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My apologies but I had to delete a post I put up about a revised vaccination schedule suggesting it was for folks under 65. Kumamoto city just issued a correction, so I've withdrawn the two pictures that I sent about 30 minutes ago.
However I will add, as an over 65 year old, that I was fortunate enough (I think) to receive my 2nd Pfizer vaccination yesterday. I reported here on May 19 or 20 about my 1st shot.
It was at the same time and place exactly 3 weeks later than the first, and it went even more smoothly than the 1st. I had it done in a small ear, nose, and throat clinic not far from my home. Quite unlike the crowded and confused looking sites one sees on the TV news in large metropolitan areas, my venue was spacious, well ventilated, with socially distanced seating that could easily accommodate the 5 people there for their appointed injections.
Again I was asked to wait for 15 minutes at the clinic after the jab to observe any possible adverse reaction, but I had none other than an overwhelming desire to operate heavy equipment. That passed. Seriously, the doctor did tell me to expect various maladies such as fever and influenza-like symptoms after this 2nd shot; he told me he was sick for a few days after.
So I've been carefully measuring my vital signs, but now fully 28 hours after my 2nd shot, I'm feeling as fine as I can in this hot humid Kumamoto weather. Like the 1st time I developed an increasingly sore and stiff shoulder about 6 hours after, but I slept well last night and awoke this morning with a less sore shoulder and no fever or other discomforts. That situation is still ongoing thankfully.
One side effect to which I can attest though is that, like the 1st time, I had marvelous vivid, richly detailed, non-threatening dreams while I slept. It's as if the mRNA pushed into my veins also contained a group of mini screenwriters and art and set directors. Most entertaining. I'm looking forward to my afternoon nap today and sleep tonight.
For those who do not know me I am a somewhat heavyset American of Scotch-Irish descent, and my reaction to the jabs matches those of folks physically similar to me. On the other hand, all Japanese men I know who have received both shots (3) have suffered for a bit with flu like problems after the 2nd one that _did_ go away. There may be something to a racial metabolic difference in reactions.
But that should not frighten anyone. I now hold a certificate in Japanese with stickers and QR codes attesting to the fact that I am fully vaccinated for Covid-19. In another week or so, I should be internally armor plated according to the Ministry of Health. I hope it will make life easier for me and those around me.

Talking with a friend from Texas, where pretty much everything is lethal, we realized that there are very few dangerous animals in Japan. The two we could come up with are the mamushi (aka Japanese pit viper) and the oosuzumebachi (Japanese giant hornet). If you see either, run the other way. Particularly, the hornets will swarm you if you approach their nest (photo below - beautiful things but to be avoided). Inform authorities if you spot a nest, and they will have it removed. - William
https://msp.c.yimg.jp/images/v2/tpvPBYOX1wpNVI1UoNSgEtrvL7k9lx2-zrymg9F6y1ursqxxTsl5BP2Ba6x0QDgcVrUD26EFn1N5mqbS0BPCBjj2Du3Z_QF9NwHIlrcrrZsl4QOzieU3ppfVKs4mvKsRp46v9zJBzQskIO8tldsG8kqtfFQue1tpO7x-quTKlISM6PuNDw-7_9DTxCOP6CaXg2TUWon14TQrPwboFlQOaA==/suzumebachi01.jpg?errorImage=false
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamushi
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%82%AA%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BA%E3%83%A1%E3%83%90%E3%83%81

My hometown's newspaper, the LA Times, is running a series on earthquake preparedness. A useful hint they noted today is to keep your bug-out bag in your car. If interested, follow it at the link: https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2021-06-09/ready-for-the-big-one-earthquake-unshaken - William
Welcome to Unshaken: Are you ready for a big earthquake?
Earthquake preparedness is about communication, resilience and understanding and mitigating your risks. Our newsletter course will teach you how.

Mixed messages
Recalling Kirk’s posting of the marijuana arrest in Kumamoto Prefecture recently, and also looking at Japan struggling to reach the 1 million Covid jabs per day goal of the Suga administration, I can say with authority I think that the plan in place in Washington State in the US won’t be a role model here: <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/washington-state-offers-e2-80-98joints-for-jabs-e2-80-99-to-boost-vaccination-rates/ar-AAKRBnq>
Washington state offers ‘joints for jabs’ to boost vaccination rates
To boost vaccination rates, Washington state is offering free marijuana joints to any adults that receive a Covid-19 vaccine. On Monday, the Washington state liquor and cannabis board announced the promotion, aptly called “Joints for Jabs”, that will run until 12 July. During the initiative’s ...

A word from the Kumamoto International Recruitment Desk: As the KI recruitment manager, I've got a heavy quota I can't fill and am pressured into posting under numerous pseudonyms, all of them "William" (hey - there are lots of "Williams" - pictured: my wife and I with our son, William, on the way back home). I post for two reasons: I love writing, and I love Kumamoto. If you think you can post on subjects topical to this feed consistently and with no nudity (well, you can post while nude; just don't include a screenshot), please PM us, and voila! - you're an editor. - William

Kirk here with news about the vaccination schedule for Kumamoto City. I heard today that youngsters like me (I.e. between 60 and 64) who have been waiting patiently for our elders to hurry up and get poked will be able to start registering on July 10th. People with medical conditions and handicaps will also be able to begin registering at this time. Actual vaccinations for those of us in this group will start on July 26th. Please refer to the attached image for information about when even more youthful denizens of Kumamoto should be able to get vaccinated.
https://www.tku.co.jp/news/?news_id=20210609-00000007

Y'know how sometimes you're speaking a foreign (or even your native) language and a word escapes you? What I've learned is to halt everything, empty your brain, wait a moment, and it will bubble up. That happened to me today when I had to recall "toothpick" (I never use them, but we're planting avocado seeds): 爪楊枝（つまようじ). Try it - it works. (You can use waribashi for the avocado seeds, too) - William

Shin Yatsushiro Station, which I use for a recent job, baffles me: it is a bemouth which serves both the Shinkansen and regular lines but is surrounded by ... rice paddies. There is not a store, not even of the convenience type. They do have a vending machine, so I can get my Coke fix. Perhaps it's a "build it and they will come" mindset, but "they" have yet to come. - William

A friend mailed me about SDGs - "sustainable development goals" - and after briefly panicking that she might be discussing STDs, I found that the Kumamoto Trolley has an entire page dedicated to it (Japanese only). - William
SDGsへの取り組み | 熊本電気鉄道株式会社
熊本電鉄はSDGsの一環として、環境事業（LIMEX）、新電力事業（Ennet）に取り組んでいます。

Yabe is a great lil' town (disclaimer: my wife hails from there). The new road has vastly shortened driving time; this will be further shortened as the trans-Kyushu expressway passes through the town. Yabe is a wonderful summer day-trip; you can stop at Samatanoyu onsen in on the way home (https://samatanoyu-misato.jp/). While famous for its iconic bridge, Tsujinkyo, many do not know its famous waterfall, Gorougataki ( https://kumamoto.guide/spots/detail/11819 ), which can be reached by traversing the bridge and going down a long, stone staircase. Make sure to note the two types of rock composing the cliffs, deposited during two different Aso eruptions. Nobody swims in the pool except me. Hint: swim backwards to prevent the hail-like water droplets from lacerating your eyes, then climb behind the falls to see the deepest moss you'll ever see. For further adventure, continue along the path, which is suspended above the river as it traverses a gorge, cross a footbridge, than follow a few farmer's roads to get back to town (it follows the aqueduct that feeds the bridge). It's an easy hike except for the path up from the gorge - but then, once you're down there, you've gotta climb back out anyway. - William

There was carnage this morning in my genkan as an ashidakagumo (Heteropoda venatoria, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteropoda_venatoria), which means "spider with friggin' big legs," systematically killed, dismembered, and ate a cockroach. What remains now are only the crunchy parts. Neither my wife nor I intervened: All we could do was look on in horror. Wikipedia notes, "Besides insects it has been known to prey on scorpions and bats." (!!) Still, that's one less cockroach. We pardoned the spider, who remains on patrol. - William

Joe Tomei here, I've been asked to pass on information about the fundraising event at the YWCA, organized by Sean Benward. Please contact Sean for more details, contact info is in the flier!

I wasn't aware that Mr. Hosokawa was such an accomplished artist. As I think most of you know, he is a descendant of Hosokawa Tadaoki, who replaced Kato Tadahiro (Kato Kiyomasa's son) as lord of Kumamoto in 1632. He is the only former governor of Kumamoto I am aware of to have become prime minister in the postwar era . -- Kirk
P.S. Thanks to Kazuhiro Oyama for telling us about Kiyoura Keigo, who was a prime minister in the 1920s. (See comments)
Former prime minister’s art on show at heritage site in Kyoto : The Asahi Shimbun
KYOTO--Morihiro Hosokawa, who served briefly as prime minister and devoted his retirement from polit

As a kid, I was a star runner in my school district (#2!) in California, but I did it for fun. For example, as I went through three coaches in four years, I became the team's de facto coach and came up with the pool run, where runners had to see how many condominium pools we could swim through (it involved leaping a fence, swimming through pools with shoes on, leaping the opposite side fence, and continuing on - we kept a record of the amount of pools swum year-to-year; the record when I left was 17). I had hoped for a similar experience for my son at Kumamoto's Kyushu Gakuin, one of the premier distance running schools in Japan, but I guess there's a reason why they're premier: it is not fun (note: it is otherwise a wonderful school, and I highly recommend it to children of international background). So, to my disappointment, he quit the team - but I understood why: they're militant. Take care to understand the training regime of your kids in schools and how they truly feel about it. If they're receiving more stress than joy, let them leave. - William
42 Runners Under 2:10 at One Japanese Marathon – PodiumRunner
What the Lake Biwa Marathon’s incredible results reveal about Japanese marathoning today.

Lovers of the great outdoors might want to keep ASO Nature Land in mind when making plans for activities. This post is just one example of what they do. The Facebook page is in Japanese but the pictures tell most of the story. -- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3957747474302209&id=224189814324679

June marks the beginning of rainy season. Prepare to be perpetually soggy. Here is an informative article on the phenomenon. - William
https://blog.gaijinpot.com/japans-rainy-season-called-month-no-water/

Hello friends.
It was the 10th Anniversary Day of being fair trade city, Kumamoto, yesterday.
I impressed I listened some presentations which introduced some products like BABANA paper, reasonable T shirts, coffee ... at international center before.
Knowing well and feel other country closely are the first step of fair trade, I think.
明石san Akashisan is the representative of Fair trade Kumamoto Promotion Committee. She runs a fair trade shop ''loveland''.
https://www.facebook.com/loveland.ft/
https://lovelandkuma.wixsite.com/home
Go, Go fair trade city, Kumamoto!!
ーAtsuko(*´▿`*)

This article in Japanese is about plans to go ahead with a public viewing event in Kumamoto-jo Hall (downtown, near the International Center), despite Tokyo's cancellation of a similar event that had been planned for Yoyogi Park. See the second URL is for an English article on that topic.
Personally, I prefer to stay at home and watch on TV. Medical expert Shigeru Om has been testifying in the Diet recently that the real danger from the Olympics is not interaction between athletes and staff but the moving, intermingling, and celebrating of the fans. (See third URL for that.) -- Kirk
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/148c0d55e2f7d7f4318d4db7c684185b83c000d4
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Olympics-latest-Mental-health-experts-to-join-UK-team-in-Tokyo
https://www.business-standard.com/article/sports/olympian-yamaguchi-says-japan-cornered-into-holding-tokyo-games-121060400597_1.html
東京五輪ＰＶ　熊本城ホールで実施予定（RKK熊本放送） - Yahoo!ニュース
東京都が突然、ワクチン接種会場とすることを表明し、注目される東京オリンピックのパブリックビューイングですが、熊本県では、予定通り実施する方向で調整が進んでいます。 東京都によりますと、パブリックビ

An effect of the coronavirus is that part-time jobs for college students have vanished, leaving them pinched for cash. Kumanichi reports on this. Pictured is the shopping basket of a student who managed to buy a week's worth of vegetables for 548 yen. - William
バイトない、食費ない…コロナ禍で生活切り詰め　熊本県内の大学生　 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
新型コロナウイルスによる度重なる飲食店の時間短縮要請や外出自粛要請。アルバイトで生活や学費を賄ってい...

I recently posted about the busting of a marijuana growing operation in Yamaga:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/5458758834197504
On last night's RKK news, they said that there have been a number of marijuana-related arrests in recent years and that police think that the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. has led to increased demand here:
https://rkk.jp/news/backno_page.php?id=NS003202106031532190111
They cited a robbery that occurred in the parking lot of HIrose, a supermarket near my workplace of Kumamoto Gakuen University, as another crime involving marijuana. It was initially reported that the two assailants had used a knife to force a man in his car to hand over his phone and cash. Later, however, one of the suspects said that they were actually after his weed. The police then searched the victim's residence and found the drugs.
This is also reported in the following video:
https://www.tku.co.jp/news/?news_id=20210524-00000007
-- Kirk