Posts

William. Another post about birds: The Oriental Stork has appeared within city limits. (Logophiles, take note: from German Storch (ster-) , meaning "stiff." Perhaps so called with reference to the bird's stiff or rigid posture.) To understand why this is exciting, a bit of background is required. The stork was once extirpated from Japan and the Korean Peninsula. However, in May 2007, a hatchling was reported in Japan for the first time in 40 years, down in the marshes of Yatsushiro, where the farmers scatter seed to attract them: their diet includes many rice paddy pests. A housewife in Hagiwaramachi spotted one checking out a utility pole, likely as a place to build a nest. That is all for the good news today. (The photo is stock as an example of how the storks build nests above utility poles.)
https://kumanichi.com/articles/419964

William. Most know that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs, and if you've ever seen an ostrich or emu, you'll be convinced (disclaimer: I had my sunglasses snatched by an emu once when approaching too close to the fence; it subsequently crushed them into the ground.) Kumanichi reports that 20 emu are on the, um, lamb?, after escaping from an emu park in Kikuchi. If you see one, don't approach it; call authorities at 0968-25-3053.descendents of dinosaurs, and if you've ever seen an ostrich or emu, you'll be convinced (disclaimer: I had my sunglasses snatched by an emu once when approaching too close to the fence; it subsequently crushed them into the ground.) Kumanichi reports that 20 emu are on the, um, lamb?, after escaping from an emu park in Kikuchi. If you see one, don't approach it; call authorities at 0968-25-3053.

Kirk here, repeating the immortal words of Will Rogers: "All I know is what I read in the newspapers."
Here's a quote from the article: "If the businesses require customers to show proof of vaccination or negative test result, they will be allowed to let in more people and remain open for longer hours."
I started with the Will Rogers quote because I don't have any information about what can be used as proof of vaccination. Nor do I know what venues in Kumamoto will be doing this. The article indicates, however, that you'll need proof of vaccination to get in to some bars, etc. in Kumamoto.
Note to the author of the Asahi article: That should have been either "a negative test result" or "negative test results." The plural/singular distinction in English is really mendokusai, isn't it!
Businesses to test vaccination requirements in 13 prefectures | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
Trial runs on further easing COVID-19 restrictions will start this month in 13 prefectures at businesses requiring customers to show vaccination certificates or negative PCR test results, the government said Sept. 30.

William. Kumanichi reports on a new PR video for Kumamoto which is, well, out of this world. (Regrettable that Tommy Lee Jones was not available.) Kumanichi is at the first link, and a direct link to the video is at the second.
It occurs to me that the "alien" could represent all foreigners here. Personally speaking, I've found the welcome I continue to receive in Kumamoto overwhelming, but some are made for overseas living and some are not. The last line in the video is, "His home is traversing the stars" or something like that. But once you've made a home in Kumamoto, you'll always have a home in Kumamoto.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/422503
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWYjCO9H95Y

(Fiona) Here's some information about a virtual walk around Kumamoto Castle showing all the work that's been done to reconstruct it since the 2016 earthquakes. It will be streamed live on YouTube on October 7th 11am Japan time (apologies for the short notice).
https://fb.me/e/2yukiOvMs

Kirk here with some notes on the historical accuracy of Johnny Depp's MINAMATA. This post has three URLs. The one I saw first and that prompted me to find the English-language article is the second one, which is by Mr. TAKAYAMA Fumihiko and is in Japanese. Mr. Takayama his written a book related to Minamata disease (third URL) and obviously knows a lot about what happened. His review of the movie is quite positive in some respects but points out that some parts of the movie are not quite right (for example, the location of certain events) and at least one event seems to be totally made up. In the English article, the made-up event is described as follows:
--- start quote ---
Did the Chisso Corporation try to pay W. Eugene Smith $50,000 to hand over the negatives of his photos?
No. While on a tour of the Chisso Corporation factory in the Minamata Johnny Depp movie, W. Eugene Smith (Depp) is offered $50,000 to turn over his negatives. We could not find evidence of this offer being made in real life, but it does effectively dramatize the power and leverage that Chisso had.
--- end quote ---
This may come under the heading of "artistic license." Still, in view of the continuing significance of Minamata disease as a real tragedy affecting people here in Kumamoto, I would hope such liberties could be kept to the bare minimum.
I have plans to go see the movie on Monday. I may report back afterwards, particularly if what I see changes my view significantly.
https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/minamata/
https://www.facebook.com/fu.takayama/posts/4336482096429855
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/髙山-文彦/dp/4065134188/ref=pd_sbs_1/357-1814141-1091861
Minamata vs. the True Story of W. Eugene Smith and the Disaster
We compare the Minamata Johnny Depp movie to the true story of the Minamata environmental disaster. Meet the real W. Eugene Smith and wife Aileen M. Smith.

Kirk here with an announcement that came to the editors of this page:
Kikuchi Girls High School is looking for people to take part in cultural exchange lessons. This could be introducing your country, teaching local crafts or games or cooking simple dishes. If you are interested and would like to find out more, please email Namika sensei at [email protected] There will be remuneration for your time and expenses will be covered.

William. Ya live in Kumamoto long enough and some things become as taken for granted as the sun rising in the east. One is the hot dog stand settled in a rusted-out van along the road from the airport. It was founded in 1976 by Miyahara Youichi ( 宮原洋一), who had one day grown sick of his salaryman job, quit, and embarked on his dream life: selling hot dogs, which were rather unknown in Kumamoto in those days. He's now 76 and has passed the baton to his daughter, who has added a curry counter next door.
Two interesting idioms from the article: 「辛さが足りない」(`Karasa ga tarinai', insufficient spiciness) and 「半端なもんを出せば、お客さんは二度と来ん」("hantanamonowodaseba, okyakusamahanidotokon, if you put out half-hearted food, customers will stop coming). She's also vowed to restore the original van rather than buy a new one - it's not like it has to go anywhere, it just needs to continue providing Kumamoto with hot dogs, rather unknown in Kumamoto when it opened. Next time you're out there, give it a try. Source: https://kumanichi.com/articles/420002

(Fiona) Here's a newly published book by one of Kumamoto's most prolific writers, Séan Michael Wilson. It's a timely graphic novel about the childhood and schooldays of George Orwell, the prescient author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745345925/such-such-were-the-joys/
You can find out more about Séan and his works, including a recent book about Minamata, on his Wikipedia page.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Michael_Wilson
Such, Such Were the Joys
One of the most famous writers of all time, George Orwell's life played a huge part in his understanding of the world. A constant critic of power and authori...

Kirk here. Today I had the good fortune to meet Hiromi Chida who runs Kuma Visit. She was finishing up a lecture at Gakuen Daigaku, where I work, and I was about to start a class of mine in the same room. She was talking about her work with Kuma Visit, though, sadly, I missed her lecture. The class I was about to start was with a group of students from China who I'll take to Kumamoto Castle in a couple of weeks. So, the topic of this post from Kuma Visit is very relevant to my little class. I hope others of you will find it to be of interest too.
P.S. Be sure to scroll down in the Kuma Visit post for the high-quality English explanation that follows the Japanese.
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/2962135187371441

Kirk here thanking Monaco Speed for his quick (true to his name) translation of the Japanese text of the Change.org appeal for Ms. Linh. First, if you missed the original post, here's a link:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/6070962006310514
And here's the Change.org link:
https://www.change.org/p/福岡高等裁判所-第2刑事部-裁判長裁判官-辻川-靖夫-御中-ベトナム人技能実習生リンさんの無罪を求めます?redirect=false
And, finally, here's the translation from Mr. Speed:
Please note that when you sign the petition, you will be asked to make a donation to Change.org, not to our support group. If you would like to inquire about donations, please use the Change.org contact form. "If you don't want to donate, your signature is still valid.
What Happened to Ms. Linh?
On November 15, 2020, Vietnamese technical intern Le Thi Thuy Linh gave birth to stillborn twins alone on a tatami mat. The next morning, Ms. Linh was taken to the hospital by her employer. The doctor called the police, who arrested her as soon as she left the hospital and charged her with abandoning a corpse. She was later released on bail, but in July 2021, the Kumamoto District Court sentenced her to eight months in prison, suspended for three years. In July 2021, she was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment and three years' probation by the Kumamoto District Court, but in July 2021, she appealed to the Fukuoka High Court, saying that she had neither abandoned nor hidden the baby.
　　Ms. Linh came to Japan in August 2018 at the age of 19 to help her mother support the family alone because her father was too ill to work, and has been working hard at a citrus farm in Kumamoto Prefecture. Before coming to Japan, she owed 1.5 million yen to a Vietnamese sending agency, so she sent 100,000 yen from her 120,000 yen take-home pay to Vietnam and worked almost without a break for a year and a half to repay the debt. In May 2020, she found out she was pregnant, but as many women are forced to return to their home countries due to pregnancy, Ms. Linh was afraid of being forced to return to her home country and could not talk to anyone about it.
On the night of the 14th, she had severe abdominal pain and gave birth to twins while suffering from pain, bleeding, loneliness and fear all night long. She was so sad when she saw the motionless babies that she laid out towels on a cardboard box she had nearby as a coffin and laid the bodies of the twins there. I named them and said, "I'm sorry, my twin babies! May they soon be in a peaceful place.
I didn't abandon my babies, nor did I hide them! So why am I being charged with a crime?
Judge Takao Sugihara found Ms. Lin guilty because she did not prepare the body for cremation and burial in the cemetery, but we believe that Ms. Lin, who did not understand the Japanese language or the Japanese customs and laws regarding death and funerals, could only do so much in the immediate postpartum period and that she did the best she could in her position.
Slavery in the Modern World?
At present, Japan accepts nearly 400,000 technical interns, whose labor supports the livelihood of many people in Japan. However, technical intern trainees are not allowed the freedom to choose their occupation, relocate their residence, or get pregnant or give birth in Japan, which should be guaranteed to them as human beings.
Nearly 80% of technical trainees are in their teens and twenties. Young technical intern trainees work at the production sites of most of the lunch boxes, fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish that are lined up in large quantities in department stores and supermarkets. When you put your hands together to say "Itadakimasu" (thank you for the food), have you ever thought about the people who are working so hard in Japan, far away from their home countries? Have you ever given even the slightest thought to those people who live so close to us? Pregnancy, childbirth, and marriage are all important things in life. It is always necessary to talk to someone about your physical and mental anxiety. I think we have created a society that does not allow people to do so.
What can we do?
Ms. Lin was reported as a criminal, and many media came to the farm where she was working, and the quiet village by the sea was in turmoil. These two things have great significance.
Losing one's workplace = no longer a technical intern, and if one disappears, one is considered to be in the country illegally and deported.
Loss of housing = difficulty in getting bail, and being held in detention while facing trial.
Ms. Lin still had a strong will to work. Therefore, we are looking for an emergency host that meets these two conditions. That was our first encounter with Ms. Lin. We were stunned by the technical internship system, which did not show the slightest hint of the philosophy of international contribution. They work hard, have little time or opportunity to learn the language, and return to their home countries after three to five years as if they were invisible. When I think about this case, shouldn't the first thing we should have done was to care for Lin's body and mourn the death of her babies? We can't let Linh go back to Vietnam with the unkind treatment of arrest, detention, prosecution, and conviction on her shoulders.
Please raise your voice with us!
So we do not want to end this issue by punishing Ms. Linh alone as a criminal. We believe that Ms. Lin is innocent, and we urge that the judgment of acquittal be handed down after the first trial is reversed.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　At the same time, we are also launching a paper-based signature campaign by the following five organizations We will submit them to the court together with the signatures of Change and the paper-based signatures. Therefore, to avoid duplication, please sign either this change or the paper-based petition.　　
Signature collection point: Association to support the trial of Linh, a Vietnamese technical intern
Calling organization 　
Association to Support the Trial of Vietnamese Technical Intern Linh
Comstacar Association for Living with Foreigners　
Seigakusei Jikei Hospital
NPO Kumamoto YWCA　　　　 　　
Defense team for Linh's criminal trial
----
Finally, in order to get a different picture on this post (so that people don't confuse it with the previous one, I'm linking to this article in Vietnamese. I read it with Google translate and the English translation is quite readable and the content fits quite well with other news reports I have seen.
https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/nhat-ban-tranh-cai-quanh-an-tu-vi-vut-bo-xac-con-cua-thuc-tap-sinh-viet-nam-20210722171738151.htm
Nhật Bản: Tranh cãi quanh án tù vì "vứt bỏ xác con" của thực tập sinh Việt Nam
(NLĐO) - Tòa án quận Kumamoto (Nhật Bản) đã tuyên phạt 1 thực tập sinh Việt Nam 8 tháng tù giam nhưng được hoãn thi hành án 3 năm vì vứt bỏ thi thể của 2 đứa con.

Kirk here with some recreational reading for Kumamon fans. The article, which is fairly long and detailed, describes how Kumamon came into being (no, he wasn't brought by a stork!):
"Kumamon is the brainchild of designer Mizuno Manabu. Writer and producer Koyama Kundō, who oversaw the creative aspects of the project, initially turned to Mizuno to come up with the logo mark for the campaign."
The bear's media activities, in-person appearances (domestic and international) and other topics are also discussed.
Getting to Know Kumamon, Japan’s Superstar Mascot
Kumamon, a wide-eyed and red-cheeked bear representing Kumamoto Prefecture, is the gold standard of yuru kyara, Japan’s pervasive promotional mascots. Since debuting in 2011, the character has won hearts in Japan and abroad, bringing in billions of yen in sales of Kumamon-related goods in the proc...

Kirk here with a call for support for Le Thi Thuy Linh. If you support the appeal, as I hope you will, I hope you will sign and also share this post with others who might also be interested and/or willing to sign.
Here's the text of an English report about Ms. Linh's case:
---- quote starts here ----
The Kumamoto District Court has sentenced a 22-year-old Vietnamese woman to eight months in prison, suspended for three years, for abandoning the bodies of her newborn twins last year.
According to Tuesday's court ruling, Le Thi Thuy Linh, who came to Japan in 2018 to work as a technical trainee, gave birth to twin boys in her company dormitory in Ashikita on or around Nov 15, 2020, Sankei Shimbun reported. She then wrapped the bodies in a cloth and placed them in a cardboard box.
On Nov 16, she took the box to a hospital in Yatsushiro City, where she told medical staff that she had given birth at her dorm and that the twins were stillborn. She gave no information on who the father of the babies was.
==========
NOTE: It has been pointed out to me that this part of the article is wrong. She did not take the box to the hospital. Instead, she left it at her residence. I'll post separately about this inaccuracy later. -- Kirk
==========
Linh’s lawyer said Wednesday she will appeal the ruling, claiming she did not commit a crime. He said she did not abandon the bodies but took them to a hospital.
--- quote ends here ----
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/vietnamese-woman-gets-suspended-sentence-for-abandoning-bodies-of-newborn-twins
An NHK article about Ms. Linh's case and a similar case in Hiroshima can be found here:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1498/
The thrust of the appeal is in the title:
ベトナム人技能実習生リンさんの無罪判決を求めます！
A direct translation might be "We demand (or request) that Ms. Linh be found innocent" but I think that in English it might be more natural to render it "We support Ms. Linh's appeal for justice!"
I support this. I don't have time to translate the text of the Change.org appeal right now but everything I have been able to learn about this case tells me that Ms. Linh is a victim, not a criminal. I will sign as soon as I post this. If someone has time to translate the text properly, I'm pretty sure that Ms. Linh's supporters will be able to make good use of the text.
Finally, there is a paper petition that is being circulated as well. You can only sign one or the other; please be careful not to sign twice. That might cause a problem.
https://www.change.org/p/福岡高等裁判所-第2刑事部-裁判長裁判官-辻川-靖夫-御中-ベトナム人技能実習生リンさんの無罪を求めます?fbclid=IwAR3fVVDJasxevsFklUM8DEcBBOZ8fol_-rzKU3ITTVqodPU8VWjjITDMSlU--
ベトナム人技能実習生リンさんの無罪判決を求めます！

William. Autumn is dragonfly (蜻蛉, トンボ, tonbo) season. Kumamoto's abundant water ensures a plethora. Most of a dragonfly's life is spent as a nymph. The nymph extends its hinged labium (a toothed mouthpart similar to a lower mandible, normally folded and held before the face) that can extend forward and retract rapidly to capture prey such as mosquito larvae, tadpoles, and small fish - kinda like Alien; this trait extends to its adult phase, useful when you're chasing mosquitos. Must be terrifying for other insects; the dragonfly then perches on some high point and consumes its prey headfirst. The nymph stage lasts between a few months to as long as five years, depending on the species. The nymphs are voracious predators, eating most living things that are smaller than they are. Once out of water, they only have six to ten months to live, depending on the species, so they've gotta focus on that mating/reproduction stuff. You'll often see two dragonfly connected, chilling on a leaf: the male is delivering sperm to the female, who will decide what to do with it later (females may mate multiple times).
Of interest is the dragonfly eye. Each eye is composed of over 16,000 cells, giving it a 360° view, and its vision "refresh rate" is about 200 frames per second, compared with 45 for humans. Their agility and ferociousness inspired samurai, who on occasion modeled their helmets on the beast, as shown below. I hope this has given you a better appreciation of dragonflies. Please see the links below from which I have sourced this information.
As a special note for Kumamoto: the smallest dragonfly in Japan lives here, called the ハッチュウトンボ、, which is about the size of a one-yen coin (click on the photo for a comparison).
https://discover.silversea.com/destinations/asia/dragonflies-in-japan/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meganisoptera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ommatidium
https://discover.silversea.com/destinations/asia/dragonflies-in-japan/

You'll remember there was a reservoir overlooking Route 57 as it threaded its way through Tateno Gap to Aso and on to Oita which ruptured in the quakes, causing landslides that cut off the route. Instead of trying to reopen that, they tunneled, opening a new route a year ago. Kumanichi reports that the smooth transportation has led to an increase in population in the Aso region as the "Silicon Island" workers increasingly choose to live there while working at the fabs in Ozu. Imagine what the trans-Kyushu highway will do for the forgotten eastern area of Kumamoto.

Kirk here with a bit of media news. Seeing William's recent post about an article in the Kumanichi Shimbun (thanks William!) reminded me that the newspaper ended publication of its evening edition (yukan) a few days ago. The article says that the evening edition had continued for 69 years. I heard on TV that the one factor in the yukan's demise was the internet, which has reduced the need to get a second edition of the paper to learn about the latest events.
I'm a fan of and moderately heavy user of the internet, but I worry about what it's doing to journalism and public culture. You may be aware of recent reports about how Facebook knew it having a negative impact on many young girls but didn't take significant action to curtail the problem. Fake news often spreads more quickly than and crowds out real news. Similar problems abound. I have very mixed feelings about this platform. 😕
https://kumanichi.com/articles/415909

William. Taniguchi Musuo (谷口睦生) is being honored with a statue in his hometown of Yatsushiro. Taniguchi was a talented sprinter in the 200 and 400 meters who competed in the Berlin Olympics (he didn't medal but competed admirably). Upon returning to Japan, he was soon drafted and sent to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands just as the US was beginning its counteroffensive. His ship was sunk, he along with it. A friend of his said, "Perhaps he had doubts about the war because he participated in the Olympics and fostered friendship across countries. Had it not been for war, he would have been a good track and field leader." Reminds me a bit of the movie "Chariots of Fire." Let us be thankful that we are in no danger of being drafted - for the moment. The article is a good read; some tricky words are translated below.
https://kumanichi.com/articles/418465
双璧 （そうへき）= two greatest authorities
翻弄 （ほんろう）= trifling with
散った （散る、ちる）= died
召集される（しょうしゅう）= be drafted

(Fiona) Local author and Kumamoto-i contributor Tristan Vick has a new Kickstarter for his latest project Daughter of Wolves. You can find out more about his comic book series here:
Daughter of Wolves Issue #1

William. The "higanbana" is so named as it blossoms at the time of the Buddhist celebration of higan, when your ancestors to whom who still probably owe money to return to remind you of that. The bulbs of the plant are very poisonous and are thus used in Japan to surround paddies and houses to keep away pests; also, their deep roots form a dense water barrier, which is why most of them are grown close to rivers, particularly surrounding rice paddy embankments. In Japan, the Red Spider Lily signals the arrival of fall. Many Buddhist will use it to celebrate the arrival of fall with a ceremony at the tomb of one of their ancestors. They plant them on graves because it shows a tribute to the dead. People believe that, since the Red Spider Lily is mostly associated with death, one should never give a bouquet of these flowers.

A note from our shakuhachi virtuoso, Jeff Cairns.