Posts

Kirk here with some business news:
"Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced on Tuesday that it will build a $7 billion plant in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto to help meet the global shortage of semiconductors."
This has been in the news as a possibility for some time. Here are links to some previous posts:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/5732615523478499
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/6150130988393615
But, now it looks like the final decision has been made. An investment of $7 billion should help the local economy.
TSMC to build $7 bil. chip plant in Japan's Kumamoto Pref. - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced on Tuesday that it will build a $7 billion plant in Japan's southwestern prefecture

Kirk here. This seems to have happened between Shin-Yatsushiro and Kumamoto Stations. "No one was injured. Officials say the individual claims to have been inspired by the attack in Tokyo last month."
Man arrested for starting Shinkansen fire | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of starting a fire on a bullet train in Japan's southwestern region of Kyushu. No one was injured. Officials say the individual claims to have been inspired by the attack in Tokyo last month.

Kirk with a ramen video published by Kumamoto's tourism channel (on YouTube). It uses sound and images to make you hungry. Of course, there's plenty of slurping. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbyUgSPI0cs
I learned about the video on this news report:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAv-nC8Vaxs
熊本県観光連盟が熊本ラーメンを動画でＰＲ【熊本】 (21/11/05 18:30)
気温が下がって肌寒くなると、余計に恋しくなるものの一つに温かいラーメンです。熊本県観光連盟が県民のソウルフード、熊本ラーメンのプロモーション動画を作り、ユーチューブで配信を始めました。コンセプトは「見...

(Fiona) It's a beautiful time of year to see the autumn colours in Aso, and if you enjoy a challenge I recommend combining a mountain drive with a spot of treasure hunting. Takarush is a company which creates puzzle hunts in scenic areas, and a new quest has just begun in Takamori and Minami-Oguni, with a prize of 300,000 yen for the winner (decided by prize draw) and smaller prizes for all participants who successfully complete the hunt.
Entry forms can be picked up at the tourist offices in Takamori and Minami-Oguni, and these have the clues which will help you work out where to go next. Be warned, the puzzles all require Japanese reading ability, and some of the destinations may be difficult to reach by public transport. The treasure hunt is free and runs until January 10th 2022.

Kirk here was a followup to my post earlier today about relaxed entry and quarantine restrictions. This article gave me the impression that the 3-day thing is a special deal for business folks. I was relieved, however, to find a page on the Foreign Ministry's website that says that Japanese and foreign residents of Japan will (probably?) qualify too:
日本人の帰国者及び外国人の再入国者に加えて、商用・就労目的の短期間（3月以下）の滞在者及び緩和が必要な事情があると業所管省庁に認められた長期間の滞在者について、上記の要件を満たした場合に原則として認められます。
I won't try to translate the legalese but it starts off by saying that "business people, in addition to Japanese citizens and foreign residents" so it looks promising.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/release/press4_009164.html
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/11/1be6a2922b39-breaking-news-japan-to-ease-quarantine-rule-to-3-days-for-business-travelers.html
Japan to ease quarantine rule to 3 days for business travelers
Japan is planning to shorten the COVID-19 quarantine period for vaccinated businesspeople from overseas upon their entry into the country to three days, possibly from next week, according to government officials

Kirk with some national news that is certainly relevant to those of us in Kumamoto, too. Japan is about to start opening up a bit -- but we're not completely out of the woods yet.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-to-ease-entry-for-businesspeople-students-but-not-tourists?fbclid=IwAR0pFRDfhpCpNsbbuuHQdnBkzU3I1KzbihaQlUI2pLM9htXh4Ao95kVGYcg
Japan to ease entry for businesspeople, students but not tourists
Exclusive: Quarantines for short-term trips to be cut to 3 days

Hi! Kirk here with some information from Carlton McCycle. Here's what he sent me in an e-mail about what he found as Costco:
"I bought a pack of 6 patties I tried one the first night fried in a little olive oil in a skillet per package instructions. It tasted fine but not hamburger-like. More like similarly prepared pork sausage and that could have been due to the internal seasonings. At about ¥300/patty it may be more expensive than hamburger but I don’t know since I never buy hamburger."
This is a followup to several posts about Daiz that I made in the past. The following link will take you to all four of them:
https://www.facebook.com/page/123734781033296/search/?q=daiz
By the way, recently Hodo Station (a late-night news program) did a segment on increasing interest vegetable-based meat alternatives and how that interest is connected to concern about the environmental impact of raising cattle. This was all connected to COP26. Here's a related news article:
Cop26: Cut meat intake and flights, urge world’s scientists
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cop26-cut-meat-intake-and-flights-urge-worlds-scientists-3bg7z9qpj

Kirk here with a COVID-19 update. Kumamoto Prefecture's alert level has been lowered from 3 (警報; keihou; warning?) to 2 (警戒; keikai; alert?). This is on a scale that starts with 0 as completely normal and goes up to 5. I'm not sure exactly how this will impact daily life here but it's certainly good news. The numbers of new cases have been very low recently and the lowered alert level reflects that.
By the way, the address of the prefecture's page on the warning levels is as follows:
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/30/51409.html
Personally, though, I didn't find it to be particularly informative -- and it's only in Japanese. It's even difficult to translate with apps and Google translate etc. because they have put most of the text in low-resolution graphics. Low-resolution graphics may be convenient for those who want to take a table made on a computer and quickly put it up on a web page but it's the worst possible format for people who are trying to learn Japanese. :( I've been at this for 40 years so it's not a problem for me personally at this point but it would have slowed me down several decades ago.
https://nordot.app/829302002299240448
熊本県内の感染リスク、「レベル２（警戒）」に引き下げ　新型コロナ ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県は５日、新型コロナウイルスの県独自リスクレベルを「レベル２（警戒）」に一段階引き下げると発表し...

Kirk with some news about something that might not sound appetizing but that I'm eager to try -- beer made with igusa (the kind of grass used in tatami). Kumamoto is Japan's leading producer of igusa. In fact, 97% of the igusa used in tatami throughout Japan comes from Kumamoto:
http://www.tatami-kumamoto.com/about_tatami
Here's a link to the Sapporo Beer page for this beverage, which they call "HOPPIN' GARAGE IGUSA":
https://www.sapporobeer.jp/product/beer/hoppin-garage_igusa/
I guess they combined the word "garage," which reminds me of the fragrance of oil-stained concrete, to make the beer sound more appetizing than just igusa alone might be. ;) Nonetheless, I really am eager to give it a try. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yOFQZTLbc
The YouTube video was embedded in the following Japanese article:
https://rkk.jp/news/index.php?id=NS003202111041744080111

Kirk here with an election update.
"In the Kumamoto No. 2 district, where the top two candidates had both garnered support from conservative forces, former home affairs minister Takeshi Noda was defeated by a newcomer and independent backed by retired politician and former LDP Secretary-General Makoto Koga, and failed to secure his 17th victory in a general election."
On RKK I've heard that the new comer is going to join the LDP. So, though there is a generational changing of the guard I doubt there will be much of an ideological shift.
"
String of ex-LDP ministers, party heavyweights fall in Japan general election - The Mainichi
TOKYO -- Numerous political heavyweights and former ministers of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) were defeated in the Oct. 31 House of R

Hello friends, Atsuko here.
This is information about recycling market, flea market at Shirakawa park at 20 and 21 November.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yXmGh3mekrFgcavB7
You can get good reasonable items. They seem to accept few more participants, shop owners. You can sell old, used, or new items. Foods and hand-made items are not allowed.
Let's join this recycling action!
Sorry, I got another appointment so I can't join it.
Hoping I have any chance to chat with you, readers sooner.(^_-)-☆
https://fb.me/e/2MFoo0BT7

Kirk here wishing I had time to go to Ueki Onsen, instead of just posting about it.
https://www.facebook.com/kumamoto.en/posts/885877648954460

Kirk here congratulating Kumamoto International editor Hari Devkota on his success. By the way, if you search this page for "matcha" you'll find other posts about his research.
https://www.facebook.com/devkotahp/posts/10159754926006779

Kirk here with an election headline from the Kumanichi (Kumamoto's local newspaper): 2nd lowest voter participation rate in the prefecture since the end of WWII.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/451378
Even so, Kumamoto's average is slightly higher than the national average of 55.9%, the 3rd lowest since the war for the nation as a whole.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6408555

Kirk here with election news. In Kumamoto's 2nd district, challenger Nishino (younger former bureaucrat) has beat out incumbent Noda. Noda is in his 80s. He seemed quite vigorous when I saw him campaigning in a TV report but I suspect that, for better or worse, age may have been a factor. 2021 has been a year in which the word rogai (老害; harm caused by older people who hold on to power too long) has gotten a good deal of use, most notably in regard to former Prime Minister Mori's sexist remarks.
I'm only speculating that age was a factor in Noda's loss -- I haven't seen any commentary or exit polls that confirm my suspicion. It is a fact, though, that Nishino campaigned on the need for a transfer of power to the younger generation (世代交代; sedai kotai).
Ideologically, I doubt that this represents a major change. Nishino got some conservative LDP support too. Indeed, I've seen some reports about a conservative split being a factor in this case.
https://www.47news.jp/localnews/6989810.html
https://www.sankei.com/article/20211031-6TGGZEI6SFMDVI4UYYTU6ZYBHY/

Kirk here with some almost-too-late (or made too-late-already?) information about Halloween events in Kumamoto. This page lists several events for today. The one at the top is pantomime performances at 2 and 4 today on the roof of the Sakuramachi Building (屋上サクラマチガーデン).
I should have sent this out earlier but I was just thinking "Today's Halloween. I wonder if there are any related events in Kumamoto" and happened upon this after a little Googling.
Happy Halloween!
熊本桜町のランドマーク、SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto-サクラマチ クマモト-。館内で開催されるイベントのご案内です。

Happy Halloween friends, Atsuko here.
Lots readers might enjoy Halloween especially English teachers.
I share lots other yellow and orange smiles.
It seems to be the best season of Autumn sunflowers at 嘉島ゴッホひまわり園 Kashima Gogh sunflower park in this weekend.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E3%80%92861-3104+Kumamoto,+Kamimashiki+District,+Kashima,+Kitaamagi,+1873+%E3%82%B4%E3%83%83%E3%83%9B%E3%81%B2%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8A%E5%9C%92/@32.7491231,130.7816161,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3540f2f299c507ef:0x45aacbb1c5ed20d2
lt's near the サントリー九州熊本工場 Suntory Kyusyu Kumamoto factory, (unfortunately you can't try tasting beer now because of Corona.)
Enjoy! Happy yellow and orange weekend(*˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

Kirk here, admiring Dr. Takeshi Hasuda's courage, a quality he seems to have inherited from his father, the late Dr. Taiji Hasuda , who put the lives and welfare of newborns first and foremost.
Southwest Japan hospital shelters woman seeking to give birth without family knowledge - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- A hospital in this southwestern Japan city that introduced a de facto

Kirk here. This is an article about a visit to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine (上色見熊野座神社) in Aso. It's "renowned for its dramatic set of stairs in the woods." There's a picture in the article that you may recognize, even if you haven't been there before. The cat seems to be the author's travel companion.
[Corona ni Makeruna] COVID-19 Can't Stop the Wanders of the Traveling Cat | JAPAN Forward
The young Iicha feline has traveled through all 47 prefectures in Japan multiple times, and with her seasonal snaps and outfits, has gathered thousands of followers.

Kirk here with a little note about the impact of Johnny Depp's film. Though it takes some historical liberties I think it does a good job of dramatizing an important issue. I hope there are lots of instances like this one where young people get interested in the issue because of the film. By the way, I'm indebted to Mr. Toshio Yoshinaga, mentioned in the article. He helped me when I took students to Minamata and stayed with them at Soshisha, many years ago. Soshisha has an English website you can view here:
https://www.minamatadiseasemuseum.net/about-us
It's a museum but distinct from the one operated by the city.
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14459973
Depp film spurs Milan Minamata disease studies by Japanese kids | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
The Johnny Depp film