Posts

Kirk here. Earlier today I posted about new restrictions related to the discovery of Omicron variant. After I posted, RKK ran a news segment about the impact on agriculture in Kumamoto. The prefecture depends on foreign "trainees" for agricultural labor. Here's the Japanese YouTube url for the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNSKcQmNSVE
And here's the RKK page:
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202111301715000111

Hi! Kirk here with news that I'm sure most of you have already gotten and that fits in the category of "not specific to Kumamoto but is as relevant to those of us here as it is to the rest of Japan."
I've seen some articles that make it sound as though Japan has decided not to allow any foreigners into Japan. Here, for example, is a sentence from Nikkei Asia:
"Japan will suspend entry into the country by foreign nationals starting Tuesday, citing the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19."
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-to-suspend-entry-of-overseas-travelers-due-to-omicron
Fortunately, though this wording is extremely misleading (lousy journalism), there is more nuance to the actual policy. Both the following NHK article and video and the Japanese reports I've seen indicate that those of us with legal residency status will not be banned.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211129_22/
However, if you're returning from an area in which Omicron has been discovered, you may be significantly delayed by the need to quarantine. Here's the government page on that topic:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html#section3
And here is the text currently on the page regarding the countries that have been newly added to the special restrictions:
Countries/ regions subject to the quarantine measures mentioned in (i) above.
On November 26, 2021, the following countries are designated (The above-mentioned quarantine measures already commenced from 0:00 am (JST) on November 27, 2021.):
Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho
On November 27, 2021, the following countries are designated (The above-mentioned quarantine measures commence from 0:00 am (JST) on November 28, 2021.):
Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html#section1
Japan to ban new entry of foreigners from Tues. | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
The Japanese government will ban the entry of all foreign nationals who are not residents in principle from Tuesday.

Kirk here with an article for history buffs.
Tabaruzaka Park: Discovering the Japanese Gettysburg
Atop a certain hilltop in Kumamoto Prefecture is a serene park, with lanes of cherry trees and azaleas on its terraced hillside.

(Fiona) Anyone looking for seasonal work? Here's a request for someone to be Santa. Please contact Marty at Hilltop International School for further information.
Looking for a Santa! Hilltop International School, located in Tatsuda Jinnai, is looking for someone to be Santa at our Christmas party on Wednesday, December 22nd from 10:15 to 11:00am. You need to be entertaining and able to answer some questions in English. After Santa makes his entrance, the children will sing you a few songs then get their presents. You will need to come to Hilltop once before the party to try on the suit and talk about the party plan. The total pay is 12,500 yen. If you are interested, email me at [email protected]

Kirk with news about the planned TSMC chip factory. A government subsidy for half of the investment sounds quite generous to me.
TSMC To Receive $3.47 Billion In Subsidies From Japan Government For $7 Billion Chip Factory It Will Set Up In Kumamoto
Japan will provide 600 billion yen ($5.2 billion) as part of its fiscal 2021 supplementary budget to support advanced semiconductor manufacturers.

Anett here: It's really short notice but Shugakukan has its Furiai Matsuri tomorrow in Yatsushiro. Please see the poster for more information.
Start: 13:30
Place: Nakagawa Furiai Arena (it's besides the Tandai college in Yatsushiro)
I used to work there some years ago but at least the energy and effort they put into such events was incredible. So if you decide to go, you'll not be disappointed.

Kirk here, introducing a fairly new Nepalese restaurant. I say "Nepalese" because the two gentlemen that are running it are from Nepal. But, I'm not sure how much of their menu should be classified as Nepalese and how much is Indian. The name of the restaurant is "Indian Curry Suizenji" (インドカレーすいぜんじ) and it is located near Suizenji Station. You can find a map and several 5-star reviews on it by Googling インドカレーすいぜんじ.
The menu is not vegetarian but they have some vegetarian items. I particularly enjoyed the freshly made nan. I was quite hungry at the time and would have enjoyed larger portions but I think you can get seconds on some items or perhaps larger portions could be negotiated.
I was told that they have another restaurant in Fukuoka but that they just started this one in October.
The last picture I'm uploading shows so items that they sell there.

Kirk here with some information about an opportunity to help children living in an orphanage in Kumamoto. The text that follows is from Yoriko Sakuma and the photo is one that I took from the orphanage's website:
https://www.jiaien-childhome.com/
--- text from Yoriko ---
English Speaking Volunteers Needed at an Orphanage!!!
Kuma Ei Go! offers an English activity program at Jiaien, an orphanage in the Kuwamizu area of Kumamoto City.
We are a small group of Japanese and non-Japanese volunteers, and we are constantly looking for new members to join us. We meet on Thursdays from 7pm until 8pm. You won’t have to come every Thursday but only when you can although the children would benefit more from volunteers who can commit regularly. Japanese can be helpful but not necessary.
We have children from elementary to high school. They love to learn English and communicate with “foreign” sensei (teachers). Please join us and make some changes in the children’s life.
Contact: Yoriko 080-2708-1266
[email protected]

Kirk here. The video on the United Nations Environment Programme website that is mentioned in the article can be found at the second URL shown below. It has English subtitles.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20211111/p2a/00m/0na/022000c
https://www.unep.org/globalmercurypartnership/news/video/mercury-and-minamata-disease-lesson-japan
Japan citizens' group makes video on Minamata patients to promote mercury regulation - The Mainichi
MINAMATA, Kumamoto -- A 13-minute video on the daily lives of Minamata disease patients, produced by a citizens' group in this southwestern Japan city

Kirk here with a notice I received from Francisco Celestino. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet but this sounds like it might be a nice opportunity for those of you who are interested in dance. What follows is the text I received from Francisco:
International Dance Teacher based in FUKUOKA.
I come to Kumamoto once a month to teach Argentina Tango, but also Kizomba (not Zumba).
You are most welcomed to join my lessons.
Check the poster please.
Your dance school is called :
DYL Academy
Your dance studio : DYL Studio.
Your goal : dance

Kirk here with a little news about the continuing road to recovery from the 2020 rains.
Train cars transported on trailers for Japan line's restart after 2020 torrential rains - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- In a bid to partially resume operations on a southwestern Japan train line suspended since torrential rains struck the Kyushu region in Ju

Hello friends, Atsuko here.
Lots people might have enjoyed the beautiful moon last night.
This is another information about beautiful moon and lights.
熊本秋のお城まつり Kumamoto castle Autumn festival is held now, from 19th November to 5th December around Kumamoto castle 二の丸Ninomaru area, 城彩苑 JYOSAIEN, 旧細川刑部邸 Kyu-Hosokawa Gyobutei till 9pm.
( If you go into the special opened area, you should pay the fee and go into till 8:30pm)
https://kumamoto-guide.jp/oshiromatsuri/
PS, you want to enjoy the lights after it, you
may visit X'mas market around 花畑広場 Hanabata Hiroba, in front of Sakuramachi and around Kumamoto station, in front of AMUPLAZA.
https://www.facebook.com/371909996646564/posts/1295380094299545/?sfnsn=mo
PS, ②CHIKAKEN is the group who plan, make, show the beautiful bamboo lights. They organize these bamboo lights. They also run good Guesthouse 月が綺麗ですね. If you stay there, you can enjoy bamboo lights every night.
BTW,
You should not say '' 月がキレイですね'' ''Tsuki ga Kireidesune'' to anyone easily because it has the meaning '' l love you'', also. It's said Soseki Natsume translated ''l love you'' to '' 月が綺麗ですね''. So beautiful works. The column tells the details. https://takashionary.com/the-moon-is-beautiful/
Hoping you can enjoy the warm lights with your specialଘ(੭ˊ꒳​ˋ)੭✧

Carlton. Don't look now (well, actually you should) but if you were expecting a full moon this evening, you will have to wait.
On our east northeast horizon the almost totally eclipsed moon is rising now and will remain in that slowly waning state for the next hour or more.
We'll have a very clear view of it thanks to the unusually clear skies.
<https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/japan/tokyo>
Eclipses visible in Tokyo, Japan - Nov 19, 2021 Lunar Eclipse
Which upcoming lunar and solar eclipses are visible in Tokyo, Japan and what do they look like?

Kirk here. The page has received an inquiry about English-speaking doctors in Kumamoto. I searched previous posts to review what's been discussed already but couldn't find much.
The image you see is from a post I made years ago about a multi-lingual doctor in Fukuoka.
There's also the following database that one can use:
http://www2.city.kumamoto.med.or.jp/forn/result.php
The problem with a database, though, is that it's just a list of the people who "say" they are able to speak English and doesn't refect how patients have felt about their interactions.
In that regard, I wonder if any of you might like to recommend a physician (either general practitioner or a specialist) who is particularly good at communicating in English.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/660210290719073/

Kirk here. I found this on Explore Kumamoto at the following address:
https://www.facebook.com/explorekumamoto/posts/4784592078231652
The Explore Kumamoto post has the following information that seems to get cut off when I share the share:
Koheiji Temple, Kumamoto
0968-36-4030
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7n4bfUF7rKAswktq8
My wife went to Kimbozan (金棒山; also romanized as Kinbozan, Kimpozan, and Kinpozan) recently and said that colors were just starting to turn and that the next weekend would probably be best. 'Tis the season for momijigari (紅葉狩り; fall color hunting). :)

Carlton here. Last night's NHK news reported this story: <https://japantoday.com/category/national/Japan-to-administer-COVID-19-booster-shots-from-Dec-1> and it certainly caught my attention because I got my 2nd jab in the 1st week of June.
Under the old 8 month wait rule I wasn't expecting a booster until next February, but now I will be eligible in the 2nd week of next month. I would like to avail myself of that opportunity if Kumamoto Prefecture makes it possible.
So this is a request to those of you reading this who are more proficient in Japanese than I to please keep a lookout for announcements in Japanese only pertaining to Kumamoto's plans and booster shot reservation protocols. I would deeply appreciate being informed in case I miss something.
In the meantime today I plan to go to the clinic where I received my 1st 2 jabs to see if perhaps I'm automatically registered for a third. Thank you all.
Japan to administer COVID-19 booster shots from Dec 1
Japan is set to begin administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine from Dec 1 after a health ministry panel approved the move on Monday, joining other countries in taking steps to prevent protection from waning over time. The vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE will initially be the.....

Anett here:
Below is an article on how strong or weak people in prefectures tend to be when it comes to alcohol drinking. Kumamoto Prefecture is in place 9 as the second strongest prefecture in Kyushu (Kagoshima sharing #2 with Iwate).
“酒豪”どこに多い？　「全国酒豪マップ」の謎｜エンタメ！｜NIKKEI STYLE
60対35対5――。この数字が何を示すのかご存じだろうか？実は、酒豪か下戸かその中間かの比率を示す数字なのだそうだ。つまり、日本人全体の60％が「酒が強い酒豪」、35％が「そこそこ飲めるがあまり酒には強くない中間...

Today was the official opening of Hanabata Hiroba (the area in front of SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto). The cost of the work done was approximately 23 million USD (23 oku en). Click on the image to see a YouTube video. -- Kirk
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202111131652500111
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19TB40rpUNE

Kirk here with an update on Ms. Le Thi Thuy Linh's case. If you are unfamiliar with it, please see these previous posts:
https://www.facebook.com/page/123734781033296/search/?q=%20Linh
(The link is a search for "Linh" on this page and should take you to three previous posts.)
The main bit of news is that arguments in her appeal have concluded and she must now wait for the judge's decision.
Although I can't take the time to translate all of the points that have come up in media reports, I'd like to observe that the reports by KKT and RKK (both local TV stations) constitute a study in contrasts. KKT was very favorable to Ms. Linh while RKK was not at all so. I could make up a long list of differences in the coverage but one very simple one is how Ms. Linh was referred to in the two reports. While KKT described her as a "Vietnamese intern" (ベトナム人実習生), RKK called her a "Vietnamese woman" (ベトナム人の女). In English, "woman" is not, of course, a term of disparagement but in Japanese "no josei (の女性)" is neutral whereas "no onna (の女)" is quite derogatory -- a term more-or-less reserved for criminals. For discussion see the following:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/5690746317665420
RKK's coverage can be viewed here:
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202111121915170111
The fact that KKT and RKK used strikingly different language in describing the same bit of news is a clear indication that the language that is used is not determined by Japanese culture or broadcasting norms -- it's an editorial decision. I used to be a member of a committee set up to evaluate the quality of programming at RKK (番組審議会). I'm no longer a member so I have no special influence now but if I had noticed something like this when I was on the committee I would have asked them about their choice of language and other aspects of the treatment of Ms. Linh in their coverage.
At the moment, the best information regarding the current status of the case is all in Japanese. Again, I don't have time to translate but I can recommend the following article for those of you who read Japanese:
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/mochizukihiroki/20211110-00267322
https://www.news24.jp/nnn/news100x9w6ln84ju8y0kp7.html
出産した双子の赤ちゃんの遺体を遺棄したとしてベトナム人技能実習生が有罪判決を受けた事件の控訴審。死体遺棄罪が成立するかが争点の裁判。被告側は「遺棄ではなく安置だ」と無罪を主張した。

Kirk here with a little more on the semiconductor plant to be finished by 2024. The article says that it is projected to employ 1500 people.
To put this number in context, I looked for a listing of Kumamoto's largest employers and found this page that lists the Hirata Corporation at the top with 1049 employees:
https://www.ts-hikaku.com/clist/a43/v1s22t0p.html
But, I know this page can't be right because Sony's website says that is employs about 10,200 just in Kumamoto:
https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/company/about/
Still, 1500 is a significant number.
By the way, here's a blurb about the Hirata Corporation from its website:
"Manufacture and sales of various manufacturing line systems, Industrial robot and logistic equipment."
So, it too is in the high-tech sector -- another reason that Kyushu is known as Japan's "silicon island."
https://www.hirata.co.jp/en/corporate/summary
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/81ce919b6eda9aec781b67314820c36be1b868b9
TSMC、半導体生産で日本進出　熊本で2024年末までに生産開始　1500人の雇用創出（日刊自動車新聞） - Yahoo!ニュース
　台湾積体電路製造（TSMC）は9日、熊本県内に半導体工場を建設し生産事業で日本に進出すると発表した。2022年に工場の建設を開始し、24年末までに生産開始を目指す。また、その製造子会社にソニーグル