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Gengou　(元号) can be translated as "era name." In advance of the retirement of the Heisei Emperor at April's end, the new gengou has been announced: Reiwa (令和). Apparently, it references the 32nd chapter of the Man'yōshū; an 8th century anthology of Japanese poetry which might be translated as Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves (万葉集). The meaning is a reference to plum blossoms - that is, the start. Here is the relevant passage:
師の老の宅に萃まりて、宴会を申く。時に、初春の令月にして、気淑く風和ぎ、梅は鏡前の粉を披き、蘭は珮後の香を薫す
A more modern rendition would be:
大伴旅人の邸宅に集まりて、宴会を開く。時に、初春の何事をするにもめでたい月が出ていて、空気はよく風は爽やかに、梅は鏡の前の美女が装う白粉のように咲き、蘭は身を飾った香のように薫っている。
which could be translated as:
We gather at the residence of Otomo no Tabito (665 - September 4, 731, a poet of the early Nara period) and hold a banquet. Sometimes in the early spring sky, the moon appears to accomplish its tasks, and the atmosphere is refreshed by plum blossoms like the white powder applied by a beautiful girl in front of a mirror, and the orchids burn like incense.
Be prepared for a surge in popularity of plum blossoms. I've always preferred them to cherries. - William

Hi! My name's Johnny and I'd like to thank Kirk for letting me join the Kumamoto International editing board. He said I should start by introducing myself so, here goes ...
I was raised on a farm in Mooresville, Indiana. My mama ran out on us when I was three, my daddy beat the hell out of me cause he didn't know no better way to raise me. I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars, whiskey, and you ... what else you need to know? ;)
I started reading Kumamoto International after I got involved in a little project related to Minamata. Ah, Minamata! It's a place like no place on Earth. Full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter. Which, luckily, I am!
The picture you see is one Kirk says he took of me on one of our bar-hoping adventures in the Shimotori area. I say Kirk "says" he took it but, frankly, I have no recollection of posing like this. Who knows, he might have even photoshopped it like he photoshopped Donald Trump for some stupid April Fools prank about Trump buying Kumamoto Castle and making it into a casino! If you don't believe me just look for yourself. It's pretty obvious:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/1390313161042112/
Anyway, you all should be careful about Kirk. He wants you to think that he's trying to be helpful with all those little posts and all, but it's guys like that that you have to watch. Me, I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. I mean honestly, it's the supposedly "honest" ones like Kirk that you have to watch out for. You never know when he's about to do something incredibly . . . stupid!
Well, at any rate, I'm glad to be an editor. I've done a lot of things in my life but I think this is the one. This is the one I'll be remembered for.
Oh, and happy April 1st and all that!

We are living in the age of "Heisei," but, as I think most of you probably know, it's days are numbered. We will have a new emperor soon and the change of emperors will be marked, as always, with a change in the age. This means that we only have a few weeks left to use the otherwise humble and unremarkable Heisei Station (the station next to Kumamoto Station on the Hohi Line), while the age still matches the station name:
"Tourists are also heading to Kyushu Railway Co's Heisei Station in Kumamoto Prefecture. Most visitors are taking pictures to post on social media such as Instagram and Twitter."
Of course, Heisei Station will continue to function with the same name after the new emperor has been enthroned. So, there really shouldn't be any rush. ;)
-- Kirk
P.S. The name of the new age should be announced tomorrow. I'm hoping it will be "enlightenment" -- I'd like to live in an age of enlightenment.
https://japantoday.com/category/national/consumers-turn-to-nostalgia-goods-events-in-final-weeks-of-heisei

Kumamoto is a paradise for photographers. Kumamoto Kando Project released results of its photography competition; their Grand Prix selection is below, Aso's Sea of Clouds. I would have hated to be on that selection committee: All photos submitted are fantastic. A view of their website might give clues both to photographic skills and to the wonders of Kumamoto. - William
https://www.kuma-kan.com/

Though the title of the article is slightly confusing, I can assure you that there really was an earthquake in 2016. ;) It's just that some scholars at Kyoto University and Osaka University fudged the data.
I'm linking to the article on Temblor.net but you can also check out an article that was published by the Japan Times (second URL).
-- Kirk
http://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/scientific-fraud-announced-in-two-studies-of-the-2016-m7-0-kumamoto-japan-earthquake-8562/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/27/national/kyoto-university-confirms-flaws-kumamoto-quake-paper-published-professor/
Scientific fraud announced in two studies of the 2016 M=7.0 Kumamoto, Japan, earthquake | Temblor.net
By Ross S. Stein, Ph.D., Temblor CEO   In one case, the fault rupture and its associated seismicity had been shifted toward a volcano in support of the author’s hypothesis; in the other, seismograms from temporary near-fault stations had been manufactured. In both cases, evaluation committees and...

William has already posted about this case but I'd like to chime in from a slightly different angle. This is just one of many cases that has been overturn as a result of confessions that appear to have been forced confessions. It seems that significant psychological pressure is placed on defendants to confess during the interrogation process. The first case in Japan of a death sentence being overturned occurred here in Kumamoto after it was deemed that the confession had been forced and that the accused, Mr. Sakae Menda, was not guilty:
"Police held Menda for three weeks, without allowing him access to a lawyer, until they extracted a confession. During interrogation, he was starved of food, water and sleep, and beaten with bamboo sticks while being suspended upside down from a ceiling. The police eventually coerced Menda into signing a written statement."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakae_Menda
Another case that has been in the news is that of Mika Nishiyama. She has not been exonerated but she has been granted a retrial after her confession was deemed to be suspect:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/20/national/crime-legal/japanese-supreme-court-oks-retrial-ex-assistant-nurse-2003-murder/#.XJ8P9S2B3Sx
The photo of Mr. Miyata in his wheelchair shows his son, Masahiro, behind him. On one of the news reports I saw, he said something like "it's good that my father has been found innocent, but what about the people who trumped up the charges against him? When will they be put on trial?" My sentiments exactly.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903290047.html
No words but many tears after man, 85, cleared in 1985 murder：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--Lawyers were worried that Koki Miyata would not understand the words that he had been wait

Here's an article (with a nice video that even has English subtitles) about the fire ritual that was recently held at Aso Shrine. Sorry I couldn't give you all a heads up in advance. This is an annual event so, if you will be here in the spring next year, you may want to make of note of it.
-- Kirk
Fire ritual held at Aso Shrine hit by 2016 Kumamoto quake - The Mainichi
ASO, Kumamoto -- A traditional fire ritual praying for a huge harvest was held on March 24 at Aso Shrine here, which was heavily damaged by the April

A note from the Kumamoto International Data Analysis Desk (we wear green eyeshades): After carefully analyzing Facebook data, we have determined that more readers should access our site at 5:00 am. Please do your part. Data is at the link. - William
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/insights/?section=navPosts&notif_id=1553915476840381&notif_t=page_insights_weekly_digest

This is happening next week at Jogglejog in Kawaramachi on Saturday. Step out of busy busy downtown and into the oldness of Kawaramachi. We will have Firestone beer on tap along with Heartland. Also we 4 bands playing in a house like show setting. There is no cover but donations are accepted for the bands. Also bring your guitar or whatever to jump in between the bands for open mic.

A note from the Kumamoto International Titles Desk (we're quite proper): while さん is Japan's most common title (keisyou 敬称), there are others - 様, used for royalty and guests; 氏, for the revered; 先生 is used to place oneself in an inferior position (but is often used ironically); and of course ちゃん and くん - I suppose the title for a boy changes from ちゃん to くん at about the same age Westerners drop the "y" from a boy's name (as I went from "Billy" to "Bill"). Others linked to in the below Wikipedia site are a bit more esoteric. Titles are never not used unless one refers to oneself of close family members - or has been legally disgraced.
Kumanichi reported on the acquittal of a Matsubase man for a murder which had happened in 1985. He spent a few decades in prison and now, bed-ridden with dementia, he received a "Whoops! Sorry!" appeal judgement. The Kumanichi article's title was telling: "松橋事件、２８日再審判決　宮田さん「無罪」へ" - that is, he got his さん back. Though rather tardy, one hopes Miyata-san maintains the faculties to comprehend the import. - William
https://kumanichi.com/news/923227/
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/85-year-old-man-acquitted-of-1985-murder-in-retrial

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%95%AC%E7%A7%B0
85-year-old man acquitted of 1985 murder in retrial
A Japanese court on Thursday acquitted an 85-year-old man of a 1985 murder in southwestern Japan in a retrial held decades after his conviction. The Kumamoto District Court ruled it cannot accept Koki Miyata murdered his shogi partner Matao Okamura in Matsubase, Kumamoto Prefecture, more than 34 yea...

Olivia here,
William mentioned about Kawachi Wisteria garden in Kitakyushu in earlier post. As another flower fan, I would like to add on more information to his post.
While we are still busy with finding a good day for Cherry blossoms hanami, we can still prepare early for another breathtaking flowers view this Spring (and for Wisteria, they normally reach their full bloom during Golden week, early May).
I took this picture when my family visited the garden 2 years back.
One thing I love about Fuji (Wisteria) is their elegance as a flower and their amazingly fragrant smell.
Kawachi garden is so so beautiful so if you have chance to visit it once, do so.
I have to honestly say that the dedication of the gardener to be able to take care of this garden and aiming for their audiences’ best view is amazing.
A small note during your visit to the garden, listen to what the gardener tell you during your visit, like not to touch the flowers, or pluck them with your hands, etc. Try to admire the beauty with your eyes and nose only.
They have given their greatest care to take care of the place. So we can play our part by following the rules.
This is the website address for Kawachi Wisteria garden:
https://kawachi-fujien.com
Enjoy your visit! 😊

Kumanichi reports on survey results of preferences listed by Asian visitors to Kyushu. Koreans and Thais like the onsen in Yufuin; Hong Kongers and Beijingers, Aso; Shanghaiese like dolphin watching. But what topped Malaysians' list was unfamiliar to me: Kawawachi Fujien, or Kawachi Wisteria Park (河内藤園) in Kitakyushu, so I Googled it and was bowled over. This link is to Google photos of the wisteriaest place in the galaxy - and now is the season. - William
http://tinyurl.com/yx937xka

For eight years, I walked my kids to elementary school each morning, and the principal learned to eye me with a certain trepidation as I was in the habit of finding baby animals in distress and leaving them under his care. One day, it was a baby bat, who was delegated to the science department. A week later, I noticed a tiny grave in the school's garden with a placard: they had given him a name.
The Japanese house bat is migratory - they are insectivorous, moving south as far as Hainan in winter and returning when their meals wake up, marking spring as much as the swallows do in my hometown. A half-dozen suddenly appeared today around my house; they roost under the rain gutters and keep the mosquito population in check. Look over parking lots or fields at dusk for these cute little guys, a popular subject of block prints. You can even name them. - William

Some may have noticed a bit of swaying at 9:16 this morning. That would have been due to a M5.4 quake off the coast of Miyazaki. A long-running concern has been the possibility of a large quake on the Nankai trough causing a tsunami on Kyushu's eastern coast. The Kumamoto prefectural government has plans prepared to care for an influx of refugees in that eventuality. You can read more about the Nankai trough at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nankai_Trough - William

On an overcast, cold day (c'mon, spring! You were doing so well yesterday!), I thought what would be required would be a photo of the Japanese black bear cub born 50 days ago at Aso's Cuddly Dominion. More info in English about the animal is at the Wikipedia link. - William
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_black_bear
https://this.kiji.is/482383591884473441?c=92619697908483575
クマの赤ちゃん、お披露目　熊本県阿蘇市の観光施設 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県阿蘇市の観光施設「阿蘇カドリー・ドミニオン」で２３日、生後５０日のニホンツキノワグマの赤ちゃん...

Joe Tomei here, the NanKyu JALT chapter is co-sponsoring this conference, if you'd like more info, feel free to drop me a pm.

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