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Hello friends. How is Obon?
I enjoyed Onsen today at HIRAYAMA Spa in Yamaga city. Its hot spring's quality is great!! You might become smoothly, ツルツル.
I found interesting poster there. It's written in Japanese, especially Kumamoto dialogue.So you might be difficult to understand but good image to use. I also attached a website to introduce how to use Onsen below. The way it tells about magical towal and snake of shower nozzle😁, and taking bath are really pointed and interesting.
After you read this text, you might understand the image picture telling easily.
I hope lots international friends enjoy Obon holiday too. ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
How to use Japanese bath.
http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/onsen/how-to-take-a-japanese-bath/

This video shows the movement of the typhoon over the last 12 hours (5 A.M. to 5 P.M., Wednesday). You can see that the eye of the storm is huge, much bigger than Kumamoto Prefecture. This movie was created by combining a series of infrared satellite images. Here's the address of the JMA page from which I recorded the video:
https://www.jma.go.jp/jp/gms/
-- Kirk

Puberty Wounds from the U.S.A will be rolling through Kumamoto with some awesome Midwest American Hardcore Punk in September.Also on the bill are The MSGs which is an ex-pat/Japanese band from Fukuoka. Their sound is pop-punk. Think Ramones and Screeching Weasel. I know nothing about Hyper Gal other than they are from Kyoto. The rest of the bands are from Kumamoto. Tickets are 2000 Yen plus a drink ticket. Looks like Veggie meals will be provided. Word has it that Puberty Wounds are Straight Edge and they are playing a smoky live house that has a bar. I guess you take it when you get it. Their self titled release is on bandcamp. I give it a thumbs up along with The MSGs... Jay Onyskin

This illustrates the probability of tropical storm winds in the next 24 hours. As I write this, I'm listening to a TV report about the storm. They are saying that one characteristic of this storm system is its size: really, really big (超大型; cho oogata). The wind speeds are not those of a super typhoon but the area that will be affected is humongous. --Kirk
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com

Kirk here. The other day, Atsuko posted an image of a pdf document that Kumamoto City has made to help non-Japanese residents understand how to dispose of trash properly. (Thanks again, Atsuko!)
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2839866092753471?__tn__=-R
I think the City's publication of this information in English, Chinese, and Korean is a very positive step forward. It would have been even better, however, if they had published a Japanese version, preferable a "simple" Japanese version (furigana added, simple phrases added to improve clarity for non-native readers, etc.), with the foreign-language versions. Here are some reasons why I think it's a good idea to publish Japanese versions with translations.
1. Makes it possible to check the original
Even if one does one's best to produce a clear, readable translation that is faithful to the original, some things can be lost or garbled in the translation process. So, it's good to be able to check the original Japanese version when one has a question about the meaning of a term or phrase. Even if a foreign resident doesn't understand Japanese, it's nice to have a Japanese version to show to Japanese friends and family.
2. Facilitates communication with neighbors, etc.
An English translation may be sufficient to help one understand the meaning of the original. If, however, one wishes to communicate with ordinary Japanese people about the same content it is usually necessary to know the Japanese terminology. Providing an English translation without the Japanese original can leave a foreigner understanding the basic content but unable to communicate effectively with neighbors about that topic.
3. Facilitates Japanese language study
This year, a new law was passed that holds the government responsible for teaching Japanese to all foreign residents:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/06/21/national/new-law-holds-government-responsible-teaching-japanese-foreign-residents/
Providing Japanese versions of all information deemed important enough to translate into English is a very inexpensive way of facilitating the practical study of Japanese. It is no substitute for formal, classroom instruction and tutoring but may be an important way in which to augment such study. Moreover, providing simple Japanese to foreign residents conveys the expectation that foreign residents should apply themselves to the study of Japanese. Conversely, not publishing simple Japanese with foreign language translations seems to say "we decided not to waste your time with the original, which we don't really think you're capable of understanding anyway."
I'm planning to write up a proposal, formally asking the mayor to make publishing Japanese texts with translations city policy. I hope to incorporate any feedback that I get to this post in that proposal. Thanks in advance!

This video was published on AJ+, an online news and current events channel run by Al Jazeera Media Network. The production values are good and it's getting a big response. The woman on the right, holding her baby, is Kumamoto's Yuka Ogata, whose case we have discussed on this page at length. --Kirk

Kumamoto Kogyo's next game is Wednesday afternoon at 1PM. --Kirk
https://www.nhk.or.jp/koushien/2019-summer/results?date=2019-08-14

The article says that school buildings in Kumamoto ARE all "fully quake-proofed."
-- Kirk
Survey finds 894 buildings at public elementary and junior high schools not yet quake-proof | The Japan Times
A total of 894 buildings at public elementary and junior high schools were not earthquake-proof as of April 1, down from 978 a year before, an education mi

A post from the Kumamoto International Desk of Confusion: I'm watching Koshien and cannot understand why the upper inning is always written in kanji (表) but always in katakana for the lower ( ウラ). Any ideas? - William

This is a follow-up to my last post about how to navigate from the English machine translation of Kumamoto City's website to the original Japanese:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2840263016047112
Once you get the original Japanese page you can use Hiragana Megane
http://www.hiragana.jp/en/
to put furigana on everything. Cool, huh?
-- Kirk

Post Title: How to get from Kumamoto City's machine translation to the original Japanese.
Kirk here. Atsuko posted some useful information about trash disposal. Thanks Atsuko! One of the links she included was to a machine translated web page from the Kumamoto City website:
http://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/cal_recycle/pub/default.aspx?c_id=14&lmst=1&smst=19&fbclid=IwAR1mPkObVsrOAdS7ZA5I1E4T9VEGul4V2vsFdDchSKSMGm-qkKFyFCezra0
Because it's a machine translation and such translations are typically not very reliable, they have the following disclaimer:
"This page is translated using machine translation. Please note that the content may not be 100% accurate."
OK. Fair enough. Now I've been warned that the translation is likely to be pretty dodgy but what do if I need to find out what it really says? Actually, until now, I don't think there's been a good answer to this question. Today, however, I've discovered a little hack that I hope some of you will find to be useful.
What you need to do is remove the following letters from the URL:
".e.fm.hp.transer.com"
Just highlight that portion of the URL and then hit "delete." You'll be left with something like
http://www.city.kumamoto.jp/cal_recycle/pub/default.aspx?c_id=14&lmst=1&smst=19&fbclid=IwAR1mPkObVsrOAdS7ZA5I1E4T9VEGul4V2vsFdDchSKSMGm-qkKFyFCezra0
which is the original URL -- the Japanese page that was translated. Now, if you understand Japanese you can check that. Or, you can ask a Japanese person for some help. Or, you can use the following Google service to get a different machine translation that lets you go back and forth between the English and the Japanese:
http://itools.com/tool/google-translate-web-page-translator
That's the tip. I hope some of you find it useful. :)
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2839866092753471?comment_id=2840172812722799&notif_id=1565347824553113&notif_t=feed_comment

Hello friends.
Now, it's also the leaving season for international students and ALTs.
Here is the webpage how to get garbage out, and the calendar of the day.
My international friend had a problem. He got his plastic garbage as usual but the staff didn't bring it out. He seemd to have done it out correctly in these website way. We searched and tried to find out the reason why they didn't accept his garbage.
The answer was the difference about semi- transparent bag. He got his plastic garbage out with week white bag. It can be seen through from outside. But it's not semi-transparent in Japan, unfortunately. He asked me what is the semi-transparent bag. I showed him the difference between transparent bag, semi-transparent bag and Kumamoto city organized bag. After I showed them he could understand the reason and the difference.

He wants to share his problem in case someone doesn't understand the difference between semi-transparent bag and colored bag.
We think Kumamoto city government should tell and show the difference semi-transparent and colorless bag from colored bag more clearly and more BIG letters!!!ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
It's a calendar for citizen who live Kurokami,,,,,.in English.
If you live other place, pleasure put your address into it.
http://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/cal_recycle/pub/default.aspx?c_id=14&lmst=1&smst=19
It's how to get the garbage out in ....
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp/hpKiji/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=5&id=15590&class_set_id=5&class_id=904&fbclid=IwAR25ibaCel3CCLlrJXUoJRFbvefkMqGR1D41NWr2thdOBrGEdb9pTQRw25E
.

Olivia here,
We are approaching Obon holiday soon. Kikuchi summer festival is this Saturday, 10th of August.
They have 3000 fireworks to make the festival merrier.
I have never been to Kikuchi summer festival before so I don’t really know how the atmosphere is.
Anyone who has been there before is welcome to share their experience in the comments below 😊

If you're interested in the ongoing high school baseball tournament, you might want to catch Kumamoto Kogyo's game at 10:30 tomorrow. These games are broadcast on NHK's main channel (not educational, not satellite).
-- Kirk
https://www.nhk.or.jp/koushien/2019-summer/results?date=2019-08-10

Hello friends, especially international students.
I like and respect international students because they are hard learners and honest, friendly and having lots of challenging spirit!!
I hope lots of them have good opportunities to get their job with good treatment. I hope they enjoy not only their school days but also their work in Japan.
Here is a good information to share, to spread, to be known about their chances.
Hey, international students, let's make Kumamoto more liable, more happy prefecture together.ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
https://www.facebook.com/6321018343/posts/10156365049098344/

Basic Japanese Language Course for Beginners at KIF
Without basic Japanese ability, living in Kumamoto can be hard! Kumamoto International Foundation (KIF) is now offering an intensive basic Japanese course for people who have just come to Kumamoto and have trouble communicating, or people who have lived here for a while but have not yet studied the language seriously. For more information, please see the flyer or the link below.
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/event/event_detail.asp?id=2&kiji_id=10810&LC=j

Kirk here. Here's a question I received in a private message: "Can an individual without an employer apply for a Japanese work visa on their own? I wish to work as an English teacher . . ." The person goes on to describe their qualifications but I'll leave that part out for privacy reasons. They had an interview with a prospective employer but got a bad feeling from it and hope to find another way to come here to work. This is an area I don't know much about. If any of you have words of wisdom that you would be willing to share, please post them as comments to this post. Thanks!

Hello, again.
This is my friend Sean's article for the Rugby World Cup website about Kumamoto.
Rugby World Cup is coming soon!!
Enjoy wonderful games and introducing Kumamoto for lots guests from all over the world together!! ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
Come to Hot Kumamoto – a city of onsen, history, nightlife and ramen | DISCOVER JAPAN
Come to Hot Kumamoto – a city of onsen, history, nightlife and ramen My day in Kumamoto included a visit to Mount Aso, beautiful Suizenji park, the giant shopping center of Shimotori, and finally a bowl of local Kumamoto-style ramen in the evening. A little about Kumamoto Kumamoto is the southern ...

Hello, Friends.
August is the month of pray for peace and study about what is war, what is peace, what we had done, what we should do.
There is no enemy, I think. Especially it's international page here. We know the most important thing is to know what ... ...
Yes, the most worst thing is not to try to know them.
The problem was not just a incident that happened 74years ago. It's also said the first target was not Nagasaki but Kumamoto when Nagasaki had atomic bomb at 9th August 1945. It's not other prefecture's case. It's our own incident.
HIBAKUSYA tell you lots things. You might feel them closely, think about peace now and in future more seriously.
I just hope it. ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
1945project.
https://www.1945project.com/?fbclid=IwAR2c0QdNo8cChYEWlNbCb1dtq52yPuHUg4vMlpzw_TjDkJvKrFrab8rvrYE
Listen to first hand accounts of the atomic bomb with English captions.
https://www.1945project.com/audio/
Audio - 1945
Listen to audio files of atomic bomb survivors, or hibakusha, retelling their first hand accounts of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Are your mice tense and anxious? If so, tiny cups of matcha may help them chill out.
But seriously folks, the research described in this article, which was conducted at Kumamoto University, indicates that matcha may help mammals like us, as well as our smaller friends. :)
I do have a question about the conclusions of the researchers, however:
"In addition, they found that matcha extracts had a stronger calming effect when derived using 80 percent ethanol rather than only hot water. These findings suggest that a poorly water-soluble matcha component has stronger anxiety-reducing effects than components that are easily soluble in water."
The article seems to be referring to ethanol as a solvent but, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, ethanol "is also the intoxicating ingredient of many alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits."
https://www.britannica.com/science/ethanol
Well, of course your mice are going be more relaxed after having a few matcha cocktails than after just having some boring matcha water! By the way, matcha cocktails are a real thing:
https://www.nightclub.com/food-drink/5-cocktails-have-met-their-matcha
I haven't tried any of them yet but I suppose they are probably quite effective for reducing anxiety. Cheers! ;)
-- Kirk
P.S. I'm just kidding about the mice being intoxicated. I'm sure the researchers were careful not to use ethanol in a way that would contaminate their results. Still, when I saw the word "ethanol" I wondered about that point.
https://www.asianscientist.com/2019/08/in-the-lab/matcha-tea-reduces-anxiety/
Matcha Tea Helps Reduce Anxiety In Mice
Matcha reduces anxiety in mice by activating dopamine and serotonin receptors, Japanese researchers say.