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A report on NHK's morning news show today introduced new research on the earthquake that hit Nagomi-machi in Kumamoto Prefecture on January 3rd. The rating on the Japanese seismic intensity scale was "lower 6" -- quite high on a scale that tops out at 7. The amount of damage, however, was surprisingly low given that rating. Well, the NHK report said that, according to researchers at Tokyo University, the relatively high intensity scale number was caused by the "period" (shuki; the time that one back and forth movement takes) of the quake: 0.5 seconds (fairly slow). Apparently, this kind of shaking is what people can feel most easily and the Japanese scale tends to respond more to this type. The slower rate of shaking seems to be related to the softness of the ground there.
I guess the amount of energy was low enough that, even with this kind of shaking, the damage wasn't that great. I wonder, though, if this means that Nagomi could have suffered a fate like that of Mashiki if the energy of the quake had been significantly higher. As I recall, Mashiki also had a fairly slow "period" that resulted from its own soft ground.
-- Kirk
０．５秒ほどの局期の揺れ・軟弱地盤の影響で増幅 NHK総合【おはよう日本】

Franck, of Michi No Eki Aso, reports on his 15 minutes or so of TV fame. -- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/eng.michinoekiaso/posts/2214556652093758

Fuki is known in Latin as Petasites japonicus and in English as butterbur, giant butterbur, or great butterbur (it seems to prefer the latter). Fukinotou (蕗の薹 － cool kanji! Memorize it to impress your Japanese friends as it's usually in hiragana, ふきのとう) is the flower of the plant and a local delicacy.
Spring sees the hardy, wide-spreading plant send up shoots which, if harvested before they blossom, are commonly prepared as tempura. During this season, my wife and I scour the neighborhood for them. As the plant contains alkaloids, it is quite bitter, but some (me!) love the taste. It is said to contain antioxidant compounds. Below are photos of the plant, the flower before blossoming, and the tempura my wife prepared. - William

So the Chiba-born guy pulls out a bonito (saba, 鯖) and a bag of peanuts and also proclaims his allegiance to the Nippon Ham Fighters.
If you faced a similar situation, what talismans would you produce to prove your Kumamoto heritage? Please suggest in the comments.
(I'd go with kashirarenkon, a pair of jogging-worn tabi, and a reference to the Fukuoka Hawks - no one knows the Volters or Roasso.) - William

Kanakuri Shisou, known as the father of the Japanese marathon and the subject of the NHK Sunday night Taiga drama (大河ドラマ「いだてん」, 20:00), has sparked renewed interest in this scion of Higo. Kumanichi has a cute story on kids from his home area, Tamana, who are preparing polyvinyl jackets for participants in the upcoming Kumamoto Marathon (2/17) with images and encouraging messages. As a usage of class time, I suppose it beats studying - and it is very thoughtful. - William
熊本城マラソンに防寒ポンチョ　玉名市の児童・生徒、ポリ袋で製作 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
１７日に熊本市で開催される熊本城マラソンに向け、玉名市の児童・生徒が、ランナーに着用してもらう防寒ポ...

Here's an example of a visual message and text message that say very different things. Kumamoto is mentioned in this misleading article:
Japan: Is it safe to travel to the country after third earthquake in three weeks?
https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1080302/japan-japanese-earthquake-is-it-safe-travel-Kyushu-kumamoto
After a bit of searching, I was able to identify the photo as being from January of 1995, when a huge quake hit the Kobe area:
https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/rentoku/photo_gallery/06/201501/p_0007644656.shtml
So, other than being the result of an earthquake, it has nothing to do with recent shaking. Way to go, Express journalists!! Who cares about accuracy, right? Clickbait is king!
-- Kirk
P.S. The caution mark applies to the information source, not the subject of the article.

Hi! Kirk here. Here's some information from Atsuko Furue of Nagomi Town:
-- start quote --
If you would like to visit Kanakuri Sisou museum,
I suggest to visit on next Sunday. On 10th February, the town has SAMURAI festival, 肥後国衆まつり。 http://www.tabirai.net/s/sightseeing/column/0008316.aspx
If you visit that day, you can enjoy both.✩°｡⋆⸜(˙꒳˙ )⸝
-- end quote --
熊本県玉名郡和水町（なごみまち）で、2019年2月10日（日）に開催される「戦国肥後国衆祭り」。田中城を舞台として巻き起こった和仁軍と豊臣軍との約2カ月に及ぶ壮絶な戦いを再現した県内唯一の祭りで

Here's a video about Nabegataki Falls, complete with English subtitles. It's a video on Kumamon's YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjlxrKtnopg
-- Kirk
P.S. Here's an article about the start of Kumamon's YouTube channel.
くまモンTV #10「くまモンを探せ！鍋ヶ滝編！ 」( Kumamon TV #10 )
※이 영상은 한국어 자막으로 안내하고 있습니다. 설정버튼에서 언어를 변경해 보실 수 있습니다. ※影片有繁體中文的字幕。觀看之前，請您先從設置功能設定為繁體中文語言。 ※Cette vidéo peut être vu en sous-titre français. Choisiss...

Here's another useful bit of information from Kuma Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/2222958014622499?__tn__=-R
This one should be of particular interest to people who prefer vegetarian food.

-- KIrk

A note from the Kumamoto International Desk of All Your Base Are Belong to Us (open 24/7): Our friend Matthew informs us of a Kumamoto Branch of Gaijin Gaming Brothers, which translates and publishes English info about Smash Brothers events throughout Japan. Recently an organizer in Kumamoto started a weekly Smash Ultimate meet up.
Matthew says, "Hello everyone! Myself and a few friends run a group called "Gaijin Gaming Bros" (GGB for short) and we publish information about Smash Brothers events happening in Japan in English. Recently, a tournament organizer in Kumamoto has started a weekly Smash Ultimate Meet Up at a Game Bar, and there is a semi-regular tournament series that happens in Kumamoto as well. The weekly Smash Ultimate Meetup happens every Wednesday. No pre-registration or anything is required for the weekly. The tournament series (called "Higobura") is happening this weekend (Feb 10) and on Feb 23.
Feb 10 tournament: https://gaijingamingbros.com/higobura-sp-1
Feb 23 tournament: https://gaijingamingbros.com/higobura-sp-2
The tournaments are both full at the moment, but you can register as Interested and some participants might cancel.
I hope this lets you guys get out there and connect with the local Smash scene!"
More info specific to Kumamoto can be found at the link here: https://gaijingamingbros.com/?fbclid=IwAR3G-Fp9eXsnh-Z2GOoiw5f6-mmOPbs5p7UrQG-58TuA66mhmXyZG2dlm6Q Thank you, Matthew! - William
Higobura SP #1 - Gaijin Gaming Bros - Super Smash Bros Events in Japan
A tournament with 20+ people to be held in Kumamoto City. Only 1000 yen for entry, don’t miss this chance to test out your Smash Ultimate skills in a competitive environment.

Oda Eichirou (尾田栄一郎) is an artist and director best known for his phenomenally popular animated series "One Piece." Oda was born and raised in Kumamoto, though he now lives in Tokyo. A Higokko made big, he is quite honored in his hometown - for example, a statue of one of his characters now graces the entrance to Kumamoto Prefectural Hall.
Kumanichi reports that a pop-up One Piece-themed cafe will run at Tsuruya for one month starting from 2/6. (Disclaimer: My son, also a Higokko, works in Tokyo for the movie company which produces One Piece. He tells me that Kumamoto is being looked at as a future base for animation.) - William
復興応援「ワンピースカフェ」　熊本市にオープン　 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
人気漫画「ＯＮＥ ＰＩＥＣＥ（ワンピース）」の世界観を楽しめる「ワンピースカフェ」が６日、熊本市中央...

We've already discussed the site (Men no ishi) recently:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2369400659800019
I'm introducing this page, however, because it has lots of details about the area that the article I introduced last time didn't.
-- Kirk
A Purr-fect New “Power Spot” for Kumamoto
Men no Ishi, a precariously balanced stone at the mouth of a cavern in Minamiaso in Kumamoto Prefecture, used to attract visitors from around Japan. But in 2016, a pair of strong earthquakes dislodged the rock, revealing in its place the silhouette of a cat that now attracts a whole new wave of visi...

Our neighbor to the west, Nagasaki, hosts a Holland-themed amusement park, Huis Ten Bosch, which recreates the Netherlands by displaying life-sized copies of old Dutch buildings. This is a nod to the Dutch trading post Dejima, notable as the sole official location of international trade during the Edo period. As a survivor of Disneyland employment, I'm theme-parked out. Everyone I know who has visited Huis Ten Bosch has said the only thing to do there is shop, further dampening my enthusiasm. But these two articles have tindered a flame of interest.
Scientists in Europe have developed a low-price, flexible solar material called perovskite solar cells, and the only place it's been deployed in Japan is Huis Ten Bosch. In fact, the park has been designated as one of the six "next-generation energy parks" by METI. It generates 4MW of green power, more than enough to operate the park; the surplus is sold. Here is a link to the park: https://tech.nikkeibp.co.jp/dm/atclen/news_en/15mk/062502187/ and to the technology: https://tech.nikkeibp.co.jp/dm/atclen/news_en/15mk/123002587/?ST=msbe Maybe this will facilitate my phobia of theme park recovery. - William

By and large, tectonic activity raises our archipelago as we're on the receiving side of several subductive plates. The process is not uniform, though, as subsidence may create localized cavities. My house sits atop a minor fault, and I've watched as its western side has subsided and noticed subsidence on area roads. This can be dangerous for drivers and pedestrians as large holes can appear quite suddenly.
Kumanichi reports that the two companies the Transportation Ministry had hired to inspect roads had done a lousy job so has hired a third company which has created an ingenious way to detect these cavities. First, a vehicle equipped with ground-penetrating radar (chichyuu reda, 地中レーダー) will sweep an area; if anomalies are found, a crew will conduct a more thorough investigation and repair the damage before the road falls through. Look for these around town. (Note that the radar mark resembles the poo poo emoji.) - William
熊本市内の国道下空洞、大幅増か　国交省、異例の再調査 ｜ 熊本日日新聞
国土交通省が熊本地震後の２０１６年に熊本市内の国道で実施した路面下の空洞調査で、地中に当初の調査結果...

Here's a story about a local man who is very good at folding leaves: oriha (this not origami). Ah, I feel a song coming on . . .
"The folded leaves are on his desk top
The folded leaves, of many shapes
I see a sheep, and there's a lion
How can he do it, with dried up leaves"
If you get this joke, you're probably a jazz fan. Here's Nat King Cole's version of the original song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnp58oepHUQ
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201901230007.html
Take a leaf out of this artist's book on molding nature’s bounty：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--In early winter, when leaves come falling down, Yoshihiro Watanabe's world changes.It is t

The announcement that I'm sharing is in Japanese but you don't need language skills to enjoy good pottery -- Shodaiyaki, to be specific. The dates are as follows:
2/6(水)〜2/11(月・祝) 10:00～17:00(最終日は16:00まで)
That's Wednesday to Monday, closing an hour early on the last day.
The venue is the Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center:
https://kumanago.jp/en/spots/detail/430000001521.html
There's a Google map on the Japanese page.
Admission is free.
-- Kirk
https://tankuma.com/event/shuntousai-20190202/?ref=fb20190202&fbclid=IwAR20a_ZmiwVhuDyvtdAJQPNCb4VUa4Wrbg9auQhnNnZO6OXmqf7MpeYPWMU
【ART】第七回 小代焼春陶祭
国指定の伝統的工芸品である小代焼11窯元の合同展示販売会。特別企画や、福袋の数量限定販売も！

Here's one of many worth-while articles from Kuma Visit. If you haven't "liked" the page already, I recommend it. I'm not always able to share the posts.
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/2220970928154541?__tn__=-R

There was a major hate speech rally in Kumamoto today. I was completely unaware that such an event had been planned until I saw these
pictures posted by friend and Kumamoto International participant Otis McCulloch. (Thanks Otis!)
I did a little research and learned that this was the real deal, so to speak. This even was coordinated with another one in Shinjuku, Tokyo that occurred simultaneously. It was led by none other than Japan's most infamous hate monger, Makoto Sakurai:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makoto_Sakurai
Here's a YouTube video of Sakurai spewing invective today in Shinjuku:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDE8LL7TWYs
Start viewing at about 43:45 to hear Sakurai's hate speech. At 45:40 or so he mentions the connection with today's demonstration in Kumamoto. At 46:10 he says 朝鮮人を叩き出せ (beat Koreans out of Japan!). I thought that he was going to try to uphold a superficial pose of criticizing the government of Korea but, in resurrecting this slogan, he affirmed that he is still an unabashed purveyor of hate toward people of Korean ancestry in Japan.
There were warnings in Japanese and English about this event as planned for Tokyo:
https://twitter.com/hashtag/0203NoPasaran?src=hash
---- Quote starts ----
DATE & TIME: Feb 3, 2019 (Sun) 13:00
GATHER AROUND: Shinjuku Central Park (Shinjuku Chuo Koen)
TARGET: Anti-Korea Demonstration by Japan First Party
CALLED BY: Counter-Racist Action Collective
Counterprotest against hate march held by racist JFP.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government enacted anti-discrimination ordinance last year but it was just for show for forthcoming Olympic games. Meanwhile Shinjuku ward office decided to stop issuing rally permissions in all the parks it runs except Shinjuku Central Park. The decision is also made for purpose of reducing hate speech rallies in Shinjuku but has obviously derived no effect at the moment.
And now Japan’s worst and ugliest hate mongers, Japan First Party are planning rally and march just in front of Metropolitan Government building. All we should do is to show Mayor Koike and officers what happens as a result of their omissions. No Pasaran.
[ATTENTION]
・The march does'nt go straightforward from the park exit. It will turn left or right just after the start.
・Take subway Oedo Line for your swift move to Shinjuku station area.
・Beware of violent right wingers under screen of antifascist crowd (see pictures above).
--- Quote ends ---
http://crac.jp
I wasn't able to find much about the event in Kumamoto, however.
I think it's interesting that the media seems to be ignoring this. Neither Otis nor I have been able to find a Japanese news report, much less anything in English (admittedly, it's probably too soon for English but Japanese should be pretty quick). On the one hand, I know from experience that the Japanese media tend not to want to give these folks the publicity they seek. Part of my sympathizes with that sentiment but, on the other hand, I think that citizens have a right to know what has happened in their communities and why. As Otis has pointed out, Japan has an anti-hate-speech law that one might expect to preempt such rallies:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_Speech_Act_of_2016_(Japan)
Citizens have a right to know who approved the rallies and why. And why was Kumamoto the partner site? Perhaps because other communities said "no"? That's something else I think Japanese citizens have a right to know about. For these reasons, I'm troubled by the idea that the "silent treatment" is the best approach.
-- Kirk
P.S. Here are some Japanese announcements about the event here in Kumamoto:
https://ameblo.jp/doronpa01/entry-12436280081.html
http://www.koudouhosyu.info/kyusyu/scheduler.cgi?mode=view&no=144
Now I see that they were trying to connect this to Setsubun, today's holiday, but suggesting that Koreans are devils and that Setsubun is the day when devils must be exterminated (鬼退治).

Here's a nice article about Johnny Depp playing Eugene Smith in Minamata, Kumamoto.
Thanks to Kuma Visit for introducing this article:
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/2223098447941789?__tn__=-R
-- Kirk
https://deadline.com/2019/01/johnny-depp-minamata-bill-nighy-weugene-smith-1202546395/?fbclid=IwAR1khFkdnNapJ7KskHpqo9_XSXUSZnRIp-r3Y3wGCj8NmtElOlCwI-td6wg
First Look At Johnny Depp As Photographer W. Eugene Smith In ‘Minamata’; Bill Nighy Joins Cast
Principal photography has begun on Andrew Levitas-directed feature Minamata starring Johnny Depp as celebrated U.S. photographer W. Eugene Smith. The production has released a first look at Depp. B…

Here's a little something about an exhibit that is in progress at the Contemporary Art Museum in Kumamoto.
https://hypebeast.com/2018/12/takashi-murakami-bubblewrap-contemporary-art-museum-kumamoto-exhibition
After you see the exhibit, if you're in a mood for more bubbles, you may wish to consider the bubble tea that Oliva introduced last month:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2302660859807333
The two venues are very close to each other.
-- Kirk
Takashi Murakami Explores Traditional Japanese Art Movements in "Bubblewrap" Show
Practices that spurred his 'Superflat' practice.