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Years ago, I was hanging in front of a Costa Mesa Japanese supermarket waiting for my wife and fell into conversation with a woman handing out flyers for a New Year's festival. Turns out she was from Kashima but hadn't returned in decades and was amazed at my stories of its development, with the Aeon mall and housing and all - she left it as rice paddy and couldn't imagine it as anything else.
That looks the fate of the Kosa-Yabe interchange. A bit more detailed info on Costco's plans: They've purchased six hectares on the impossibly multisyllable Koiketakayama (小池高山 - for a country that is so good at abbreviating words, such as remokon, couldn't they have done so here?!) Interchange and plan to open their first Kyushu outlet outside of Fukuoka in 2021, just in time to catch Olympic spectators who had gotten horribly lost. - William
https://this.kiji.is/505153622238069857?c=92619697908483575

A note from the Kumamoto International Meteorological Desk (we have lots of umbrellas): A quick look at this JMA image shows a narrow band of rainfall extending from the south. This is due to seasonal winds whipping around the Himalayas and rushing north - that is, rainy season. Soon, it will always be raining somewhere, with the rain front moving east and west (but always north). Get your rain gear ready. - William

As the trans-Kyushu expressway construction continues apace, changes happen. For example, we own land in Yabe, and the guy to whom we outsource stuff came all the way downtown to visit us the other day to suggest we sell the land to him as, as he said, future prospects look bleak. That's a good sign. Another good sign is the announcement of a Costco opening slated for 2021 at the Kosa-Yabe intersection.
Think twice when listening to your broker. - William

Amakusa Airlines has run into a problem: One of their pilots, a guy about my age, has had health problems, so they've had to curtail flights, mostly those on their longest leg to Osaka. (Demand for pilots is high, and those with experience go for larger companies.) I'd long considered the airline to be a boondoggle for local politicians, but the Kumanichi article I read noted that it's known as the "Doctor Airline" - depopulation has resulted in a dearth of medical professionals in the area, making the airline a vital link to medical personnel and facilities. This fact totally changed my opinion of the airline.
The pastor at my church in his sermon this morning touched on the Kashiragashima Church (頭ヶ島教会), a World Heritage site located on the Gotourettou (五島列島), a group of small islands off the west coast of Nagasaki (I asked him whether the pronunciation was "Atamagashima" or "Tougashima" and whiffed twice) . Its history begins with the return of European Catholics in 1869, and the present church was completed in 1917. A main reason why the residents welcomed the foreigners was for their medical knowledge - "Doctor Boats."
Apparently, depopulation has left the congregation at ten, including an 89-year old woman who tidies up the grounds, rain or shine. The theme of the sermon was fulfilling promises. They led us here, and we cannot leave them behind. Thought must be given to the plight of the elderly who remain in depopulated areas. - William

Unfortunately, there's no sound due to copyright issues but it's still fun to watch Kokomi Nakamura's winning performance from the 2017 NDA All-Star Nationals. I saw something on RKK about her winning another competition in the United States recently but couldn't find a publically available video of that performance. She's a student a Keiryo Junior High School (京陵中学校) and, according to the following page, studies jazz dance at a studio run by her mother:
https://www.tku.co.jp/kataranne-shirabetehaiyo/2018/03/26/pg20180326/
-- Kirk
https://tv.varsity.com/video/5734656-cherry-blossom---kokomi-nakamura-youth-solo-jazz---2017-nda-all-star-nationals
Cherry Blossom - Kokomi Nakamura [Youth Solo Jazz - 2017 NDA All-Star Nationals]
No description provided

Regardless of whether or not people agreed with my perspective, Kumamoto International statistics (which can be accessed directly by moderators of this page but not by most participants) demonstrate that there was a lot of interest in my post about names on Japanese IDs. There have been posts with bigger "reach" (that is, number eyeballs that fell upon the post) numbers but the "reach" to "engagement" (clicking to read more, liking, commenting, etc.) ratio was way above the norm for this page.
That post (which can be found at
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/2639886286084787/?type=3&theater )
and a post about the exclusion of female royalty from a recent ceremony (https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2591914154215334?__tn__=-R )
both generated much more discussion than is normal for this page. One thing I find to be interesting and somewhat ironic, though, is that "not important" came up as a criticism in both instances. The critics implied that even bothering to write about the matter was a waste of time because the it was "unimportant" and that there were better things to talk about.
There's a sense in which I can understand that criticism and even find it partially convincing. It's true that how my name appears on an ID card or whether or not female royalty attend a ceremony is of no consequence in comparison to truly important issues like famine, war, and eggregious social injustices. But, at the same time, it intrigues me that people feel motivated to stand up and say "UNIMPORTANT!" in regard to such issues. Truly, unimportant posts, like posts about a statue of Luffy in front of the Prefectural Office building, don't elicit the "waste of time" response. People who are interested look at them and those who are not, move on. Some "unimportant" issues, however, move people to try to discourage any more posting on the topic. Ironically, I think the impulse to say "bad topic" to me when I post something someone doesn't like, is pretty much the same as my own impulse to post in the first place. Something doesn't sit right with me and that moves me to say something.
I'm not sure exactly what doesn't sit right with the individuals who try to discourage me by saying that I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill. Perhaps some are genuinely concerned that I'm not spending my time well. And some see a flaw in my logic and point that out to me. But in quite a few cases, I think Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman is on the right track as to what is happening:
"When I ask you about something that you believe in — whether you believe or don’t believe in climate change or whether you believe in some political position or other — as soon as I raise the question why, you have answers. Reasons come to your mind. But the reasons may have very little to do with the real causes of your beliefs. And we take the reasons that people give for their actions and beliefs and our own reasons for our actions and beliefs much too seriously."
https://onbeing.org/programs/daniel-kahneman-why-we-contradict-ourselves-and-confound-each-other-jan2019/
In other words, according to Kahneman's logic the conclusion ("I don't like what this guy is posting") comes first and the reason to be offered as a criticism ("unimportant issue" etc) comes afterward, even if it isn't what "caused" the feeling in the first place.
Admittedly, this post is also pretty darn unimportant in the big picture of our lives here on this planet. ;) However, if you find something in it that upsets you enough to complain about, my only request is that, after you voice your opinion, you stick around to discuss it a little. If you feel the issue is important enough to comment on, I hope you will agree that it's important enough to have a little back-and-forth about as well.
Thanks for reading. :)
-- Kirk

In my young days, it was said as Japanese childish character to read Manga by
not only child but also adult, workers..
But now, all over the world, lots people read Manga and enjoy the amazing world. Of course, you know, Eiichiro Oda is from Kumamoto. He is known by his great works.
Now Kumamoto prefecture government is going to build some of one piece character statues in Kumamoto. It makes lots foreign travelers visit to us.ーAtsuko(*Ü*)

Hi friends. I like natural green. So unfortunately, I don't have any interest about BONSAI, sorry. But these days, it's said many foreign travelers come to Japan to buy, to get good BONSAI. So I share this information in case you are also BONSAI's big fan.ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
5/25（土）～5/26（日）「Flower BONSAI Festival」開催 | 熊本県樹芸農業協同組合
5/25（土）～5/26（日）「Flower BONSAI Festival」開催 投稿日: 2019年5月20日2019年5月20日 投稿者: jugei 5/25（土）～5/26（日）9時～16時『熊本県樹芸農業協同組合』の緑化流通センター（菊陽町）でフラワーBONSAIフェスティバルが開催.....

Local politician Yuka Ogata is in the news again. This time, the issue is whether or not she should be allowed to use her own name as her "group name" (会派名) in the city council.
First, before I go on, perhaps I should help people who aren't familiar with Ms. Ogata catch up on the issues that have put her in the news. Here are a couple of posts from this page that should help:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2148510448555709
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2157518040988283
If you understand Japanese, here's a TV report about the most recent "group name" flap:
https://www.tku.co.jp/news/緒方市議%E3%80%80会派名問題で質問書提出/
A good Japanese newspaper article can be read here:
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190516-00010007-nishinpc-soci
As has been the case with other issues where Ms. Ogata has stood up to the powers-that-be in the council, there are no clear rules about what constitutes an acceptable name. Ms. Ogata received a formal message saying that they wanted her to choose a name that conforms to "common sense" (常識) but did not explain what constitutes common sense or why it's important.
https://www.facebook.com/yuukahagukumu/photos/a.1029420670419383/2629887217039379/?type=3&theater
Ms. Ogata is saying that using her own name is much easier for ordinary people to understand. I think it would be hard to argue that she's wrong about that. The other two people who are in "single-person groups" like Ms. Ogata have designated Reiwa (令和) and Riou (履応) respectively as their group names. There's nothing wrong with those names but you really have to be paying attention to know who belongs to each of those "groups."
Ms. Ogata points to clarity and ease of understanding as the primary advantage of her group name choice but I suspect that it's exactly that clarity and recognizability that is considered to be inappropriate. Anything that gives the name "Yuka Ogata" more prominence might lead to more name recognition and that might lead to an advantage in an election.
At the national level, the use of personal names as party names has gotten shot down in some instances but deemed OK in others:
https://seijiyama.jp/article/news/nws20151106-003.html
So, there is some precedent for saying "no" to the use of an individual's name in such an instance.
Ms. Ogata has said that she will choose a group name other than her own name if she can receive a logical explanation of why an individual name is inappropriate. What she objects to is the powers-that-be, who have a demonstrated history of capriciousness, giving "common sense" as their only justification for their enforcement of an unwritten rule. "Common sense" can mean different things to different people.
I'm sure there are a variety of opinions about this issue and that I don't have a monopoly on the truth. Nonetheless, personally, I'm glad that Ms. Ogata is not settling for demands for "common sense" and is forcing those in power to clarify the reasons for their policies. Ambiguity in the exercise of political power tends to work to the advantage of the dominant group and to the disadvantage of minorities and the powerless. Conversely, the clarity brought by laws and systems that demand accountability can level the playing field; such systems can help minorities and those without political power prevail on occasion.
-- Kirk

I've read her story at here, Kumamoto-i. I was so inspired and I would like to be like her.
Here is a video introducing what she is, what she does, and what made her so wonderful.
Yes, she lives in Kumamoto. You might know because of the trash bag.LOL ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
It’s the previous page about her, for new readers
https://m.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1878430765563680/

Here's a story about what the 2016 quake has meant to one survivor.
-- Kirk
Waiting for things to get better
Hikaru Onishi’s home in Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, was destroyed in a foreshock to the Kumamoto Earthquake that struck the night of April 14, 2016.

An announcement is attached below regarding the next in our friend Sean's "Mindful English" instruction series. Apparently, it is quite popular. - William

Hello friends. How do you call an adhesive bandage? If you call it リバテープ,Ribateipu, you are really Kumamoto people. Local Kumamoto people call it リバテープ because the name is named by the company in Kumamoto, at Ueki.
I learned the reason after I brought up adult, HAHA. Lots of Kumamoto citizen call it Ribateipu so other prefecture people can't find out what we mean especially for Kumamoto earthquake emergency volunteer. But it became good memories and stories also.ーAtsuko(*Ü*)
http://www.libatape.jp/english/

In this post, I'd like to tell you all about an opportunity to try out the kind of flexibility training equipment that is purported to have contributed to baseball legend Ichiro's athletic longevity. A new facility is now in the Tsuruya Department Store building. It's a membership-based service but right now it's possible to try it out for free.
First, let me introduce the relevant information about the facility in Tsuruya. Then I'll introduce some links to English-language pages about what makes the equipment special and why it might be good for ordinary folks like us.
The facility is called "World Wing Kumamoto" and it opens officially on June 12th:
https://worldwing-kumamoto.jp
Until then, you can arrange to try the equipment out for free, with the guidance of a coach.
I got the image of the Wall Street Journal article about Ichiro's secret gym here:
https://superichirocrazy.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/flexibility-is-my-weapon/
You can see a video from Japanese TV of Ichiro training with the equipment here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=H8KdXTBLjAg
Here's an article with some explanation in English:
https://calltothepen.com/2017/03/04/miami-marlins-ichiro-brought-secret-gym-spring-training/
"The “secret gym” equipment Ichiro uses comes from a Japanese company, World Wing Enterprise, that specializes in advanced training concepts. They usually provide their equipment to organizations, not individuals, but they made an exception for Ichiro because he’s basically a rock star in Japan."
And this page has more videos and English explanation:
The Unorthodox Training Behind Ichiro's Unparalleled Longevity
https://www.stack.com/a/the-unorthodox-training-behind-ichiros-unparalleled-longevity
"If you look closely at the machines, you'll notice they're all adorned with the letters 'BMLT.' The concept originated with Yasushi Koyama, a Japanese fitness expert. Koyama founded World Wing Enterprise as a training facility in 1981. In 1994, he published the theory that would become known as BMLT. The theory is based in part on the idea that athletes should get more flexible as they train, not less. Koyama believes that many athletes make the mistake of using too much weight and too little range of motion in their training, resulting in hard, tight muscles and limited flexibility and mobility. According to a patent filed by Koyama for a World Wing training apparatus, traditional strength training machines are often built on the principles of 'ending movement load training.'"
But the equipment seems to be good for ordinary folks too -- not just elite athletes. Here's a link to a summary of an academic paper:
A unique form of light-load training improves steadiness and performance on some functional tasks in older adults.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22493975
I've never tried the equipment myself. I'd like to but I don't want to have to go downtown to exercise so I think I'll stick with more current routine. The introduction I saw on local TV, however, seemed interesting.
-- KIrk

"Fujitsu Laboratories and Kumamoto University have announced the development of technology to easily create the training data necessary to apply AI to time-series data, such as those from accelerometers and gyroscopic sensors."
-- Kirk
Fujitsu develops automatic labelling technology to accelerate AI
Fujitsu has supposedly enabled the automatic creation of highly accurate training data.

Hi! Masden Kirk Steward here with some thoughts on the cultural integrity of names. As you can see from the images of my Japanese IDs, the Japanese government has determined that the correct, official way to write our names is in Japanese order (family name followed by given names), without a comma to shown a change in order. I have been told that I must "sign" my name in this order, in English, in order to complete a cell phone agreement. I protested but ultimately complied because I wanted the phone.
As you can imagine, I felt a bit irritated but had forgotten about the issue until I saw today's news:
Kono to ask foreign media to switch order of Japanese names
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/foreign-minister-to-ask-media-to-switch-order-of-japanese-names
"As an example, Kono said that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's name should be written as 'Abe Shinzo,' in line with other Asian leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae In."
As one who would like have the cultural integrity of my own name respected, I'm sympathetic to this position. OK, Mr. Kono, have it your way. But first, please do the following:
* Formally sign your request 太郎河野 in Japanese -- the cultural equivalent of what Japanese policy has forced me to do
* Apologize, on behalf of the Japanese government, for not respecting the cultural integrity of non-Japanese names
* Make an adjustment to current practice
If for example, individuals could choose to place a comma after a family name on an ID, that would be an improvement in my view. Or, IDs could have separate boxes for "Family name" and "Given names". It would also be nice to publish something on an official Japanese website about not forcing people to sign names in the order they appear on a Japanese ID.
Yours truly,
Masden Kirk Steward -- NOT!!!
P.S. One more point: The Japanese government forces us to opt in if we want our names written In Japanese. That may be OK but after going to the trouble of opting in once, I forgot to opt in again when I got my next card -- even though the new card was a new version of the old card and I was required to submit the old one at the same time I submitted the new one. So, now I have no official indication of how to write my name in Japanese -- which I had specifically requested earlier. :(
End of rant

Here's something that's not specific to Kumamoto but that I hope will be of interest to those interested in the English language -- either as a teacher or as a student. I recently got a question about the difference between something that "made me who I am today" and something that "made me what I am today." My first reaction was that the two expressions are pretty much the same. Instead of trusting my instincts as a native speaker, however, I decided to go on line with the student and use Google to search for the two phrases. As your may know, on the Google search engine, if you put a phrase inside quotation marks Google will narrow your search to that exact phrase. Well, searching for "made me what I am today" and "made me who I am today" led to the following page:
https://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePersonThatIAmToday/bkqgdl/post.htm
What was REALLY interesting to me, was the link to this page:
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=made+me+who+I+am%2Cmade+me+what+I+am&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cmade%20me%20who%20I%20am%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cmade%20me%20what%20I%20am%3B%2Cc0
Apparently, you can search Google's corpus of books to see when phrases came to be used and which phrases have been more popular over the decades. Personally, I thought this was really cool and, potentially a great tool for students of the English language. If, for example, a student is considering two ways of expressing something in a paper, this tool can be used to see which of the two collocations has been and is more popular.
-- Kirk

Atten: Kumamon fans!
-- Kirk
Adorable mascot bear Kumamon stars on the most popular new license plate in Japan
Kumamoto’s goodwill ambassador is even more popular than Mt. Fuji!

"Among forest-rich Kyūshū, Kumamoto Prefecture stands out for its wealth of venerable trees. Topping this list is Jakushinsan no kusu, an ancient camphor that presents an aesthetically pleasing balance above and beyond all others. A typhoon in 1991 broke numerous branches and caused other damage, however, the tree has made a vigorous recovery. In an astounding display of vitality, most of its wounds have healed and its foliage continues to thicken."
The web page includes a Google map, showing the exact location. I recently saw a TV show called Binotsubo (美の壺) that introduced huge, ancient trees that can be found all over Japan. Kumamoto's Jakushinsan no kusu was introduced early in the program and I was amazed to learn that the tree is estimated to be 800 years old!
https://www4.nhk.or.jp/tsubo/x/2019-05-12/31/33694/2418282/
and
https://見逃したテレビドラマを見る方法.xyz/美の壺/巨樹/
I've visited the tree and it truly is something to see. If you have a car, it's not all that far from Kumamoto City. Or, if you are a cyclist, you can take Kumamoto's cycling road to get there from Kumamoto City. It's not exactly on the cycling road but that path will take you to the vicinity. For more about the cycling road see the following:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/162730370534887
-- Kirk
https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b05301/japan’s-ancient-giants-the-onset-of-early-summer.html
Japan’s Ancient Giants: The Onset of Early Summer
The Jōmon Sugi on Yakushima is Japan’s best-known giant of the forest. Around the country, however, there are numerous famous old-growth trees of varying species that present their own unique characteristics. In this installment of the series we look at three trees garbed in the lush, verdant fol...

A few minutes ago, I posted about Yahoo's weather radar. Here's the link again:
https://weather.yahoo.co.jp/weather/zoomradar/
I thought I'd post this little video to show you how the animation works. Notice that after 6 PM or so (current time) the Japanese characters for "prediction" are added. Well, time to go get that coffee . . ;)
-- Kirk