Posts
This article reports that, beginning in April, it will be illegal for businesses in downtown Kumamoto to try to solicit passersby individually. My understanding is that this is focused on seedy bars that try to lure people in and then charge them exorbitant rates. It's OK for someone to stand in front of a shop and yell out "irasshai!" and describe a sale that's going on so that anyone within earshot can hear. What's not OK is for someone to target you individually and try to convince you to come in. It's also illegal for them to try to offer you a job if their only reason for choosing you is that you happened to walk by. So, if someone try's to convince you to step inside for a drink or something, you should know that they not only seem to be sleazy, but that what they are doing is actually illegal.
-- Kirk
熊本）熊本市の客引き禁止地区決まる 上通・下通など：朝日新聞デジタル
４月に全面施行される熊本市の客引き行為等禁止条例について、市が委嘱した「客引き行為等対策審議会」（会長＝安田二郎・熊本市商店街連合会長）は１８日、初会合を開き、禁止地区の範囲を決めた。２１日に大西一...
Hey, gang! Let's post photos of ourselves hanami-ing! Please post your photo(s) in the comments section and note the location if possible for other reader's reference. This is at Tatsudayama Haisuiike Koen. - William
Tani Tateki (谷干城, 1837-1911) was born a samurai in Tosa (now Kochi). Saigo Takamori (西郷 隆盛, 1828-1877) was also born a samurai in Satsuma (now Kagoshima). Those two domains were instrumental in overthrowing the shogunate to establish Meiji rule, and as such, they cooperated in their early days. Their paths later split over the course of modernization: Tani was more intent on industrialization, while Saigo distrusted the West and urged military conquest of Korea. The two eventually clashed in 1877 during the Seinan War in Kumamoto, Saigo heading his Satsuma army north and Taki commander of Meiji forces rushed in from Tokyo. After a 52-day siege of the castle and a clash at Tabarazaka, Saigo's remaining forces retreated south, where they were all eventually cut down by Tani's forces. Saigo committed seppuku and his secondary beheaded him. The head was taken as a war prize but was eventually reunited with the body for internment, though doubt remains whether it was actually his head (heads being aplenty in those days). Tani, ironically, later led Japan's conquest of Taiwan and died of old age.
At an event in Tabaruzaka to commemorate the battle, Tani Tateki's great-grandson, Tani Tadaaki (75), and Saigo Takamori's great-great grandson, Saigo Takafumi (71), met for the first time, 142 years after the war's end. Tani was quoted: "He's physically imposing and shares features of Saigo Takamori," while Saigo said, "I felt a hint of sharpness behind his gentle expression." Both issued a statement: "That the peace we enjoy now is a result of the sacrifices of the youth of that time must never be forgotten."
That it has taken so long for the two families to have buried the hatchet illustrates how alive history is.
The first photo below is of the descendents; second, Tani Tateki; third, Saigo Takamori. - William
https://this.kiji.is/481598404587603041?c=92619697908483575
In October, "Kumamoto Castle's Grand Unveiling" (I got this English phrase from a paper brochure) will be held. As I understand it, this will consist primarily of access to the castle on specific days and times (see attached image). This is planned to coincide with the hosting of the Rugby World Cup. Should be a good opportunity to see the freshly repaired castle up close. I don't think it will be possible to tour the inside of the castle, however.
-- Kirk
P.S. At this writing, I haven't been able to find this information in English. I assume that it will be announced in English for the visitors who will come for the World Cup.
https://kumamoto-guide.jp/kumamoto-castle/news/detail/328
A bit more specific info on my hanami hideaway: it's called the 'Tatsudayama Haisuiike Koen' (立田山配水池公園). A small reservoir was built above the park after the war, when the mountain's complete deforestation threatened it itself and those who lived near it, both for water supply and flood control. It is still in use to provide water to the Kurokami area. While there, if you have never visited the temple ruins and tombs of the Hosokawa, Taishoji (泰勝寺跡), at Tatsudayama Shizen Koen (立田山自然公園), you should. Their English-language brochures are informative. Access is the road which runs just next to Kumadai's north campus. - William
Fans of wadaiko (Japanese drumming) may want to visit Ninomaru Hiroba on the castle grounds this weekend (10 AM to 3 PM both days).
-- Kirk
熊本城で開催される「くまもとお城まつり」の公式ホームページです。祭りの開催日・詳細・交通情報などをご案内しています。お城まつりは特別史跡熊本城跡で春と秋に継続して開催しているイベントで、市民はもとより...
Flash news! The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday that five buds had started to blossom from a cherry tree at an agency observatory in the city of Nagasaki. The bloom was four days earlier than usual but three days later than last year.
Kumamoto will not be far behind. Below is an image taken at 8:30 this morning in Oe, Chuo-ku of a single blossom surrounded by buds waiting to explode like popcorn.
Weather should be mostly sunny this weekend and 15°C. Hint: the area halfway up Tatsudayama just behind Kumadai has numerous cherry trees, a flat, grassy park for picnicking, and a gorgeous vista of the city. Let's get it on. - William
Even though the World Cup won't be held here until October, it seems that ticket sales will end (at least according to this website) this month.
-- KIrk
Rugby World Cup 2019 Official Ticketing Site
Welcome to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Official Ticketing Site.You need to create and register an account to purchase tickets. Register now, to also get the latest ticketing information! You will find lots of useful information to enjoy the RWC2019.
The spring Kumamoto Oshiro Matsuri (castle festival) is in progress. Sorry I wasn't able to give you a heads up earlier (I wasn't aware of it myself). The following page has information about remaining events. If you find the Japanese to be a bit daunting, I think a translation feature such as Google Chrome provides should be enough to help you make sense of it.
-- Kirk
日本三名城のひとつとして知られる熊本城の周辺で、2019年3月に「春のくまもとお城まつり」が開催。毎年多くの来場者でにぎわうこの祭りは、
Caution: Sad story to follow.
Last May, a newly-minted third-year female student at Taishi High School (岱志高校) in Kita Kumamoto left a note to her parents complaining of bullying and committed suicide. Subsequent investigations revealed frequent verbal abuse from classmates.
In mid-February this year, school representatives visited the parents' house to inform them that no photos of their daughter would be published in the school album - not her portrait photo, and even photos of events were curated to exclude any that contained images of the deceased. This was done with no discussion with the bereaved. The mother was dismayed, saying "I'm shocked that the very existence of my daughter has vanished." But it was too late: the albums had already been printed. Chagrined (and probably fearing heavily negative publicity), the school agreed to manually tape several photographs of the girl on a blank page at the back of each album.
The school's actions deserve criticism, but the attention it has brought might ironically have worked out best for the girl's classmates: Now, each opening of that album will be a reminder that actions have consequences.
The TELL Japan lifeline is open 24 hours for anyone considering suicide or who suspects others are. Their website has useful information. Let's watch out for each other. - William
https://telljp.com/lifeline/
https://this.kiji.is/479424074847503457?c=92619697908483575
Lifeline | TELL Japan
Our team is culturally and ethnically diverse, with people from all ages and backgrounds. No prior experience is required, just a passion to be there for others and a willingness to learn new skills. Volunteers play an essential part of our team and make a real difference in the lives of others.
As an editor of this page, I can see how many eyeballs are being directed to or landing on individual posts. One thing that's become clear is that events don't get much attention. If you look at the attached image, you can see that the messages posted on the 18th and 15th have gotten less attention than other kinds of posts. This is probably a result of how the Facebook algorithm has been set up. If you're interested in local events, please read on.
The event I posted on the 18th is for a bota mochi party that should be great for families with children. The event will be held this Saturday. Here's a link to the post
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2491204947619589?__tn__=-R
and here's a link to a page with pictures that give you a better sense of what kind of event it will be:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1296939883812654/permalink/1296940533812589/
The next event is a hanami (flower gazing) party to be held on March 30:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2485790154827735?__tn__=-R
I think this is something that many Kumamoto International participants, whether you're here as an individual or as a family, should be interested in.
As someone who posts information about events, I'm learning that I need to avoid simply sharing "events" (Facebook has an "event" formate) and need to come up with more creative ways of getting the information out. I may not have the time or energy to do that in every case, however, so if you're interested in event information, I recommend that you make a point of navigating to this page and browsing recent posts to see if there's an even that you missed.
It would be nice if we had an event calendar that was easy to maintain, but I haven't figured out a good way to do that yet.
-- Kirk
"Yuka Ogata, 43, who was censured for bringing her baby to the Kumamoto city assembly and sucking on a lozenge during a plenary session, said she also received cosmetics that she did not order. Her family paid for the products, believing that she had ordered them."
The headline for the original Japanese version of this article begins "If you speak up, you get trolled" (発言したら嫌がらせ), which I think is a good summary of what often happens to many women and other minorities.
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASM275RMBM27TIPE01L.html?iref=pc_extlink
By the way, I wish the translator of the English article had written "was censured for . . . using a lozenge" rather than "was censured for . . . sucking on a lozenge." After all, she was trying to suppress a cough, not using a pacifier. The phrase "sucking on" sounds quite prejudicial to me.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903170001.html
Sexist ‘gifts’ sent to activists in fight against discrimination：The Asahi Shimbun
Unsolicited packages of women’s underwear, cosmetics and other items are being sent to anti-discrimi
Sounds like a promising application of technology . . .
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/10/business/tech/fujitsus-imaging-technology-speed-restoration-quake-hit-castles/
Fujitsu's imaging technology to speed up restoration of quake-hit castles | The Japan Times
Fujitsu Ltd. says it is developing an image-sensing technology system that will greatly speed up the restoration of stone walls on quake-hit castles and ot
Our friend Zuzu Coco, a member of Kumamoto's Hispanic community and possessor of a really cool name, informed us of an event to celebrate La Diada de Sant Jordi, or Saint George's Day. He is the patron saint of the ancient Kingdom of Aragon and killed a dragon, certainly something for one's resume. The Wikipedia entry is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George%27s_Day_(Spain)#Catalonia. From the article: "it is customary on 23 April for men give away roses to women, like the knight who addressed the princess. The women give the men a book, remembering the death and burial respectively of two great European literary personalities, Miguel de Cervantes and Shakespeare, and the Spanish notable literary personality, Inca Garcilaso."
A drawing sponsored by the Kumamoto Flower Cooperative will give lucky winners flowers (to females) and books (to males). Application details are at the below link (Japanese) and on the attached flyer. Thank you, Zuzu Coco! (I just love typing that name.) - William
http://www.k-engei.net/kakikyokai/?fbclid=IwAR3ObG7btnvEIYzv__yYRZ-FqIoMj9P5qLY0Hk4dQ82Bc57_hPlZtMr_jjY
Here's an event that I hope many of you will be interested in.
-- Kirk
https://m.facebook.com/events/1296939883812654?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&aref=3&__mref=mb
I'd like to say a few words about recent events in Christchurch, New Zealand. The murder of 50 people and the wounding of many more, merely for practicing their religion, doesn't have an obvious Kumamoto connection but I know that such senseless violence is deeply troubling to many of our readers. I'd like to extend a special message of support and condolence to our readers of the Muslim faith and to our Kiwi readers. Personally, I have visited the downtown section of Christchurch, which is located between the two Mosques, and that has made the violence all the more shocking for me. Fortunately, I have received word that all of the Japanese students from my university who were studying in Christchurch are OK.
Another indirect connection to the page is the attacker's use of Facebook. I tend to listen to more news than I read and one of the audio reports I thought was relevant was this one from NPR, in the U.S.:
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/16/704039029/the-efforts-to-misdirect-in-shooters-screed
The term "scatposting," which seems to be a substitute for some other term that can't be used on American radio, comes up in the article. It seems to refer to a kind of troll-like behavior that is intended to sow division and anger. And, of course, the accused is reported to have video-streamed his rampage via Facebook. Sadly, the digital tool we are using to share information about Kumamoto also has the potential to spread hate.
On a more positive note, I did find a couple of comments that lifted my spirits in the NPR reports I listened to. One was this comment by Imam Johari Abdul-Malik:
"I am clear that every tragedy has in it an opportunity - the opportunity for the community to engage with one another, to reach out to their neighbors, not to become securitized and become victims but to become victors and going out and saying, since you're joining us in solidarity, let's look at all of the phobias and those people who are afraid - and, as our brother Christian said earlier, to reach out to those who are afraid and join their hearts with ours."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/16/704137576/barbershop-muslim-group-reacts-to-new-zealand-shootings
I was impressed by the idea that the thing to do at a time like this is not to respond to hate with hate, but to reach out to people who, out of fear and/or ignorance, might otherwise be tempted to embrace the kind of hate that the shooter in Christchurch has embraced.
The power of such reaching out was expressed by former neo-Nazi Christian Picciolini:
"MARTIN: And what did make you get out? Or what - how were you able to get out?
PICCIOLINI: You know, I always had doubts about what I believed in. And, of course, I could never vocalize them because I didn't want to seem weak or anything like that. But ultimately, you know, it was interactions with people of color who, you know, showed me compassion when I had least deserved it. And those moments of clarity added up."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/16/704137555/former-neo-nazi-white-supremacy-is-certainly-not-a-fringe-movement
As I write this, I'm reminded of something Robert Kennedy said after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.:
"My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: 'In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.'"
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/the-kennedy-family/robert-f-kennedy/robert-f-kennedy-speeches/statement-on-assassination-of-martin-luther-king-jr-indianapolis-indiana-april-4-1968
I hope humankind can find the wisdom to reduce the hatred and ignorance that fuel the sorts of acts of violence that have been occurring all too often lately.
-- Kirk
Samurai needed a bit more than a hedge and a dog to protect their houses, so a series of strategic barriers were devised which became known as "mushagaeshi" (武者返し) - literally, "repel the warrior". You can see examples if you visit any collection of samurai residences, known as "bukeyashiki" (武家屋敷) - the best preserved examples are in Nagasaki's Shimabara and Kagoshima's Chiran. The term particularly refers to the sloped shape and random rock placement of Kumamoto Castle's walls, designed to bamboozle invaders (though the cannon eventually made this obsolete).
JR Kumamoto station has incorporated this motif in their new building, unveiled yesterday, 3/16. Many events continue today to celebrate this. If you're free, visit. If warriors attack, retreat to the station's interior and hope they don't have cannon. - William
https://this.kiji.is/479621217105773665?c=92619697908483575
Sometimes one comes across huge granite boulders in Kumamoto City. They were not produced on-site and are too large to have been carried by water, so one must assume they are ejecta from Aso. The energy required to shoot these massive objects over tens of kilometers is awesome to consider - they must have landed with quite a thud. I likely share our readership in the hope that we'll never have an opportunity to witness such an event.
Ehime Prefecture, which occupies the western side of Shikoku, hosts one of the few remaining nuclear power plants in Japan, something some locals don't like, so they filed a lawsuit to close the plant which was rejected yesterday. One reason plaintiffs cited was potential of an eruption at Aso - 130 kilometers away. Many have various views of nuclear power, but an Aso eruption of magnitude sufficient to effect Ehime (not inconceivable across millennia timeframe) would leave a nuclear meltdown as the least of our concerns. From Japan Today: https://japantoday.com/category/national/court-rejects-call-to-halt-nuclear-reactor-in-western-japan and ejecta example（kinda looks like a frog). - William
The exhibit in Kumamoto ended recently. If you saw it, or even if you didn't, you may be interested in this lengthy article about Murakami.
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2019/03/13/arts/takashi-murakami-face-japanese-contemporary-art-abroad-underappreciated-home/
Takashi Murakami: The face of Japanese contemporary art abroad, underappreciated at home | The Japan Times
This is the sixth in a 10-part series on influential figures in the Heisei Era, which began in 1989 and will end when Emperor Akihito abdicates in April. I
