Kirk here. We had an earthquake earlier this evening. Nothing earthshaking, well, maybe a little earthshaking, but not a huge one.
Posts
Kirk here with something for Volters (basketball) fans.
University Admissions Counselling for International Students at Kumamoto
Kirk here. As you know, the drama series "Shogun" has made quite a splash. It seems that it has added to already significant interest in samurai culture. This Japanese-language news report includes a section about foreigners who come to enjoy experiencing and learning at the "Kumamoto Musashi-Kan Dojo."
Kirk here. The caption says "This file photo taken in May 2023 shows a large-scale solar power plant built in Oguni, Kumamoto Prefecture. (Kyodo)" I like the idea of renewable energy. In fact, I have solar panels on my house. But, I can't help but be concerned about replacing trees and other vegetation with them. :(
Salut! Sean here -
Kirk here with some links to English-language pdf pamphlets about things to do in the Amakusa area:
Kirk here with a share from Mr. Yagi of the International Center.
Kirk here. Kedah State is in Malaysia and is famous for its rice paddies. The group seems to have come to learn about groundwater recharging in Kumamoto:
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Kirk here with a ChatGPT translation of a nice article about the 30th anniversary of Kumamoto City's International Foundation. If you've had any interaction with the foundation or the International Center downtown (which I suspect many of you have), I highly recommend that you read the article (I think this English translation is quite readable).
Kirk here. I'm posting this because I assume that Steffen Riley has some friends who read this page (but, personally, I don't happen to have had the pleasure of meeting him).
Kirk here. Here's a URL of a video with some scenes from Monday's festival.
Kirk here. Looks like people with land in Kikuyo-machi area are in a position to make some money. Unfortunately, though, this isn't good news for people who might want to live there in the future.
Kirk here with a rather extensive article on the new Children's Book Forest, designed by Tadao ANDO. We discussed the library on this page before. You can find some of those posts here:
Tour de Kyushu - Final Stage Finish
Kirk here. If you've been in Kumamoto for a while, you probably have at least some familiarity with "shiranui." The basic meaning is "unknown fire" or "unknown light" (in reference to an optical illusion) but it has come to be used in a variety of proper nouns (see the following Wikipedia "disambiguation" for an English-language list of all of the usages):
Kirk here with a share from Kuma Visit.
William A bit more about the Kumamoto Autumn Festival (colloquially known as "Boshita Matsuri": The festival originated in Ho-jo-e (the ritual for releasing living beings), a festival of letting wild animals go into the fields, a Buddhist custom (many local shrines are called "放牛" for this reason). The Zuibyo, or parade of following samurai, originated from the returning samurai of Katō Kiyomasa from Korea during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). The decorated horses were originally those for Shinto priests (kannushi), twelve in number, and in the Hosokawa clan period, only upper-class samurai families presented horses. Neighborhoods or trade associations bond to create the groups, which have ballooned to more than 50.
Horse Chasing Festival (umaoi matsuri)
