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An earthquake of M4.4 registering 5 on the Japanese scale occurred today, 1/26, centered in the northern Kumamoto Prefecture town of Nagomi. This follows a M5 which occurred there on 1/3. Apparently, it rattled pretty much everything but didn't cause anything to fall off shelves. I suspect unknown faults exist in the area. - William

Our friend Yoshiko Toyama has contributed this breathtaking photo of the Sakitsu Catholic Church (崎津教会), built by French priests in 1934.
The church is situated on a complex series of bays in southern Amakusa, the outer of which has the unusual name Youkakuwan (羊角湾 - "goat horn bay"), and the inner, Hayaura (早浦). "Ura" might be best translated as "estuary." In the 1970s, a plan to dam Hayaura and convert it to farmland was killed by incensed fisherman. The plan was similar to that which befell Nagasaki's Isahayawan (諫早湾）, but with 400 years experience concealing their Christianity, these are not people to mess with.
The warm Kuroshio Current interacts with cold northern winds to create fog. A park on the opposite side of Youkakuwan provides an excellent photography site. If you have a car and a tent, a few days poking around the area is highly recommended. (You probably won't need the tent; some local will invite you inside.) Below: Toyama-san's photo and a satellite view. - William

This article about Men no ishi, which fell as a result of the 2016 quakes, can also be read in Japanese. (There's a link at the end of the article.)
-- KIrk
The Story of Kumamoto Mountains' Lucky Cat | JAPAN Forward
The Escape Stone may have fallen, but this fortune-bringing "Lucky Cat" is now looked upon as a talisman bringing good fortune to the local area.

The Sunday night 8:00 PM NHK drama regarding Higokko (肥後っ子、scion of Kumamoto) and pioneering marathoner Kanakuri Shisou (金栗 四三) has me thinking of the Higo dialect.
My wife, who lived in Kyoto for a decade, speaks beautiful Kyoto dialect, which is considered the standard in Japan, but she is also a Higokko and can rock that dialect with the best of them. When I hear her on the phone, what type of person she's talking to (business? local friend?) is immediately apparent. As such, she's enjoying the TV show for its use of the Higo dialect.
The dialect differs by northern (more akin to Hakata) and southern (more akin to Satsuma) and is marked by pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical characteristics. I've picked up a few phrases and use them to the delight of the locals. If you can read Japanese or have a friend who can instruct you, a primer is here: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%86%8A%E6%9C%AC%E5%BC%81 - William

Here's some agricultural news. Since the article says that truffles grow wild in Japan, I was curious to find out what they are called here. The only Japanese name I could find was the katakana for truffle: トリュフ
https://academist-cf.com/journal/?p=2717
I found a couple of other academic articles
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23055170?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/msj7abst/61/0/61_19/_pdf
but as far as I can tell, truffles of this type have not been part of traditional Japanese cuisine.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201901140004.html
Researchers look for ways to bring Japanese truffles to luxury market：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--It's a little-known fact that truffles grow wild in Japan.But at least one researcher here

Japan has a pro basketball league. Kumamoto's team is called the Volters (disclaimer: my daughter once served on their cheer squad). They're not ... good in the sense that they tend to pass the ball through the hoop less frequently than their opponents. But they are good in the sense that they're nice guys and try hard. As such, they're a perfect Kumamoto team.
One non-Japanese team member, Australian Josh Duinker, recently spoke before a group of high school students at a seminar on human rights. He said that many shy away from speaking to him in English as they're worried about their language skills, and that sometimes hurts his feelings, and that Japanese should approach communication with non-Japanese speakers to the best of their ability without concern of mistakes.
What a sweet guy. And he's tall. - William
(Note: It's been pointed out that Josh is from Australia, not America, and the post has been corrected. Perhaps that's one reason for his inability to be understood; I've had several Australian friends and could only understand about half of what they were saying.)
外国人と恥ずかしがらず話そう　熊本市で人権教室 - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This Kiji
長嶺中の生徒に「恥ずかしがらないで」と訴えるジョシュ・ドゥインカー選手（左）＝熊本市東区　外国人の実体験を聞く人権教室が２３日、熊本市東区の長嶺中であり、男子プロバスケットボール・熊本ヴォルターズのジ...

A notice from the Kumamoto International Students Network. Please inquire if you are interested -- even if you are not a university student.
-- Kirk
http://consortium-kumamoto.jp/rn/en/2019/01/11/［kumamoto-unesco-association］looking-for-noh-workshop-participants-on-feb-11th-2019/
［Kumamoto UNESCO Association］Looking for “Noh” Workshop Participants on Feb 11th, 2019
  Try and enjoy the "Noh" performance at the workshop       Noh is a traditional Japanese …

When I saw this headline, I was hoping that Kumamoto might be in the "where to go instead" category but no such luck. If the castle is a traveler's main interest then, granted, this is may not be the best time. But I think there's a lot to enjoy here besides the castle.
-- Kirk
Ten destinations to avoid in 2019, and where to go instead
If you're planning a trip for 2019, these are the places to consider avoiding…

Kawachi (河内) is a small port on Ariake Sea nestled north-east of Mt. Kimpo which is Japan's second-largest nori producer. Nori and nice views are the reason it deserves a visit. The north side of the port contains several processing plants which remind me of the tortillerias of my hometown: raw nori is captured in square frames of 19x21cm, sent by conveyor through an oven, gathered by hand, and packaged.
The resulting product is sold by auction. Kumanichi reports that this year's bid was 15 yen 40 sen per sheet (１５円４０銭). "Sen" is a currency unit equivalent to an American cent - 1/100th of a yen - commonly used pre-war but obliterated in post-war hyperinflation; it's cute to see it still in use, though they'll have to round up or down the number as 銭 currency no longer exists. Kawachi produced 74,380,000 sheets of nori valued at 1,146,000,000 yen. I assume these numbers have been rounded.
Kawachi has almost no tourists, so if you visit, the residents are quite welcoming. Sunny winter days are a nice time. Drop by a nori factory and they'll let you wander about and will likely leave you with a fistful of still-hot samples. If you are carless, a direct bus is available from Kotsu Center. - William
https://this.kiji.is/460413813181301857?c=92619697908483575

This image is from a segment on an RKK news show that was broadcast on 1/10 (January 1st). The 1/10 date was used as an occasion to talk about the 110 phone number which is intended to be used to report accidents or crimes to a police call center. On this segment they were saying that, even if the person who answers the phone is not able to speak English, there are always interpreters who are on call. So, if you have something to report, don't let concerns about a language barrier stop you.
-- Kirk
P.S. I reported in a post a few years ago that, even if they can't understand what is being said, they can identify your position and come to help:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/1071565039583594/?type=3&theater
Perhaps the situation has improved and the interpreting service has been added. That's good but I wonder how they are getting the word out to foreigners. I only learned about this via a Japanese TV report about a talk given to 4 students at Kumadai.

Joe Tomei here. Folks may be interested to have a peek at the digitized documents at the Kumamoto Prefectural Library (found at https://www2.library.pref.kumamoto.jp/index.php?page_id=231) As an example of some of the things you might find, here is a listing of all the foreigners passing through Kumamoto in Meiji 29 to Meiji 30 (1869-1870)
https://www.library.pref.kumamoto.jp/DigitalArchives/komonjyo/kumamotokenkoubunnrui/mokoa18/mokoa18-24.pdf
Still working my way through this, but it gives you an insight into Japanese bureaucracy, that you have them keeping a list of the names of foreigners who visited 150 years ago.
貴重資料トップ - 熊本県立図書館　くまもと文学・歴史館

Tickets are still available but they may not last much longer:
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/01/9b129f2486be-rugby-world-cup-heading-toward-complete-sell-out.html
-- Kirk
Rugby: World Cup heading toward complete sell-out
A day before tickets for the 2019 Rugby World Cup go on general sale, organizers reveal that a number of games have technically sold out

Spare a thought for the Japanese serow. Its classification is difficult as it's one of the most ancient of mammals, closer to goats and sheep than cattle but neither. In Japanese, it's referred to as "nihonkamoshika" - always in katakana, but the kanji is revealing: either 氈鹿 - "rug deer" due to it's long fur (it's not a deer), or 羚羊 - "goat that can live in the cold," (it's not a goat) or, as seen below, 氈羊 (pay attention - this will be on the test). It dwells in dense, mountaintop forest. The serow is a symbol of Japan and, though hunted almost to extinction, is now making a comeback.
Kumanichi reports several serow sightings in Takamori. Let the serow multiply! - William
https://this.kiji.is/460277906854265953?c=92619697908483575

Here's a notification I received via e-mail about various consultation services provided by Kumamoto International Foundation at the Kumamoto International Center in downtown Kumamoto:
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/kcic/default_e.asp
The e-mail says "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]"
----------------------------------
2019/1/20
. KIF Information
1. Legal advice and consultation (Feb 16th)　
This legal advice and consultation is having every third Saturday of the month.
Appointments must be made by the morning of the day before.
2. Visa advice and consultation (Feb 6th )
Residence qualifications/requirements-related consultation.
Date: First Wednesday of the month 2:00pm-4:00
3. Mental Consultation for Foreigner (Feb 10th )
If you have something worry about in your mind, you can talk with professional counselor!
Date: Second Sunday of the month 1:00pm-3:00pm
Kumamoto International Foundation
Multicultural Affairs Office (2F)
(TEL) 096-359-4995(9:00～20:00)
(e-mail) [email protected]
*Please visit the Multicultural Affairs Office (2F) at Kumamoto City International Foundation (Kumamoto City International Center) in person if you have trouble speaking Japanese.
TEL: 096-359-4995 (9:00 to 20:00)
Email: [email protected]
KIF Japanese Classes Information
Kumamoto City International Center

Even those only superficially acquainted with Japanese literature (me! - those more well-versed please contribute below) are aware of the famed poet and novelist Natsume Souseki (夏目漱石, 1867-1916). One might imagine him as a sort of Mark Twain in kanji. A favorite story of his begins, "I am a cat," although the kanji used (吾輩は猫である, `Wagahai wa neko de aru') lends an immediate glimpse into the philosophical nature of this feline.
Though Tokyo-born, he (Souseki, not the cat) began his career lecturing English at Kumamoto University and wrote many of his earliest, most influential pieces here. Apparently, his house supported up to 100 cats, and a TV show I just watched discussed that many of the stray cats in the Kokai area are likely of that lineage, similar perhaps to Hemingway's house on Key West. The cat further introduces himself, "I am akin to a Persian, of lacquer-like fur gray mottled with yellow." (「吾輩はペルシア産の猫のごとく、黄を含める淡灰色に、漆のごとき斑入りの皮膚を有している」`Wagahai wa Perushia-san no neko nogotoku, ki o fukumeru tankaishoku ni, urushi nogotoki fuiri no hifu o yūshite iru'。) Recently, a stray of that description has abruptly settled in my neighborhood. It's fanciful to consider him as a descendant of that famous Souseki cat.
The street in front of Kami Kumamoto Station is known as "Wagahai Street" (吾輩通り）in honor of this story. It contains many statues and sculptures of cats and one of the author himself. See the link below for photos. Cat lovers, bring your camera. - William
熊本の猫スポット！夏目漱石ゆかり「わが輩通り」の猫オブジェ｜熊本といえば近年はくまモン人気の勢いに凄いものがありますが、夏目漱石の処女小説「吾輩は猫である」にちなんだ「わが輩通り」は、可愛い猫オブジェ...

The vast, treeless expanse of Aso reminds me of the Mediterranean climate hillsides of my California hometown, but the cause is quite different: that in the latter case is lack of water, while in the former, annual burns. The burns not only remove desiccated grass surface to allow their surviving roots to flourish but also kills of any saplings. Without the burns, Aso would be a forest unsuitable for grazing.
This year's burn is scheduled for Saturday, 2/9. It is scheduled to begin at 13:00 and may continue for as long as 12 hours but is conditional on the weather. If you've never experienced this, you should. Various events are held in the evening of this day; readers' suggestions would be appreciated. More pix at the link. - William
https://www.facebook.com/Aso.project/?__tn__=kC-R&eid=ARC4NgZGksLaKjaoRjW_nGoWz6OMlju9oO7R1MYDz9jVCQirYYTz9jJQLTa1KRiW5HO1BQh306XK5RFs&hc_ref=ARTAvvnpeGmRgqKRNe7sKQ8kmbBpb1oMCQmcPjyKJAmso3DUak7-uz5e6IeS5dpA-as&fref=nf&__xts__[0]=68.ARCPwnLvxWC4bC2EqnoQ8-9t8cVezP_xoFfQt370iCsUkjLc8wdRp2E3ub9wmkBuPLQntxh6JcbmeyQhh_prvNXldJT-cXDlLhGJxImdjw_dZpKykoj7NKjgGrednQnfrUbS_hFYseHZzszx7BcjhkEA2CfaLAisHZORrSuqr-b25fJ6fFwbRMiE4iXy8Q24TaaFrkbvOVzGt1JFKxbT0cFThOtVnVjoeskxjBI5UVb8eH--p8n8sf3SR2nC0iMYRd1rQ0nGtNIwyeuExZx-xks83nKJ8CcgSuF-kDPRnegmV_2X6y5qBT1REfbpuyly1izb4W-7exs3Hqwchj5XePaWCrcpE0mIkcQdR262mNqfGGCorPxgMTfclT0

It was only a matter of time before Honda's Super "Cub" and Kumamon got together:
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190119/p2g/00m/0bu/061000c
-- Kirk
Kumamon-themed Honda Super Cub motorbike to go on sale - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO, Japan (Kyodo) -- Honda Motor Co. will release this summer a new version of its iconic Super Cub motorcycle featuring Kumamon, the now-ubiqui

Olivia here,
There is family movie event organised by the Tran’s family in Kikuchi.
Details below:
Freezing Free Movies with Friends!
Stay warm at an outdoor beer garden above
Uncle Kei's Bodega in Kikuchi.
〒861-1322 熊本県菊池市玉祥寺１３８−２７
The popular Kikuchi BBQ spot has been tented and warmed up with heaters to enjoy a unique movie and dining experience with family and friends.
Kikuchi's Culinary Cinema Sunday kicks off with two classic movies, one for the kids and kids at heart and the other for the adults not faint of heart.
100% FREE DOUBLE FEATURE!
5:30-7:00 PM Happy Feet in Japanese with English Subtitles
This is a kids movie about penguins.
7:00-9:00 PM The Thing in English with Japanese Subtitles
This is NOT a kids movie. This is a classic horror movie that is very scary and will give your kids nightmares about Antarctica!
HUNGRY?
Bring a bento or
1000 Yen(Adults)
600 Yen (kids)
for all you can eat homemade chili, spaghetti, fried chicken and healthy stuff to keep you warm or grab
a few candies, chips, or other snacks at the store below.
600 Yen - rent a BBQ with coal, grille, and tongs
You can also bring your own meat and veggies to grille with
cheap BBQ rental.
THIRSTY?
Draft beer 500 Yen Bottle Liquor 300 Yen and Up
Soft Drinks, Juices, Can Coffee 130 Yen and Up

Located within a 5 minute walking distance from Yakushiyu Onsen, a local public onsen that costs only 300 Yen to warm your cold aching body before or after the movies.
164 Nishihazama, Kikuchi 861-1685, Kumamoto Prefecture
Spread the word, invite your friends and RSVP by January 21st, Martin Luther King Day at 10pm.
Don't be left alone in the cold!
Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 5 PM – 9 PM

Address:
〒861-1322 熊本県菊池市玉祥寺
１３８−２７
Contact person: Huy Tran

According to this article, Kumamoto is being hit particularly hard by the flu:
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005488378
-- KIrk
Number of flu patients tops alarm level
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The number of influenza patients per medical institution in Japan exceeded the alarm level of 30, which suggests an outbreak of the disease, in the week through Sunday, the health ministry said Friday.

One thing about curating this page and the mailing list that preceded it that has been interesting for me is learning about the wide range of pursuits that members of the Kumamoto International community are engaged in. Naturally, many native speakers of English are involved in language teaching, but the range of occupations and avocations extends way beyond that: Agriculture, sword making, mortuary science, music (both performing and teaching), athletics (competitive paragliding), and publishing are just a few that come to mind.
In regard to that last category, writing books, the work of Seán Michael Wilson has been introduced on this page several times in the past:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134/1361220970617998/?type=3
In this post, I'd like to introduce another local author who has recently agreed to become a Kumamoto International editor: Tristan Vick. The Chronicles of Jegra (see link) is just the most recent of an astounding number of publications on Tristan's Amazon page. Many of his books are fiction but Tristan is also a non-fiction author who has written and edited books about atheism and other topics.
For people like me in academia, a certain amount of publication is mandatory. Since a number of the participants in this page work at local universities, it's no surprise that a complete list of publications by local authors who are also Kumamoto International participants would be fairly long. I think it's interesting, though, that there are also people in town who are doing impressive amounts of writing and publishing outside of academic venues.
In this post, I mentioned Tristan and Sean, but I didn't intend to slight any other local author who is also deserving of mention. So, if you could help me out by mentioning such an author (self-nomination is welcome) in a comment, I would appreciate it.
-- Kirk
https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Jegra-Gladiatrix-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B07LB8S3WD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547864447&sr=8-1&keywords=tristan+vick
The Chronicles of Jegra: Gladiatrix of the Galaxy
Making here a slave to the arena was their first mistake. Underestimating her will be their last.Aliens abducted her and sold her into the Intergalactic Gladiatorial Syndicate. Now, she's fighting for her life on an alien world where she is reborn as JEGRA, Gladiatrix of the Galaxy!When the r...