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This article comments on the Shinkansen ride between Kumamoto and Fukuoka. I would agree that it's a very comfortable (and, of course, speedy) way to travel. When I travel to Tokyo, I often go by Shinkansen if I can. The ride between Kumamoto and Fukuoka is particularly good.
-- Kirk
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a high-speed train - Khmer Times
Van Roeun got on a high-speed train in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture and was amazed at the precision, Japanese practicality and safety.

Sorry for the gruesome news but I thought those of you in the Yatsushiro area might want to know. The last line . . . "Police are treating the case as a suicide or the result of foul play or an accident" . . . seems to be so broad as to be meaningless. The sentence would make more sense if it read "At this point, the police have no idea whether it was a suicide, homicide, or an accident of some kind." -- Kirk
Kumamoto: Charred corpse found on vacant land | TokyoReporter
Kumamoto Prefectural Police have launched an investigation after a charred corpse was found in Yatsushiro City on Friday

A note from the Well, Ya Learn Something New Everyday Desk: turns out there are two recognized volcanic belts in Kyushu: that running through the center of the island, called the Kirishima Belt, and that running along the west coast, called the Hakuzan Belt. Aso is clearly a creation of the former, but the origin of Unzen and Kimpo is more obscure. Interaction between the belts is possible. Addendum: there was a M3.1 in Nagomi again at around 18:30 tonight. - William

Manga lovers!
This may have been mentioned on this page before but I was either unaware or had forgotten that Kumamoto is the home of an international manga festival. Here's the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/kkmangasai/
And here's the page for the 2018 winners:
https://www.manga-audition.com/smaex3-2018award/
If you would like to submit an entry for the 2019 award, here's the site:
https://www.manga-audition.com/sma11-silent-manga-audition-round-eleven-2019-march/
-- Kirk
http://smacmag.net/v/smaex3/to-the-sky-by-zevania-and-nattorin/?lang=en
To The Sky | SMA-EX3 Kumamoto Winners

The southern tippy-toe of Kyushu had an M4.2 earthquake at around 15:30 today. Two interesting points: it was very deep, 110KM, compared with the more common shallow quakes of 10KM we usually get; and it was on the volcanic belt that arcs southwest - northeast, bisecting our island. No idea if there's any relation to the recent Nagomi quake, but stay on your tippy-toes for a bit just in case. - William

Question for readers: A friend has both foreign and international drivers licenses but wants some practice before venturing out on Japanese roads (good idea!). Does any of our readers have recommendations of where and how this can be done? - William

Some Kumamoto Castle news (including a video) from late last year:
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201812280032.html
-- Kirk
Kumamoto Castle’s fortified curved stone walls rise again：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--Curved stone walls at Kumamoto Castle that once thwarted enemy attackers but fell victim t

Looks like disasters make the birth of a boy less likely than that of a girl, including in Kumamoto:
"A study published in August this year by Misao Fukuda at M&K Health Institute in Kariya, Hyogo, looked at births in areas hit by events that caused extreme stress. They included Hyogo Prefecture, after the Kobe earthquake of 1995; Tohoku, after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daichii power plant; and Kumamoto Prefecture, after the 2016 earthquakes. It turns out that nine months after such disasters, the proportion of male babies born in those prefectures dropped by 6 to 14 percent.
What’s going on here? Perhaps sperm carrying the Y chromosome are more vulnerable to stress, or the male embryos themselves are more vulnerable. No one knows the answer. We also don’t know why, by the way, that even under normal conditions there is an inequality in the number of babies born of each sex: on average 105 boys are born for every 100 girls."
-- Kirk
2018 in science in Japan: Climate change, space exploration and water bears | The Japan Times
In casting an eye back over memorable science and environment stories from Japan in 2018, it is impossible to ignore the extreme weather that hit the count

We got a big scare with the quake last night. Fortunately, however, its direct impact was not as severe as the "level 6 lower" shindo level seemed to indicate. Nonetheless, NHK spend a lot of air time (way over an hour) providing continuous coverage (which I think was mostly national). In this case, it turned out to be overkill, but I support the "when in doubt, err on the side of caution" approach.
Ultimately, it seems like the people who suffered the most as a result of the quake this time were those who depended on the Shinkansen to travel between Fukuoka and Kumamoto.
Of course, this quake could wind up being a prequel to a more serious one -- as happened in 2016. So, it's better not to assume that we have heard the last from Mother Nature in regard to this matter. I'm relieved, though, that last night, at least, it wasn't as bad as it might have been.
-- Kirk
No deaths, no houses toppled from big quake in Kumamoto：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--No fatalities, one injury and only minor damage to buildings were reported in a strong ear

Joe Tomei here, this is a translation of an announcement I received concerning the recent earthquake, just in case anyone is wondering
——-
Regarding the earthquake occurred on 1/3 at kumamoto pref.
There are no damage report from hotels and other tourism facilities.
Kyushi express way and other transportation ( bus train air) are operating normally.

This for anyone in the Nagomi area.

Has anyone signed up for the Kumamoto International Foundation's (or the International Center's) "Disaster and emergency e-mail information" service? Actually, I attended planning sessions about this so I should know about it but I neglected to sign up in advance. Now, when I go to the foundation's web page, I can't figure out how to sign up:
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/default_e.asp
If any of you signed up earlier and are receiving information about the most recent quake, could you please share it here? Thanks!
-- Kirk

Here's an English-language newspaper report. I'll post links to other articles as comments to this post.
-- Kirk
Powerful earthquake jolts Kumamoto in southwestern Japan - The Mainichi
TOKYO -- A strong earthquake jolted Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan on Jan. 3, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Kumamoto International participate Atsuko Furue shared the following information for people near the epicenter of the quake:
"和水町防災連絡
自主防災避難所を中央公民館(旧菊水町)と三加和公民館(旧三加和町)を解放されました。
For victims who wants to escape from earthquake in Nagomi town.
Now 2 Evacuation centers are opened
One is at Tyuou Kouminkan at Kikusui area,
One is at Mikawa Kouminkan at Mikawa area."
Thanks Atsuko! You're ahead of the Nagomi Town website. I suspect that they are sending information out via e-mail but I think updating the website is also important at times like this because not everyone has signed up for e-mail notifications in advance.
-- Kirk
http://www.town.nagomi.lg.jp/kinkyu/pub/Default.aspx?c_id=13

From the Kumamoto International Desk of Rattling (moved a few centimeters to the south due to recent events): an earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale and six on the Japanese scale occurred with its epicenter at Nagomi-machi, in northern Kumamoto. That's a rather strange place for a quake and makes me worry about tectonic activity moving under the Ariake Sea north.
Emergency services are calling for care as this may be a preshock. In particular, secure items which may cause fire or which may fall on your head. - William

Personal note: my daughter is back in town with California boyfriend in tow. He'd done some basic research which piqued his desire to deck out in hakama for photos at Suizenji, and this led us to a most delightful shop, Wa Collection Mito, located steps away from the park's gate. There, males and females can choose kimono (including footwear), be dressed and photographed, and be let loose so clothed for the entire day, all for 2,600 yen. Their service was very impressive. For out-of-towners, the experience is highly recommended. English Website follows. (Please don't tell my daughter I posted this - she'd kill me.) - William
http://www.wa-collection.jp/english/

Happy New Year! If you have an hour or two of free time and want to challenge yourself with some crazy puzzles... Escape from Britz is open again from January 3rd until the end of the month. You'll need a team, ideally 3-6 players (post in the comments if you want to get a team together). No physical skills or prior escape room experience required. Although there are some English language word puzzles, the game can be played by speakers of any language and is family-friendly. It costs 1000 yen per adult/500 yen for children and there's still a prize on offer for the first team to complete the game in under an hour. The record stands at 1 hour 3 minutes. 20% discount if you send the answer to the puzzle below when you make a reservation (please don't post the answer in the comments!) The game is based inside my classroom at Britz English School in Onoue, Higashi-ku. Parking available, and it's just a few minutes walk from the Kuwamizu streetcar stop. Visit the Escape from Britz Facebook page to make a reservation. Also check the page if you're interested in playing boardgames or quizzes as there will be some events coming up later this month.
Fiona

Ozu has many high-tech fabs, but it also has the little Honda scooter factory that could. The only scooter factory Honda operates in Japan, it was shifted to China in 2012 but repatriated in 2017. To celebrate their 60-year anniversary of Kumamoto production, Honda announced a Kumamon-themed scooter. It's got Kumamon colors, Kumamon medallions here and there, and even a Kumamon key fob, and comes in 50 and 110 CC versions. You'd be the envy of your friends if you had one. - William https://this.kiji.is/452607374416708705?c=92619697908483575

Olivia here, Blessed New Year 2019!!
This is “メガトン” (read: Megaton), one of GreenLand Amusement Park Ride in Arao, Kumamoto.
We brought our family to the park few days back and I had the opportunity to ride it. It was a quick ride but I’m glad I tried.
I am thankful that Japan has long holiday in this beginning of year so I can spend more time with my family.
This is the website of Greenland amusement park in Arao.
http://www.greenland.co.jp
We spent great time there. I will write more about my experience in my future posts.
-Olivia-

Joe Tomei here with a Happy New Year's greeting and a stand-up comedy event invitation. It's at Jeff's World Bar, a notable landmark downtown. Details are here.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2331925870210918/