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Joe Tomei here with another update from the Prefectural JET advisors, Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland.
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Hope everyone had a great weekend. We're sending another update sooner than we expected, but there's some good news. Here it is!
Prefecture risk level lowered to Level 3
Due to the decrease in new confirmed infections, Kumamoto Prefecture has lowered the risk level to Level 3, effective 22 September. In the one-week period from 15 September to 21 September, just 2 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Kumamoto. Further, in the tests being conducted among employees of dining establishments in central Kumamoto City, so far 169 such tests have been conducted but none yet have been positive. Currently, there are 18 people hospitalized in the prefecture due to COVID-19.
Kumamoto Prefecture is no longer requesting residents to avoid all travel outside the prefecture. However, the Prefecture still asks all residents to avoid the 3 Cs as well as travel to locations where the virus is spreading.
The prefecture is also no longer asking people to avoid dining in groups of 10 or more people. However, the Prefecture does ask that you avoid participating in any such events if you have a fever or any cold symptoms, and to continue to implement the "new lifestyle" recommendations.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32638&sub_id=44&flid=252522
National government to allow new arrivals of foreigners from all countries
The national government has announced that it is planning to allow for new entry of foreigners from all countries who acquire medium- to long-term visas (of 3 months or longer) as early as 1st October, including new entries and exchange students, but not tourists. People with newly issued visas, on the condition that they self-isolate for 2 weeks. In addition, the government is planning to limit the number of new entries of foreigners to 1000 per day.
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN9Q6G46N9QUTFK003.html
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO64124630T20C20A9MM0000/
Kumamoto clinic provides elective PCR Tests for people who plan to travel abroad
A clinic located in Mashiki Town is now providing elective PCR tests available for anyone who needs a PCR test before exiting Japan in order to visit a foreign country (previously only offered by clinics in Fukuoka and Kagoshima)
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Here is information on that clinic:
Haga Pediatric Clinic
408-1, Miyazono, Mashiki-machi, Kamimashiki-gun
Tel：096-289-7020
全世界から新規入国再開へ 在留資格もつ外国人対象
政府は10月にも全世界からの新規入国の受け入れを一部再開する方向で調整に入る。3カ月以上の中長期にわたり滞在できる在留資格の取得者を対象とする。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を防ぐため、2週間待機など
Hi friends.
How is your holiday, hoping you enjoy it.
It's Autumnal Equinox Day, today.
We make おはぎ at お彼岸, OHIGAN, Equinox Day. It's very easy Japanese sweet you can make.
=Ingredients=
もち米Mochigome,(not うるち米)
(もち米 is for もち. うるち米 is for ごはん)
あんこAnko, Soy beans sweet paste.
きなこKinako, Soy beans powder
黒ゴマKurogoma, Black sesame
あおさ、青のりAosa, Aonori, green seaweed powder.
※Before you cook, you should put もち米 into water to be able it to get enough water for one night.
①Cook もち米Mochigome as usual way to cook rice by rice cooker.
②Mash them, no need to mash it complately.
③a Make small Anko balls.
b Spread mashed rice round.
c Put an Anko ball on spread rice.
d Cover Anko and make round shape.
e Put Kinako, Kurogoma, Aonori powder outside.
③a Make small rice balls.
b Spread Anko round.
c Put a rice ball on spread Anko.
d Cover rice ball and make round shape.
I used 2cups of Mochigome and made 15 OHAGIs.
By the way, the sweet is called OHAGI in Autumnal Equinox Day but it's called BOTAMOCHI in Spring Equinox Day.
Both are same. The name comes from the flower name 萩 Hagi in Autumn, 牡丹Botan in Spring.
Every year, I had workshop to make OHAGI for long time with international students. But I couldn't hold it because of Corona this year, unfortunately. So I made it at home and share you to be able to make it.
Enjoy Japanese traditional taste and beautiful Autumn you too.
ーAtsuko╰(*´︶`*)╯
One other point about basahi I learned at Tasaki Market: Rendering horse for food is illegal in the United States but not in Canada, so feral horses are often rounded up and sent by train on a one-way ticket to Canada, which is legal, and then rendered into basashi, which is also legal there, and shipped to Japan. Check out the label the next time you purchase basashi: it will often note its origin as "Canada," when it was actually born and raised in America. - William
I don't eat much meat, partly due to my dog, who snags it before I. But I do love bashashi - horse sashimi - a Kumamoto delicacy, so I decided to look into it. Turns out horses, all native to Central Asia, migrated to Japan - particularly over the land bridge that existed between Korea and Kyushu - during the last ice age, explaining their importance here. They (the horses) may have soon regretted their relocation as the locals thought "Meat?! Cool! Let's eat it raw!" And then you add some weak soy sauce and ginger and you've got yourself a meal. Horses here range from small, feral types to gigantic plow horses - and the latter is the type displayed at Boshta Matsuri, which, likely to their relief, has been cancelled this year.
A point of interest for kanji fans is that the kanji for a horse as an animal is 馬, while that for one respected for some purpose (such as enduring a festival or being served on a plate) is reversed to what is called a "hidari uma," (left horse, 左馬), written in reverse as shown below. - William https://this.kiji.is/680602195549029473?c=92619697908483575
A reader recently wrote that he thought the Takamori Yusui Tunnel was built as a refuge from WWII bombings. It was in fact a failed attempt to create a tunnel from Takamori up the caldera to Yabe. However, if you poke around a bit in mountainous areas near the city such as Tatsudayama and Kimpozan, you can still spot shelters denizens dug in those days to protect themselves from air raids. An example is below. - William
A bit of good news: the Houhihonsen JR line (豊肥本線, ほうひほんせん), which splits from the line connecting Kumamoto and Oita and travels south of Aso, has reopened. Not only is it a beautiful ride, but there are two must-see locations. The first is the Shirakawa Fountainhead, an almost mystical, Gibili-like pond; the second is the Takamori Yusui Tunnel, which has an interesting story: long ago, they tried to create a tunnel linking Takamori with Yabe, but the more they dug, the more spring water filled their hole, so they finally gave up part-way and it is now a tourist attraction filled with magical lights and all of the leftover decorations from the Tanabata festival. Links to those two attractions, neither of which are a far walk from the nearest station, and the train line are below, and autumn is the perfect time to visit. - William
https://www.minamiasokanko.jp/suigen-list/shirakawa-suigen.html
http://www.town.takamori.kumamoto.jp/kanko/kankomap/kanko/yusui.html
https://spice.kumanichi.com/outing/outing-feature/94318/
【542号】祝！ 全線開通 豊肥本線 途中下車の旅 ｜ くまにち すぱいす
熊本市を中心に30万3000部戸別配布のフリーペーパー「くまにち すぱいす」がお届けする、熊本の暮らしに役立つ生活情報サイトです。
A bit of advice which, if you need to take it, means you're probably already too far gone: Do not embezzle money. This a regional tax officer in Takamori recently found out when an audit discovered ４０２万１５８６円 (that's 38,460.25 in US dollars) missing from pension payments due by local school teachers. A deep bow and apology will not get him out of this, though it might work for his bosses, who are bowing as if their jobs depend on it. - William
高森町職員、所得税４００万円を着服 懲戒免職処分 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
高森町は１８日、臨時職員などの所得税計４０２万１５８６円を着服したとして、町税務課収納係の男性主査（...
Most who envision Kumamoto Castle summon up the massive donjon topping Chausuyama (茶臼山), part of a string of volcanic mounts which stretch from Unzen to Aso, and Kato Kiyomasa, the first Edo lord of Kumamoto who built it. In fact, he was adding on to a more ancient structure known as Chibajyo (千葉城), built by the then-dominant Kikuchi clan, in around 1485. The name survives in Chibajyo Machi, the area around the NHK studio, though the castle itself was built on the opposite side of the current structure, much of it having been absorbed by Daiichi High School. (Disclaimer: both my children were born across a narrow street at Fukuda Hospital.) A long, narrow park exists in what used to be the moat, but plans are to restore this to its former glory. I love the quite ancientness of this forgotten corner and highly recommend a visit. Take the streetcar to Senbabashi（洗馬橋）, the stop just in front of the post office, and happy wandering. - William
When the last typhoon looked to hit Kumamoto, many tried to access the Kumamoto flood hazard map, only to find it offline due to heavy traffic. The site administrator has apologized and vowed to beef up its accessibility. In the meantime, it's worth a look, if only to identify high ground near your domicile. This is particularly important if your family is dispersed during the day when a flood hits: prearranging a meeting location is important. - William
Kumamoto City plans to make anterior cars of dual-carriage streetcars for exclusive use of women and children only between the morning rush hour between 7:30 and 8:30 AM starting on September fourth and running through December 28. Questionnaires will be distributed to passengers to gauge opinion so as to plot plans further ahead. - William
朝ラッシュの痴漢、盗撮防げ 女性専用の熊本市電スタート ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本市交通局は１４日、朝の通勤・通学ラッシュ時間帯の市電で、「女性専用車両」の試験運行を始めた。痴漢...
Kirk here with an update on the castle:
Kumamoto Castle unveiled to the media
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200914_35/
"All renovation work for the main tower and a smaller tower is scheduled to be completed by next March. The site will then open to the general public."
For video and photos try:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200914/k10012617831000.html
Both are from NHK. I have no idea why the English item from NHK doesn't have images.
地震被害から復旧進む熊本城「大天守」内部を報道公開 | NHKニュース
【NHK】4年前の熊本地震で大きな被害を受け、復旧工事が進む熊本城では「大天守」の内装工事がほぼ完了し14日、報道陣に内部が公開さ…
Hi, Joe Tomei here. I wanted to pass on this information, I asked Victoria for it earlier and forgot to get it out. If you know a business that might benefit from getting the word out here, please send a message via facebook.
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My name is Victoria Yoshimura, originally from the UK and I have been living and working at Shonenji Temple in Takachiho, just on the edge of Mt.Aso over in Miyazaki-ken, for the past 25 years.
Shonenji Temple is a 440-year old Pure Land Buddhist temple and two years ago, my husband, the 17th generation priest at our temple and myself, opened a luxury Lodge in the grounds of the temple. It sleeps 11 people in total in 5 rooms with an open lounge area with log stove and hammock swing. It has a fully equipped kitchen. The bath is a specially order-made pottery bath with waterfall feature. The Lodge is a great place to relax, enjoy the artwork, the Lodge’s extensive library, the atmosphere and the beautiful nature of Takachiho and its surrounding area.
Due to covid-19 foreign visitors have stopped coming to Japan and we foreign residents haven’t been able to get away.
If you, your family or your friends want to escape and enjoy a little bit of “refresh time”, check out our website.
Shonenji & Shonenji Lodge – official web site
「Think, Feel, and Stay at a Real Buddhist Temple」 Where the surrounding mountains have born witness to the sound of Buddhist prayer for over 440 years. Get away from it all and surrender yourself to the natural beauty of Takachiho. We look forward to welcoming you to our temple. Genbuzan Shonenj...
So they built a new bridge bridging the Tateno Gap. Looks good to go to me, but it won't open until March. If you're in that neck of the caldera, though, I suggest you park and walk down to the river, where there exists a most excellent example of basaltic columns, which occur when magma cools and does not shrink in the horizontal direction but instead results in the formation of columns. Other sites exist in Kyushu displaying this phenomenon, but this is closest to home. - William
Before the expressway and later the Shinkansen connected Kumamoto and Kagoshima through a series of tunnels passing through the central part of the island, the only way to traverse north-south was by a road and railroad which skirted the coast. As a vital link to the small towns on its route, it's kept running by a third sector railway company administered by Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefectures along with other municipalities along the line. Of its 28 stations, only 10 are manned. Its name is the Hisatsu Orange Railway: "Hisatsu" as it connects "Higo" and "Satsuma" and "orange" due to the abundance of citrus cultivation along its route.
I'd never taken it and was excited to accompany a young student of mine snorkeling in Minamata when I realized the extent of the damage remaining from the Hitoyoshi-Yatsushiro floods. This will take years to repair. In the meantime, the residents of those small towns will have to hump it over the mountains to reach the central Kyushu expressway, or perhaps travel by boat. I'll try to see if I can beat a path, but the residents there must be experiencing great hardship. - William
Kirk here with an update from Japan Today on the murder of the young researcher at Kumamoto University:
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/67-year-old-man-arrested-over-murder-of-kumamoto-university-researcher
The article says that the police have not indicated whether or not the suspect has admitted killing Narahara. The following TV report and other reports I saw on TV today say that he has admitted "abandoning a corpse," the charge on which he was arrested.
https://abema.tv/video/episode/89-93_s10_p5148
【アベマ厳選】注目の最新&独自ニュースをチェック! - 厳選 - 元清掃員の男 女性研究員遺棄か | 【ABEMAビデオ】見逃した番組や話題のニュースが無料で視聴可能
【アベマ厳選】注目の最新&独自ニュースをチェック!が無料で視聴できます。速報ニュースのノーカット生中継から独自のニュース番組まで、話題のニュースが無料で視聴できます。
The two major faults that rip Kumamoto are the Hinagu fault, which runs from Yatsushiro to Mifune, and the Kitagawa fault, which runs along the north-eastern side of the Uto peninsula up to Aso. The latter is interesting: it is a strike-slip zone in the city but becomes a rift zone as it nears Aso. This has resulted in Tateno gap, through which the water of Aso flows - without this gap, the Aso caldera would be a large lake.
Route 57 threaded this gap until it was destroyed by erosion. Rather than rebuilding on the original route, a tunnel was built between Ozu and Akamizu, which opened the other day. I'd driven the road over the caldera lip, which has more hairpins than a harlot, so the new road should save time and energy and likely revitalize the areas in eastern Aso. - William
Kirk here with some sad news:
"According to police, Chisato Narahara worked at Kumamoto University’s Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection."
Kumamoto: Woman's corpse found in gutter identified as university researcher
The corpse of a woman found in a gutter in Kumamoto City earlier this week is that of a 35-year-old researcher
Kirk here. As someone who has advocated and applauded the cancellation of the Kawabe dam project, I can't help but feel a little guilty about the extent of the recent flooding. On the other hand, building the dam would have been another kind of disaster. Quite a dilemma.
Scrapped dam may have limited flood damage from Kumamoto rains
The estimations showed that the dam, called the Kawabegawa dam, may have reduced the peak river flow rate to two-thirds in the city of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto.
As a callous young man, I'd visit Shiranui (不知火 - literally, "don't know fire"), a small town on the eastern side of the Uto Peninsula,, pull out my lighter, and say, "Look! Fire!" It was only recently I learned the depth of my ignorance.
Similar to the mirages common in the deserts of my native California, the phenomenon is an optical illusion in which the heat exuded from exposed mud flats at low tide confront cooler air above, causing reflected lights from Yatsushiro and boats on the sea to appear to float untethered - hence, the name would be better translated as "mysterious fire." The cause of this phenomenon went unknown until the early 20th c., so it's no wonder people marveled at it for centuries. Unfortunately, the dredging of the mudflats has drastically reduced the frequency of the phenomenon, but it lives on in yokai. - William
