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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
Two nuclear reactor complexes exist in Kyushu. Genkai Genhatsu (玄海原発), located in northern Saga quite far from Kumamoto, and Sendai Genhatsu (川内原発), located in northern Kagoshima just on the border with Kumamoto.
All are in areas with little risk of tsunami, but as we've recently understood, the "Whoops!" factor with nuclear power plants can escalate quickly. With that in mind, Kagoshima yesterday held a drill involving some 5,000 participants which included 100 evacuated from Kagoshima's Akune and Izumi north to Kumamoto's Minamata and Ashikita. This was the third such drill held. Let's hope reality does not go beyond drills. - William
原発事故想定し防災訓練 鹿児島から芦北町などへ避難 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
九州電力川内原発（鹿児島県薩摩川内市）の事故を想定した防災訓練が９日、同県を中心に約５千人が参加して...
Olivia here,
The plum flowers are blooming. They have really fragrant smells.
Suizenji garden’s website just posted that now it’s best time to view them.
http://www.ezuko-park.com/blog/26109
Plum blossoms are stronger than Cherry blossoms. The flowers can withstand rainy days.
But viewing them during “見頃” (read: “ミゴロ“ ; Best time to view) is recommended.
An icy Kumamoto Castle has been put up as part of a winter festival in Monbetsu, Hokkaido. The image I'm sharing is from an NHK news report. You can find the video (in Japanese) here:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/sapporo/20190209/7000007755.html
-- Kirk
A note from the Kumamoto International Kumamon is Here to Save the Day desk (we've been kinda busy): Kumanichi reports on an 11-minute video produced by Kumamoto Prefecture in which Kumamon uses shogi to impart basic disaster prevention measures. His (her?) three points are: ¹ to fix household items「tomete, とめて」; ² to store provisions「tomete, ためて」; and ³ to have a plan「kimete,きめて」. I'm no mascot, but those sound logical to me.
Our friend Furue-san has kindly provided a link to the English language version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_tr9HLN2E4&fbclid=IwAR3NGhsA4Upw47UGueCtkLptOvPvOGR0eJ8UMkgy-8cUHKgcdN_hIMeyOBQ
Even in Japanese, the video is worth a look. It's validated my decision not to become a crash-test dummy. - William
https://this.kiji.is/466438509325239393?c=92619697908483575
くまモン「災害に備えて」 熊本県が啓発動画（動画あり） ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県は熊本地震を教訓に災害時に自らを守る「自助」の啓発動画を作成し、７日から県ホームページなどで公...
Kumanichi reports that the livery of JR's 800-series Shinkansen, which run between Kagoshima and Hakata, will feature Kanakuri Shisou in a nod to NHK's Taiga Drama (Sundays, 20:00). Perhaps this will cause them to run even faster. - William
「いだてん」ラッピング新幹線スタート 博多―鹿児島中央間 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
ＮＨＫ大河ドラマ「いだてん」の登場人物の写真をラッピングした九州新幹線が７日、博多－鹿児島中央で運行...
