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Kumamoto has an unfortunate history of false convictions for murder. The first, and most famous, to be reversed was the death sentence of MENDA Sakae. Details about Mr. Menda's case can be found at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakae_Menda
Mr. Menda is still alive and I think he is living in Omuta City, just north of Kumamoto Prefecture. Here's the address of a lengthy article in The Indepedent about his ordeal:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/i-spent-34-years-on-japans-death-row-1787340.html
I'm glad that Mr. Miyata (pictured) is likely to be exonerated, though it has taken far to long to get to this point.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201812200053.html
Court expected to acquit man who served 13 years for murder：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--A man who served 13 years in prison over the murder of his friend in 1985 will likely be a

Joe Tomei here, I'd like to pass this on to the list, it is a workshop on performance/improvisation for teaching. It will be conducted in Japanese, but there are a number of people whose Japanese is good enough and I think that it would be great for improving your Japanese as well as getting to know some of the Japanese teachers of English in town. If you do go, please feel free to share a report here.

The latest edition of YOKA is available for your perusal -- or, you can just "read" it, if you prefer. :)
The following URL contains links to this and earlier editions of the journal, which is publish in pdf format:
http://kumamotojet.com/shin/index.php/the-yoka/
-- Kirk

Urban Dictionary defines "creepshot" as "A picture taken, generally of a woman, without her knowledge or consent."
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=creepshot
I looked this up to try to figure out how best to translate "tousatsu" (盗撮), the crime for which Associate Professor Tohru Nakamura of Kumamoto University (mathematics) has been arrested, into English.
Now, if you search for "盗撮" on Google, articles about Prof. Nakamura's arrest come up first. One article has the ultra creepy phrase "I liked little girls" (「小さい子が好きだった」) in the headline.
Nakamura has been accused of surreptitiously recording a smartphone video in an onsen facility of a little girl who was with her father. According to the media reports, the video was recorded in the men's changing room, after the little girl had taken her clothes off in preparation for bathing.
When the police investigated they found many pictures of young girls on Nakamura's computers and, apparently, the mathematician has admitted to a certain fondness for little girls.
-- Kirk
https://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/20181219/tro18121917280007-n1.html
http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/15763306/
　大阪府警浪速署は１９日、大阪市の温泉施設で女児を盗撮したとして、府迷惑防止条例違反などの疑いで熊本大大学院先端科学研究部、准教授の男（４２）＝神奈川県鎌倉市＝を書類送検した。「小さい子が好きだった。...

Lafcadio Hearn was your typical English-Irish-Greek mixture: that is, his affinity for Edgar Allen Poe came from actually living the life of a Poe character (he spent much time smelling of a barn, and even worse: a stint in New Orleans). He was a lifelong wanderer and eventually washed up on Japanese shores, marrying a Japanese woman, Koizumi Setsu, and fathering a son, Kazuo. His lifelong talent at polyglot literature lent him unique ability to describe Japan, then inscrutable to most Westerners. One such book, available free at Gutenberg, is "Glimpses of an Unfamiliar Japan" - http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8130/pg8130-images.html - which he finished during the three years he spent teaching English in Kumamoto (1891-1894), but, of course, he's most famous for his collection of Japanese folktales, Kwaidan - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm .
An entertaining Facebook site, Yokai Attack!, posted a user's photo of Hearn's New Orleans residence. Search and you'll find a scattering of residences he used during his time in our town. - William

Here's some news about a new Kumamoto-Korea connection.
-- Kirk
T'way adds routes to link Daegu with Hanoi, Kumamoto
SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- T'way Air Co., a South Korean budget carrier, said Thursday it has added new routes linking Daegu to Hanoi, Vietnam, and Kumamoto, Japan, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen its f...

Olivia here,
Perhaps some 町 goers (machi goers; city goers) are familiar with Kumamoto own Bubble tea.
KUMAMOTO Milk Tea
Combination of Kyoto famous 宇治茶 (うじちゃ) (Uji Cha) and Kumamoto’s own らくのうマザース (RakunoU milk, the one that most supermarkets sell), this brand has its shop at Carino, second floor in Shimotori.
It’s famous among students and sweet drinks lovers.
I tried Milk Kurozato (Japanese black sugar) Pearl drink. There was no tea in it. The milk amount was tremendous.
I wish to try the green tea with pearls for my next visit.
If anyone has tried other flavours, please feel free to share your feedback in the comments 😃
I am sharing my own Facebook page in the link too where I wish to share more interesting finds while I am in Kumamoto.
https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Personal-Blog/Kumamoto-and-Beyond-699941546778813/
この間友達が教えてくれたKUMAMOTO MILK TEA。
台湾で人気のパールミルク茶のお店が熊本にも出来ました。少しネットで調べたところ、今年の5月にはオープンしていたようです。夕方は学生さんでいっぱい！行列ができる人気店です。
ミルクとパール、黒糖のコンビネーションを頼みました。ミルク感たっぷりでした😅
今度行くときには宇治茶入りを頼んでみたいと思います。

A note from the Kumamoto International Desk of Thatched Rooves (merged with that of Thatched Roofs due to spelling disagreements). Kumanichi reports that Kumamoto has scored another internal export market: thatch. A cooperative in Aso, Greenstalk, has begun supplying thatch to customers centered in Kansai. Apparently, a unit of thatch is called a "sheaf" of a determined weight of 0.00666666667 short tonnes (or tuns, or tons), which I don't understand either, but seems to be 6.67 kilograms. Some industrious people in Aso raked up 20 tonnes (or tuns, or tons) - 20,000 kilograms - of thatch for what are likely very heavy Kansai rooves (or roofs). Word has it that 150 sheathes make a tonne (or tun, or ton), so that would be about 3,000 sheaths (or sheaves). It seems that one tonne (or tun, or ton) covers about 4 squares, or 37 square metres, of long straw thatching, so this works out to about 740 square meters of rooving (or roofing). And Aso is 20 tunnes (or tuns, or tons) lighter. - William
阿蘇のカヤ商品化へ　関西中心に屋根ふき替え需要見込む - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is
カヤの商品化に向け、刈り取ったカヤを束ねる作業を体験するボランティアたち＝１７日、阿蘇市　公益財団法人阿蘇グリーンストック（阿蘇市）は、関西を中心とするかやぶき屋根のふき替え需要を見込み、阿蘇地域のカ...

Here's a video introduction to Kumamoto for rugby fans.
-- Kirk
Rugby World Cup Japan city guide - Kumamoto | RugbyPass
The next stop on our Japanese Rugby Wolrd Cup host city guide is Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu.

This was national news for Japan a couple weeks ago. Since it's a national tradition, I guess it's not surprising that it's practiced here too:
"In this video from Kumamoto, on the southwestern island of Kyushu, a man dressed as a namahage enters a home during setsubun, traditionally the day before the start of spring and now observed each year on February 3.
In some parts of Kumamoto, a namahage visits the household, terrifying the young children. Part of the setsubun tradition all over Japan involves children throwing roasted soybeans at a family member wearing an ogre mask, but in Kumamoto children can throw beans at someone wearing the full ogre costume from head to toe, appearing to be the “real thing”."
Personally, I have mixed feelings. Generally speaking, I'm glad to see traditional culture valued and preserved. On the other hand, the kids seem to be truly terrified by these encounters and that gives me pause.
Yours truly,
Conflicted in Kumamoto (otherwise known as "Kirk)
Terrifying folk rituals from Japan added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list · Global Voices
The demons enter homes to scare children until being placated with sake. In other variations of the ritual, the demons will chase children through the streets to scare them.

Acid Mothers Temple is playing at Navaro this Thursday 12/20. Navaro is located near the Kamitori shopping arcade.If you are into psychedelic,space rock or Kraut influenced Japanese rock then these guys are definitely for you. They have been around the world quite often and probably have a bigger foreign draw than a domestic one. You can find more info on their Facebook page. Here is a live video of them playing in Mexico City.
Acid Mothers Temple Boiler Room x NRMAL Live Set
→ AUDIO HERE: http://blrrm.tv/5Vp2NF → SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: http://blrrm.tv/YouTube → And go to boilerroom.tv for the best of underground music: videos,...

This is somewhat old news by now, but, since we don't seem to have covered it here on this page, I'll go ahead.
First, here's a little blurb from the article:
"The statue of Luffy, raising his fist into the air, was erected to support post-quake reconstruction and also to celebrate the prefectural people’s honor award given to Eiichiro Oda, the author of "One Piece," who is from Kumamoto."
I happened to job by well after dark on the weekend the statue was installed, even at night, quite a few people were there to admire it.
-- Kirk
Luffy of ‘One Piece’ goes ashore in heart of Kumamoto：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--Luffy, of the Straw Hat Pirates gang, has sailed back to the hometown of his creator, offe

South-eastern Kyushu was a convenient place for Europeans to surreptitously slip into Japan at a time when entering in an obvious manner would ensure you'd never leave. The Amakusa archipelago was an obvious place for such landings, and in the mid-16th century, a Portuguese doctor by the name of Luís de Almeida arrived to bring what what was then modern medicine and along with it Christianity. One might imagine how the locals conflated the scientific method and this new religion.
Time went on, and the Christians were driven underground in the mid 17th c., and then they were allowed to practice openly again in from 1873, and the locals immediately erected a small church which was later enlarged with the help of some French guys in 1880 to become the present Sakitsu Church (崎津教会). The area surrounding the church is called the Sakitsu Shuraku (﨑津集落), which in its entirety is a World Heritage Site. "Shuraku" is an interesting term as it is similar to "village"(村) but might be better translated as "commune." Most locals' ancestry traces back to time immemorial, and they tend not to be shy in sharing this.
Kumanichi reports that the commune received their first snowfall of the season today. The article also reports that the weather is cold, a fact I can judge by how far out of the futon my dog thrusts his nose. I would recommend waiting til spring for a visit - but visit you must. - William

Our friend Stuart Iles had attatched in a recent post comments section a most excellent article he had written about Kumamoto Castle, and, afraid some would miss it, I have linked to it below. - William
Kumamoto Castle, Kyushu.
Kumamoto Castle is still one of the most impressive castles in Japan. It is one of the big three which also includes Osaka castle and Nagoya castle. Feudal lord Kato Kiyomasa (we will learn more a…

Important to understand Kumamoto Castle is its evolution. When Kato Kiomasa was gifted the fief, a castle already existed called Chiba-Jo. This was a much smaller fortification built during the Onin Era (a decade of violence from around 1467 to 1477, when two claiments for emperor ripped the country apart). At that time, the center of power was in Kikuchi, and the Kikuchi clan ordered that a fortificaton be built to protect Fujisaki Shrine, which was then where the baseball stadium is currently located. Kato built on this to create what we consider the castle today.
During the Seinan War, the area of the Chiba Castle began to be used for administrative purposes; it was later handed off for facilities of NHK and JT (Japan Tabacco). However, as Kumanichi points out, only 56 of the casle's maximum extant of 98 hectares are recognized. As these companies have vacated their premises,Kumamoto is intent on restoring this ancient section of the castle. The first step is to obtain reckognition of national historic significance; the second is to obtain funding from the central government for restoration.
I often jog around the more far-flung edges of the castle and enjoy their primitive state and quietness. Both my children were born on rainy spring mornings alongside ancient castle walls which remain unprotected. The maximum extent of the castle, indicated by blue lines and including Chiba Jo, can be seen at the link. This project, though quite long-term, is of great historical importance. - William
【熊本城のいま】千葉城　中世の「隈本城」か - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is
千葉城地区の熊本西年金事務所。敷地内に「宮本武蔵の旧居跡」の標柱がある。年金事務所の写真奥が旧ＮＨＫ熊本放送会館　熊本城の旧城域の東側に位置する千葉城地区。熊本市は６日、この地区について今後国の特別史...

Long ago, during the Edo era, the sankin-kōtai (参勤交代) system required that either the local lord or his wife be present in Edo at all times - y'know, just in case. The Higo (Kumamoto) lords made this trip by travelling overland to Bunzen (now Oita) and catching a boat, kind of a long trip overland, and the route still exists. It passes by a spot known as Sanrigi (三里木) - "trees at the third ri.".
Here, the matter of "ri" 「里」 becomes a bit complicated. It is a unit of distance, but in China, the kanji indicates 500 meters, while in Korea, it's about 400 meters, and in Japan, the same kanji indicates a distance of 3.9km, meaning that Sanrigi is about 11.7 kilometers from the castle - a good place to take a snack break. Currently, the area is popular as the gateway to the Hikarinomori shopping mall.
The reason I mention this is that JR and Kumamoto Prefecture are looking into rail service to the airport, and three stations on the Bizen line are being considered: Sanrigi, Haramizu, and Ozu. The candidate Sanrigi station would include a stop at the KK Wing area. JR is willing to pump money into this. Access to the airport is easy for me as I live downtown and can bus, but for those in that burgeoning area of Kumamoto, access is currently nil. Kumanichi has data at the link. - William
豊肥線空港延伸三里木ルート、県試算で380億円　JRにも負担求める - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is
　熊本県は１２日、熊本空港（益城町）へのアクセス改善策として実現を目指すＪＲ豊肥線三里木駅からの分岐・延伸について、概算事業費を約３８０億円とする試算を明らかにした。既存路線の増収が見込まれるＪＲ九州...

We are having the local NanKyu JALT Chapter Conference together with JASAL (the Japan Association for Self Access Learning) at Sojo university tomorrow If you are interested, please come on by!

Kumanichi offers two interesting statistics. One is that there are 45 political entities in the prefecture comprised of towns, wards, and villages; I assume that this number does not include the prefecture itself. This has always struck me as excessive: Kumamoto's massive city hall, within a short trolly ride from the more massive prefectural hall (two buildings!), should be a symbol of government waste.
As one ascends the flanks sloping up towards Aso, where the automotive and hight-tech companies are located, one will notice a plethora of staffing company offices whose mission is to enable local companies to employ workers with zero benefits or job security. The second statistic Kumanichi reports is that such disposable workers now make up almost one-third of the Kumamoto workforce.
This problem is not limited to Kumamoto; it has been ongoing nationwide for quite some time. One may wonder why the excessive number of public employs enjoy job security and benefits unavailable to those whose labor actually benefits the prefecture. - William
非正規職員、３人に１人　熊本県内４５市町村 - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is
　熊本県内４５市町村職員に占める非正規職員の割合が、今年４月１日時点で３分の１に上ることが１２日、熊本日日新聞社のアンケートで分かった。厳しい財政状況下で正職員数を抑える一方、地方分権やニーズの多様化...

The Kumamoto Animal Welfare Center (Kumamoto Doubutsu Aigo Senta - 熊本動物愛護センター, reknowned throughout Japan for its no-kill policy) is facing a quandry over surplus kitties. Kumanichi reports that its capacity of 32 felines has swelled to 80 (58 adults and 22 kittens), with surplus mousers being caged in spaces meant to isolate infectious pets. The increase is attributed to "cat hoarding"; cases in which the center has taken custody of over ten cats has recently numbered three, with one managing to accumulate an astonishing 26 pusses, about 24 more than anyone really needs.
Nueter or spay your pet - and if you adopt one from the center, that procedure will have been complete. Tabbies make wonderful Christmas presents. Contact info is at the link. (Pictured below: option to cats, also available.) - William
http://doubutsuaigo.hinokuni-net.jp/index.php

If you're ever out driving and don't pull over to ask for directions because that's more embarrassing than accidentally ending up in Hokkaido (hey - it happens), drop by Biei-cho to see the Blue Pond (Japanese, aoi ike, 青い池), whose photo, which might make a good Christmas card, won an award from National Geographic. Below is the artist's description. Google it for more fascinating photos. - William
"Japan’s Blue Pond in Biei-cho, Hokkaido, has become very famous for attracting tourists from around the world. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and trees. This pond, frozen during winter, was artificially made to prevent river contamination from the nearby active volcano, Mount Tokachi. The accumulated pond water contains high levels of minerals, such as those containing aluminum. The alluring view of the blue pond can take one’s breath away. To make this image, I made the exposure longer to capture the way the snow was falling. At the same time, I lit up the strobe for a moment to capture the snowflakes that are reflecting in the foreground. I took as many photos as I could and chose the one I thought had the best balance of the falling snow and the unfocused snowflakes. I wanted to express how time is created in just one moment and, by tying together these moments, history is made."