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Shino shrines are a bit tricky for non-Japanese as they tend to be very nationalistic (read: racist). The Kato Shrine (加藤神社), which used to be behind what is now the baseball stadium until it was moved into the castle grounds during the Meiji era, is celebrating its 150th anniversary there. Attend and be shunned. - William https://kumanichi.com/articles/238592

Hi friends.
It's nice weather today, tonight.
Can you see the beautiful moon?
If the weather will be fine on 26th May, you can enjoy total lunar eclipse.
Partial lunar eclipse will start from 6:45 pm. Partial lunar eclipse will rise up from East in evening.
Total lunar eclipse will be from 8:09pm to 8:28pm. 8:19pm is maximum.The moon is super moon, biggest one in this year.
Japanese have TUKIMI culture. I love TUKIMI more than HANAMI.If the weather will be good, it's so nice season to enjoy moon light, drink in the moon light, go for a walk under the moon light.
For me, especially, on that day, it's my elder daughter's wonderful 20th Birthday!
Hoping you also enjoy it with your closely family, closely friends.ーAtsuko(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡

Kumamoto is often described as “Mori no Miyako (森の都), or Capital of Forest”. When you see trees at a park or a school, have you thought about people who actually planted them?
In the late 19th century, there was a person who started a project to plant trees all around Kumamoto aiming at getting back nature. His name is Yoshio Kawakita (河喜多義男) who was born in Kikuyo Town.
Back then, many parts of Kumamoto were burned down after Seinan civil war in 1877. It is said that when Lafcadio Hearn, who is famous for his work "KWAIDAN (怪談)", came to Kumamoto in 1891, he said Kumamoto didn't have much trees and it was like a desert.
Kawakita donated his fortune and started to plant trees. He started this work not just because he wanted to bring nature back but also he wanted to make resources in Kumamoto.
Check the link below and get to know more about his stories.
- Chieko

In college, I double-majored in economics and Asian studies, so I was a bit busy. In my senior year, the dean notified me that if I didn't take a science class, I couldn't graduate, so I enrolled in geology. As life has it, turns out to be a life-long hobby. Japan is a paradise for geologists. Look around you and ask: Why are these hills bent? Where do these rocks come from? (3 Types of Rock: Igneous, Sedimentary & Metamorphic). There are huge boulders in places where they shouldn't be - they must have been spit out of the volcano long ago as volcanic ejecta. Just look around you and notice. Kumamoto is a paradise for geologists. - William

There's a hill next to the Athletic Park (運動公園) at the base of which is one of those dilapidated hotels from the Showa Era. I like dilapidated hotels - otherwise, I will camp. It barely survived on groups of students gathering for athletic events, but those have dried up during the pandemic, so it has given up its last breath and will close. That is too bad - there are few facilities like it in Kumamoto, especially given its location. I wonder if the city government might consider taking it over and incorporating it into the park. - William https://kumanichi.com/articles/237363

Yesterday's rain was quite intense in Ashikita and Minamata, as well as other parts of Kumamoto. This TV report shows areas where fields were inundated and some damage occurred. Usually, heavy rains don't come this early in the year. I'm not exactly sure what records were set but the rains are being described as "record setting" (kirokuteki). The Yahoo link below (also with video) that describes the rain in that way. -- Kirk
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/56b264cb9201de049643896a9c52606c07e76c52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHm66v-dTbI
冠水・避難指示も 九州で記録的大雨　西・東日本も警戒へ
梅雨前線の活動が活発化し、九州を中心に大雨が降っていて、熊本の一部地域に避難指示が出されている。20日午後から21日にかけて、四国や東海でも大雨のおそれがあり、警戒が必要。九州の一部では19日夜から雨が降り続...

Just one other post about citrus: etymologists aren't quite sure where the word comes from, but apparently its origins may have had nothing to do with oranges (whose origin is similarly lost in the fog of linguistic history but is believed to have derived from Sankrit, which is why nothing rhymes with it). From etymonline: "from the Modern Latin genus name, from Latin citrus "citron tree," the name of an African tree with aromatic wood and lemon-like fruit, the first citrus fruit to become available in the West. The name, like the tree, is probably of Asiatic origin [OED] or from a lost non-IE Mediterranean language. But others trace it to Greek kedros "cedar," perhaps via Etruscan." Next time one of your friends disparages Etruscans at a drinking party, throw this in their face. - William

I always forget the word for "citrus" in Japanese: 柑橘類 (kankitsurui). Not like it's a really difficult word, but try putting them on a table and distinguish them in a test. All citrus is native to Asia, and Kumamoto in particular is famous for it, so much so that Sawako, my wife, frequently brings citrus home that I can't identify. "What is that?" I ask, and she answers, "Some kind of citrus." (She doesn't know either.) Here's a guide. - William

For those thinking today may not be particularly special….
It is the birthday of my younger brother.
And if that isn’t enough please note that tonight at precisely
9:21:21pm
it will be the 21st second
of the 21st minute
of the 21st hour
of the 21st day
of the 21st week
of the 21st year
of the 21st century.
Let the good times roll. —CM

Kumanichi reports on what disrupted my Yatsushiro class yesterday: a road paralleling a river washed out, taking two cars with it in Kawadake (川嶽). Car occupants were hospitalized out of caution and are apparently okay. But the article contained this awesome kanji: 嶽 - so I had to look it up. Apparently, it simply means "cliff" and is related to the more commonly used 岳. If you plan to take a road containing that kanji, you might consider a different route. - William https://kumanichi.com/articles/237082

A crucial factor for parents of schoolchildren is the 連絡網 (renrakumo - phone tree), a contact information list handed out at the beginning of the school year with a tree so that one person contacted can contact the subsequent person and word can get out without some poor, beleaguered school official charged with contacting everyone alone. If there is a break in the chain, one continues to the subsequent contact. Starting teaching at a high school, I found a list of the 連絡網 for teachers on my desk and was relieved to find myself as the final link: the buck stops with me. 😎 - William

Kirk here with a news item about local vaccinations.
Kumamoto OKs local officials to get vaccine shots if canceled : The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--To justify getting COVID-19 shots ahead of the elderly or medical personnel, Kumamoto offi

Joe Tomei here with another Funky Friday place. Just across from the previously introduced Cure seikotsuin near the Kumamoto Suizenji Station is Ikkyuhonpo Suizenji. Honpo means main store, so I guess that means that there are branches. Now you might say "Joe, how can a place that is respectable enough to have a main store and branches gain the coveted Funky Friday Place status?" Well, the store has been around for half a century and the main store has a pretty funky menu. The main store really gives off a Showa era vibe. You can buy manju to go, but it gets Funky Friday place status by offering a mean zenzai (mochi in a hot sweet bean soup) and these huge takoyaki balls. A sign in the store says something to the effect of 'please allow 15-20 minutes for takoyaki' cause they cook it up fresh. Also, if you are an impatient person like myself, you will want to have a glass of cold water there when you burn the inside of your mouth because you can't wait for the takoyaki to cool down.
Their website is here
http://www.ikkyuuhonpo.com/
and they are on the FFP google map
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing
一休本舗 公式ウェブサイト
熊本県熊本市東区に本社がある一休本舗は出来立ての美味しい和菓子を販売する直営店が熊本県内に１２店舗と３店舗の甘味茶屋があります。 直営以外にも熊本県以外にも日本全国、海外（2020年現在 アジア圏）にもお届け...

Hello friends.
It was heavy rain yesterday.
I was at Kengun elementary school on that time. School might have sent parents some messages that we didn't make students go back home because of heavy rain.
Usually, lots public schools keep students at school safely in case emergency. Yesterday was so. Lots students had to stay until their family picking up them or the rain has stopped, calm.
I met one international father and I think school notice by 安心メール might not work well for non Japanese speakers, unfortunately because all announcement is written in Japanese.
待機 means students wait together at classroom.
緊急引き渡し means the system teachers pass students to their parents directly, certainly in emergency.
徒歩 by foot
お迎え picking up
小康状態in the situation rain has stopped, has abated, calm down.
下校 means going back to home.
一斉下校 means students starts to go back to home together, once.
In case emergency, parents can pick up their kids and go back together.
We, schools are worried about heavy rain makes students have any trouble during they go back alone.
When you can pick up your kids, you can come to school and visit your kids' classroom. You should greet your kids' teacher and tell you'll go back together.
Yesterday evening, we got heavy rain, I met lots papa and mama. After the rain stopped, all students went back by themselves.
My young daughter, she goes different school, she has gone back with her best friend and her father. Her school called me and made sure if she can go back with the father. Teacher and school want to make sure, so if you want to pick up your kids, please come to school and meet your kids' teacher.
Anyway, Please ask teachers if you need any help, anytime freely, especially emergency.
Hoping heavy rain gone away and come back blue sky again soon.
Please stay safe together!ーAtsuko(*Ü*)

Not done raining yet. By the way, caption on the picture says "Kumamoto City, Central Ward."
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210520_30/
-- Kirk
Heavy rain forecast for western, eastern Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Weather officials say thunderstorms are expected to hit wider areas of western and eastern Japan through Friday. They are warning of possible mudslides and overflowing rivers.

This is a follow up to a post I made earlier today about evacuation notices:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/5392672060806182
First of all, as you can see in the following image of a Google translation of the Yahoo page, the number of communities labeled "evacuation instructions" has increased. By the way, "evacuation instructions" is the translation of "hinan shiji" (避難指示) which I think is closer to "evacuation order" because it means "do this," not "this is how you do it." (As far as I know, however, it is not a legally binding "order.")
To get a better idea about what you need to do in your particular location, you may want to click on your community name and read the fine print. For example, I live in Kumamoto City and my part of town is in red (高齢者等避難; the elderly and others with special needs should evacuate). However, if you click on the link and read the explanation you'll find that it only applies to people who live close to a steep incline or cliff, etc. In other words, even if you are in the designated category of people, you might not be in a place where you were actually advised to evacuate. On the other hand, some areas are asking everyone to evacuate.
My advice is threefold: 1) if at all possible, check with people who live near you to see how they are interpreting the evacuation orders; 2) read the details on the Yahoo page to see if the order only applies to people whose home are in particularly vulnerable locations or if it applies to everyone; and 3) when in doubt, evacuate. Better safe than sorry.
Also, note that if you click on the community name in the Yahoo! page linked to above you can find a link to a map showing evacuation sites.
Stay safe!
-- Kirk

Thanks to Kuma Visit for posting this!

A news article from about 4 hours ago, when the rain was really coming down hard. -- Kirk
Downpours in SW Japan prompt evacuation directives for 4 municipalities in Kumamoto - The Mainichi
KITAKYUSHU, Fukuoka -- Localized downpours caused by warm moist air flowing into a rainy season front in southwest Japan have hit the southern Kyushu

This is an image from the following page on Kumamoto Prefecture's site:
http://www.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/GmnDsp.exe?M100A0S0N1P0R0
The Japanese text is built in to the graphics so I don't know of a good way to translate it but the colors, which show the level of danger, may be enough to give you a sense of whether or not you need to change your behavior. Currently in the prefecture, the situation seems to be worst in Minamata. I'm a bit late in sharing this with you today but if you hold on to the URL, you can use it to check the warning levels from time to time. If your area has become a bit colorful, you can check for evacuation notices via the links I shared in my previous post:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/5392672060806182
-- Kirk

Just in time for today's heavy rain, Japan has a new warning scale:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210520_11/
The best place I know of to find information about such warnings that have been issued for Kumamoto is on the following Yahoo page:
https://crisis.yahoo.co.jp/evacuation/43/
The information in Japanese so, if you don't read Japanese, you'll probably want to run it thought some sort of translation too. On a computer, I find that the Google translated extension works well on the Chrome browser. On an iPhone, I just learned how to install and use Microsoft Translator in Safari:
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-translate-a-page-on-iphone
I think it works quite well. I haven't tried it yet but as Android is Google OS, it seems that they have good options for translating web pages on the fly there too.
I just expect to be able to warn people about the need to evacuate in advance. If you are in a vulnerable area, you'll need to develop your how method of monitoring things. I'll post again with another tool from Kumamoto Prefecture in a few minutes. -- Kirk
Japan starts new evacuation scale for heavy rain | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Japanese officials on Thursday began using a new five-level warning scale for heavy rain, floods and landslides. The major point in this revised scale is that it designates Level Four as the time when "all people must evacuate" when there is a high risk of disaster. People are advised to check the t...