase. Moreover, it seems that an Omicron cluster has been identified. Thirteen people who were in the chicken-wing (tebasaki) restaurant pictured on January 2nd have tested positive for COVID-19 and at least 8 of them have Omicron. City officials are looking others who were there that day.
See a video report here:
https://www.kkt.jp/nnn/news100fke37irnjrymqkli.html

Kirk here with news that Omicron has arrived in Kumamoto. The Kumanichi article says that three people have been identified with the variant. They all have been in the Kansai area recently so they probably got the bug there. I suspect, though, that Omicron is already being transmitted here in Kumamoto, as it is in other parts of Japan. Good reason to mask up and avoid unnecessary risks.
熊本県内初のオミクロン感染　県と熊本市、計３人確認　渡航歴なく県外で感染か｜熊本日日新聞社
　熊本県と熊本市は７日、感染力が強いとされる新型コロナウイルスの新変異株「オミクロン株」の感染者計３人をゲノム（全遺伝情報）解析で確認したと発表した。県内でオミクロン株感染が確認されたのは初めて。３人...