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A note from the Sad Day for Kumamoto Desk (we have much tissue): Charlie Nakatani is a Kumamoto fixture. He owns a western-themed bar off of Shimotori (Good Time Charlie, グッドタイムチャーリー, 下通１丁目７−２４) and, perhaps more importantly, organizes the Country Gold music festival, AKA "promise day" (約束の日), which has been held at the Aspecta venue in Aso each autumn for 30 years.
Kumanichi (sweet how the article refers to him as "Charlie-san") reports that, sadly, this year's Aspecta festival (10/20) will be the last. A quote from the article: "In 2003, when Kumamoto Prefecture decided to eliminate financial support to Aspecta in line with reform of the national special corporation laws, Charlie-san and others gathered signatures nationwide to enable survival of facilities and events. When Minamiaso Village was seriously damaged in the quakes, the event was dedicated to reconstruction aid, with donations gathered from the fans given to the village."
At 82, Charlie-san is no spring chicken. The article notes he intends to continue inviting American country music acts to Kumamoto, but to smaller, indoor venues. I've only attended the event once but greatly enjoyed it, though my wife has never forgiven me for making her boot dance. Mark your calendars and, in the meantime, visit his bar with a hearty "arigatou." The loss of such a great Kumamoto tradition is indeed sad. - William
https://this.kiji.is/469111121913070689?c=92619697908483575

As I understand it, A2 in the CEFR system is the equivalent of low 400s in the TOEFL paper test. I have mixed feelings about this. Any thoughts as to whether it is a positive or negative development? I know it's part of a national trend.
"From 2020 to 2023, universities can choose to admit applicants based on either the new Common Test’s English section or private-sector English tests that assess speaking, writing, listening and reading — or both."
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2017/07/05/issues/spoken-english-tests-among-entrance-exam-reforms-japans-students-will-face-2020/
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/fukuokanow/posts/10156195685907810?__tn__=-R

Here's some information I got in an e-mail from the International Center about opportunities to study Japanese.
-- Kirk
-----------------------
KIF Japanese Classes Information
*Nihongo Club
Date and Time: Tuesdays from 10:00~11:30
Wednesdays from 10:00~12:00, 14:00~16:00, 18:30~20:00
Sundays form 10:00~12:00, 14:00~16:00
Let’s study Japanese for daily life!
Feel free to contact us if you are interested.
Target Audience: international citizens of Kumamoto City
Fee: 100 yen (1 day)
*Japanese class in Musashi-gaoka,Kengun and Higashiku-Nihongo Club
How about joining a Japanese language class right in your own neighborhood?
・Musashi-gaoka: Tuesdays at Kikuyo-macchi Seibu Cho-min Ceter (Near Mikari-no-Mori JrStation) from 10:00a.m. to 11:30a.m.
・Kengun: Tuesdays at Yotte kanne (at the Kengun Shopping Arcade) from 10:00a.m. to 11:30a.m.
・Higashi-ku Kurashi Nihongo Club(Starting NEW!)
1st and 3rd Sunday of every month at East Community Center from 10:00a.m-11:30a.m
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Multicultural Affairs Office (2F) at Kumamoto City International Foundation (Kumamoto City International Center).
(TEL) 096-359-4995 (9a.m.～8p.m.)
(e-mail）[email protected]

"One Piece", a popular comic created by Higokko Eiichiro Oda (born in 1975 in Kumamoto City) , was celebrated recently with a statue of one of its characters in front of Prefectural Hall. Suddenly, various towns from across the prefecture were requesting a statue of one of the seven remaining protagonists.
But news that Kumamoto prefecture had allocated 42 million yen for an additional four statues seemed excessive, particularly given that permanent housing for earthquake victims is behind schedule. The article's end, though, notes that all funding for these statues is being donated by Oda-san as a type of earthquake relief; the Prefecture is simply allocating it. A magnificent Higokko indeed.
The article does not say which characters will be placed where. I'll let you know in future. - William
ワンピース像、４体先行制作　熊本県が費用４２００万円計上 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県は２０１９年度一般会計予算案に、人気漫画「ＯＮＥ ＰＩＥＣＥ（ワンピース）」のキャラクター立像...

Tomorrow!
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/KUMISA15/posts/2292798311044344?__tn__=-R

We have been introduced to a cute Facebook page, 熊本. com. It is a Japanese-language page, but for learners, its lighthearted, vernacular tone might prove useful. We will coordinate information-sharing. - William
https://www.facebook.com/kumamotocom/
熊本県民・熊本を愛する方のフェイスブックページです。Twitterもはじめました⇒https://twitter.com/KumamotoCom

I downloaded this free app and found it to be quite good at English to Japanese translation. It also shows you how it has rendered your spoken English and makes it very easy to tweak it if necessary to get a better translation.
-- Kirk
P.S. Thanks again to Kuma Visit for this useful information.
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/2224282897823344?__tn__=-R

Ajisen Ramen is a global chain with some 90 domestic and 750 foreign outlets. It recently opened an outlet at the Helsinki Airport. But its history is a bit interesting.
Liú Tán Xiáng (劉壇祥) was born in Taiwan but moved to Ozu, Kumamoto, changed his name to Shigemitsu Kōji (重光孝治), and began producing wholesale ramen noodles and stock in 1968. No doubt the founder's international ... uh ... foundation was a crucial factor in the firm's success. It also explains the Chinese theme of its logo. Below is a link to Kumanichi re: their Helsinki shop which might be useful next time you're in Finland. (You can say, "This portion is too big for me to Finnish!") - William
https://this.kiji.is/466076122262635617?c=92619697908483575

A query from our friend Carlton McCycle:
"I heard Johnny Depp was in town last month for filming the Eugene Smith movie. He never called (but we were never that close). Were there any reported sightings of him?" - William

Joe Tomei here with a forward from my timeline for any US citizens who file taxes from Japan. Hope this saves some folks some headaches..

Here's an item from Kumamon. Kumamon says that the event is in progress in Yamaga but neglects to mention that it's Friday and Saturday nights (beginning at 5:30 PM each evening) throughout February.
My source:
https://www.ana.co.jp/ja/jp/tastesofjapan/kyushu/0023.html
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/kumamotodiary.en/posts/2080483568694597?__tn__=-R

Would you like to find a nice little coffee shop where guests can relax with cute puppies on a nice soft carpet? I would. If you find such a place, please let me know.
There may not be any puppies but there might be a person or two in a cute tie at an event to be held at the International Center this Saturday. It starts at 7 PM and the idea is to discuss and/or debate various topics:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2417661968307221?__tn__=-R
The discussion topics have yet to be determined but I might suggest the following:
"Is it ethical to use a photo of a puppy in order to get around the limits imposed by Facebook's algorithm?" I can think of good arguments on both sides. On the pro side, I'd say that, I've shared a post about this event twice and both times it got less than 100 views. That's almost nothing on this page. It's OK if not very many people want to go but if Facebook doesn't show the announcement to people, then folks who might be interested will miss out. This is known as an "ends justifying the puppy" argument. On the other hand, on the con side, one could argue that using a photo of a puppy on a post that isn't really about puppies is a little like crying "Puppy!" in a crowded theatre or "The boy who cried 'Puppy'" or something like that.
If there's time for more discussion on Saturday, the following age-old philosophical conundrum may be addressed: "If a puppy rolls over in a forest and nobody is there to say 'Awww' is it still the cutest little thing?"
Have I piqued your interest? If so, go the the International Center Saturday night and get a free puppy -- or, maybe, a free chance to talk with other human beings. ;)
-- Kirk
P.S. No puppies were harmed in the writing of this post.

It was a nice sunny day today so a went a little out of my way on my jog and took in the sights in the Ezuko area. If you live in Kumamoto and haven't gone to Ezuko on a nice day to enjoy the natural surroundings, I really recommend that you give it a try. It's just south (or southeast?) of Suizenji and fed by the same spring water. In fact, Ezuko is made up of the clear spring water that flows from Suizenji -- it's the same water system. Today I took a few moments to watch this heron hunt. She didn't catch anything but I enjoyed the little dances she did and appreciated her willingness to let me observe nearby.
-- Kirk

We wrote recently of an evacuation drill held at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima that would bring refugees to southern Kumamoto. Not on any known fault lines and under little threat from tsunami, reactors at Sendai and Kyushu's other nuclear plant in Genkai, Saga (photo below), were the first to be restarted after the Fukushima disaster.
Kumanichi reports on danger from a different cause: deterioration due to age. The Nuclear Commission has determined that Genkai's second reactor, open in 1980, must be decommissioned, but that the funds required to do so will be huge. As it is run by the Kyūshū Electric Power Company (known as Kyuden, 九電), Kumamoto's power prices will also likely rise to cover the costs.
I found Wikipedia has short but informative English entries on both plants that I recommend reading. These are listed below along with a link to the Kumanichi article. - William
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genkai_Nuclear_Power_Plant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendai_Nuclear_Power_Plant
https://this.kiji.is/468226926182319201?c=92619697908483575

This post from Fukuoka NOW links to a good primer, with some key terminology, on Valentine's day in Japan. One addendum I'd like to make to their chronology is that Morozoff's is a rare example of immigrant entrepreneurship in Japan: "Morozoffs confectioner family is probably the sweetest example of Russian immigrants achieving success in Japan."
-- Kirk
https://www.rbth.com/arts/2015/05/31/the_morozoffs_a_story_of_russian_confectioners_in_japan_46495.html

I've post about this before but I've received a little explanation from Mr. Itoh of the International Center so I'm reposting:
"This class is mainly for Japanese people who want to improve their speaking skills. But we also want foreign people to join the class and share their thoughts and opinions."
The discussions begin this Saturday. I'm not sure what the first topic or topics will be. Perhaps Mr. Itoh or someone involved in the event can write a few words about what is planned for Saturday in a comment to this message.
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/events/1301502103322771/

Our sister page Fukuoka Now has pointed towards a survey regarding tourism in Kyushu, of which Kumamoto is the belly button. In fact, the photo chosen is of Kario Kansen (かりおかんせん、狩尾幹線), a farm road in western Aso. It was heavily damaged in the quakes, and in consideration of both restoration and maintenance costs, a decision was made to abandon it.
Please take a sec to fill it out. - William
WANTED: OPINIONS FROM FOREIGN RESIDENTS ON TOURISM IN KYUSHU ::: Fukuoka Now has been asked for advice by agencies responsible for creating strategies related to international tourism in Kyushu. So, in turn, we’re polling international residents of Kyushu (current and former) for their input. The survey takes just a few minutes and is entirely anonymous. Help us pass on some good advice! http://bit.ly/kyushu-survey

Here's something to do in Hitoyoshi.
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/kumamotodiary.en/posts/2071187589624195?__tn__=-R

The Japanese cedar (sugi, 杉) is a magnificent tree. Due to the qualities of its wood - fragrant, reddish, lightweight but strong, waterproof, and decay-resistant - it has long been cultivated and is a symbol of several Japanese cultural traditions. In particular, WWII deforestation was rectified by the planting of immense sugi plantations, stabilizing mountainsides and whose wood was eventually turned into the majority of Japan's housing.
A problem with the sugi is that, like all conifers, it depends on wind for pollination, an ancient trait trees relied on before they figured out the more efficient symbiosis of flowers and insects. So sugi must produce as much pollen as possible, and this depends on the weather. Kumanichi reports that sugi thrived on the heat last summer; consequently, this year will be terrifying for those who suffer from pollen allergies. The left axis shows pollen concentration in particles per square centimeter and the right average temperatures 2014-18. Webmd offers tips on how to mitigate allergic symptoms here: https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/pollen-survival-guide#1 Good luck, and stay healthy! - William
https://this.kiji.is/467517340030993505?c=92619697908483575
花粉２倍、対策早めに　昨夏猛暑で飛散増 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県内でもスギ花粉の飛散シーズンが始まった。日本気象協会九州支社は今年の花粉の飛散量を昨年の２倍と...

"In 1997, it came to light that the cloth believed to have been burned had been kept by Kumamoto prosecutors."
It's good that a false conviction is going to be set right. What I don't understand, though, is why I can't find anything in the news about the need to punish those guilty of prosecutorial misconduct.
-- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/09/national/crime-legal/kumamoto-man-convicted-murder-may-acquitted/
Kumamoto man convicted of murder may be acquitted | The Japan Times
An 85-year-old man who was imprisoned for a 1985 murder in Kumamoto Prefecture is expected to win an acquittal in a retrial of his case. In a hearing at th