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Kirk here. As the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 approaches I'd like to take a moment to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to making Kumamoto a comfortable place to exchange information and ideas -- especially the editors who have been putting their valuable time and energy into the care and feeding of the page. I'd also like to offer a few thoughts about how to deal with trolling and other unwelcome behavior. Finally, I'll make a small request for support for those of you who can bear to read this entire post.
Thankfully, Kumamoto International is a fairly peaceful site. Occasionally, however, individuals engage in troll-like behavior (insults, comments intended to provoke and/or irritate, etc.). I know from experience that, as the Mercury News article indicates, various factors can lead otherwise good people to engage in such behavior but, nonetheless, as one of the editors of this page, I think it's important to show a yellow flag when such behavior becomes apparent. If I'm lucky, the person who has made a comment that I deem to be inappropriate will respond in a civil way, either by accepting my admonishment or by defending the original comment without going ballistic. Predictably, however, people who have already begun to engage in troll-like commenting don't always respond in a measured way.
A few weeks ago, a Kumamoto International participant insulted another participant and, when I called him out on it, began to aim his insults at me instead. When I insisted that the real problem was not his relationship with me but his use of a slur against another Kumamoto-i participate, he disengaged from our discussion, wrote a bad review of the page, and, as far as I can tell, left:
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.marshall.5036459/posts/10156503506915973
In response to his review, I pointed out that it was proceeded by his being called out for insulting another participant. Although I feel I've made plenty of mistakes in handling confrontation on the internet in the past I think (or, at least, hope) that I handled things more-or-less appropriately in this instance. So, I'm happy for others, even people who are new to the page, to look at our interaction and see that participants may be called out for rude behavior. On the other hand, I'm a little sorry to see that the bad review succeeded in putting a big dent in the average rating of Kumamoto International.
This is where I'd like to ask a favor. If you generally approve of the way that Kumamoto International is being run (including but not limited to my response to this individual), would you be so kind as to give us a good review and help us bring up our numbers? You don't need to respond to the bad review -- just rate the page yourself. Thanks!
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/07/why-good-people-become-bad-trolls/
Why good people become bad online trolls
In certain situations, anyone — even ordinary, good people — can become an aggressive troll, changing their online behavior in radical ways, new research shows.

Rebuilding Kumamoto Castle's walls has been a marvel of innovation, technology, competence, and efficiency. After the quakes, all available photos from ancient to recent were scanned into a purpose-built program which identified the precise location of each stone based on shape. Each was then identified, numbered, and laid out so that it could be replaced.
Kumanichi reports that this process has been completed both for the Iidamaru Turret (that famous for dangling precariously on one leg of cornerstones) and the Main Keep, the latter of which involved 790 stones. The Lesser Keep, with 2,400 stones aloose, was reconstructed by last July. Work now continues on interior and exterior fixtures, but the scaffolding has been removed.
In these dark days, it is nice to see someone doing things right. - William
熊本城、威容再び　大天守の石垣積みなおし完了 - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This Kiji
石垣の積みなおしが完了し、被災前の威容を見せつつある熊本城の大天守＝２７日、熊本市中央区（小野宏明）　熊本市は２７日、熊本地震で被災した熊本城天守閣や飯田丸五階櫓［やぐら］の復旧工事を報道陣に公開した...

A follow up on the Kumamoto Animal Center (kumamoto doubutsu aigo center, 熊本動物愛護センター) cat conundrum. As previously mentioned, their standard cat capacity of 32 was overwhelmed by a feline tsunami, bringing the number under their care to 86 (57 adults, 29 kittens) and threatening to end their renowned no-kill policy. Fortunately, due to publicity, adoptions have totaled 35 this month, providing the facility wherewithal to postpone euthanasia decisions to next year.
In particular, geriatric cats await adoption. These are the best type of cats as they're relatively non-destructive, preferring instead to find your favorite sweater and sleep on it all day. (This is the least disruptive type of cat behavior.) If you're in the market for an experienced mouser, call 096-380-2153 or mail [email protected] . - William
命つながった…殺処分、年内は見送り　熊本市動物愛護センター - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This Kiji
県外の飼い主へ引き取られる前に、動物病院で診察を受ける保護猫。左から２人目が「チームにゃわん」の梅崎恵美子代表＝２５日、熊本市中央区　保護猫の数が収容の限界を超えたとして、殺処分を検討していた熊本市動...

New Years (oshougatsu, お正月) in Japan is time for spring cleaning, known as "susuharai" (すす払い) - literally, "sweeping away the soot". It's part religious. My wife has been cracking the whip. On one hand, I've found things far more disturbing than soot; on the other, I'm 853 yen richer (loose change - hint: volunteer to clean under the sofa). Another hint is that garbage collectors now tend to turn a blind eye towards improperly output items. Just don't push it.
Shrines and temples at this time are ritually cleaned using a long stalk of young bamboo called "aodake" (青竹), and the "ema" (絵馬 - votive slabs of wood often featuring horses) are removed by miko, or shrine maidens (巫女) to be disposed of by fire. Kumanichi reports on such bustling activity at Aso Shrine. A senior priest (apparently one rank below chief priest and called a "negi" - 禰宜 - which is an awesome kanji) noted that full reconstruction of the shrine's main two-storied gate ("roumon," 楼門), a National Treasure destroyed in the quakes, is expected to commence early in 2019, so if you want to view what remains of current ruins, now is your last chance. - William
https://this.kiji.is/450629342918886497?c=92619697908483575

Apparently, there's a "Miss Kumamoto" pageant. I'm not interested in "Miss" things unless they're followed by "-ter Donuts," but I gave the article a look. The winner was a 20-year old from Uto, Tanoue Chika, close in age to my daughter. She's now our representative to the "Miss Universe Japan" pageant, a name which only makes sense if you really understand Japan.
Miss Tanoue studies ballet in Tokyo and was quoted as saying, "I didn't understand the attractiveness of my hometown until I left it, something I want to convey." My daughter will return soon from her California college with American boyfriend in tow; she can't wait to be home. You can take the girl out of Higo but never the Higo out of the girl. Photo: Ariake mudflats with Miss Tanoue in the foreground. - William
ミス・クマモトに田上知佳さん　宇土市の大学生、日本代表目指す - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is
ミス・クマモトに選ばれた宇土市在住の田上知佳さん。大好きな場所という御輿来海岸の干潟景勝地で＝宇土市　女性たちが容姿や内面の美を競う「ミス・クマモト」に、宇土市の大学生、田上知佳さん（２０）が選ばれた...

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. The picture you see is of the lights in front of the Saishukan Building in Obiyama, near my home, and was taken from the following site:
https://matome.naver.jp/odai/2138430826785947901/2138430835986038703
In addition to lights in front of their Obiyama offices, Saishunkan used to put on an extremely impressive display on the way to the airport, but, as far as I know, that has been discontinued. For other illumination options, check out this "best illumination in Kumamoto" site (in Japanese):
https://illumi.walkerplus.com/list/ar1043/
Kirk

Kirk Here. I'd like to follow up on William's post about the recent tsunami in Indonesia. I saw a TV report that emphasized the fact that the tsunami in Indonesia was not preceded by an earthquake. It was hypothesized that the event may have been caused by a collapse of a flank of Krakatau, as happened in Kumamoto in 1792. Here's a Wikipedia description of that event:
"The 1792 Unzen earthquake and tsunami resulted from the volcanic activities of Mount Unzen (in the Shimabara Peninsula of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan) on 21 May. This caused the collapse of the southern flank of the Mayuyama dome in front of Mount Unzen, resulting in a tremendous tsunami, killing 15,000 people altogether. It was also called Shimabara erupted, Higo affected (島原大変肥後迷惑), (Shimabara means the central mountain of the Shimabara Peninsula) since many people were killed by this tsunami in Higo (Kumamoto Prefecture, situated 20 km away across the Ariake Sea)."
Recently, it has become clear that, indeed, the Indonesian tsunami was caused by such a collapse:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-24/what-caused-the-indonesian-tsunami/10665790
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1792_Unzen_earthquake_and_tsunami
1792 Unzen earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia
The 1792 Unzen earthquake and tsunami resulted from the volcanic activities of Mount Unzen (in the Shimabara Peninsula of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan) on 21 May. This caused the collapse of the southern flank of the Mayuyama dome in front of Mount Unzen, resulting in a tremendous tsunami, killing 15,...

Reports arrive on a tsunami in Indonesia caused by Krakatoa that has left scores dead. I'd recently watched this video of the 1883 eruption which postulated an interesting theory. Most super-volcanoes, such as that which created the Aso caldera, achieve such explosive velocity due to water drawn down by subduction, heated to supercritical temperatures, then flashing into steam when a smaller eruption relieves pressure on the magma chamber. The theory for Krakatoa was that the upper magma chamber was connected to a much deeper one, resulting in a flood of magma from the mantle that blew the island away. The video is worth a look; not just Aso but many other nearby volcanoes are active or dormant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrEIT66oPqU&t=4479s
Our thoughts go out to the victims in Indonesia. - William
Krakatoa - The Great Volcanic Eruption
Subscribe to Naked Science - http://goo.gl/wpc2Q1 Every other Wednesday we present a new video, so join us to see the truth laid bare... Docudrama about the ...

The Art Blakey festival happens this Sunday once again at the versatile Navaro live house. It’s an all day event featuring some of Kumamoto’s most popular bands like Do It Science(art/indie rock)to the Spazzmatics(Black Flag influenced Japanese punk). There are also several out of town bands or artists and one of my faves is Marron. Marron hails from Kyoto and plays a mixture of art flavored King Crimson progressive rock to Santana Latin flavored grooves.I gotta work all day and so I will miss this event. By the way the Acid Mothers were pretty good but I could hardly enjoy them because I messed up leg(Bonenkai shenanigans)!http://navaro.info/home/schedule/1223sun-art-blakey-fes/ Jay Onyskin
今後の イベント – 12/23(SUN) ” Art Blakey Fes 2018 “ – NAVARO
・THE RATEL(東京) ・bed(京都) ・marron aka dubmarronics guest dr.mizman from spooky(京都) ・ウサギバニーボーイ(広島) ・KyEO(鳥取) ・shiNmm(山口) ・藤井邦博(小倉) ・ナルコレプシン(福岡) ・ネネカート(大分) ・ZOKUDAMS(鹿児島) ・No edge(鹿児島)...

Kumamoto Zoo has reopened most of its animals’ exhibits.
Here is picture of Japanese Racoon dog (ホンドタヌキ)
-Olivia-

Japanese for whatever reason love running; they also love team sports. Thus, the "ekiden" - a long-distance relay - was invented. Premier is the Hakone Ekiden (箱根駅伝), a two-day race from Tokyo to Hakone in Kanagawa and back whose teams consist of university students of five legs each held on 1/2 and 1/3. It is broadcast in its entirety, so prepare your kotatsu and mikan.
The race was founded in 1920 by man named Kanakuri Shizo (金栗 四三 ), born in 1891 in Nagomi, a village in northern Kumamoto, but who is often associated with Tamana, where he attended school. He is best known as the Father of the Japanese Marathon (日本マラソンの父, as seen in the photo below), and he has a fascinating story.
Having set a marathon world record of 2:32:45, Kanakuri was selected as one of the only two athletes that Japan could afford to send to the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. His journey, requiring a ferry and the trans-Siberian railroad, left him so exhausted that he dropped out of his race, being cared for by a farming family before returning to Japan without notifying race officials due to embarrassment. However, in 1967, he was contacted by Swedish Television and offered the opportunity to complete his run. He accepted and completed the marathon in 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 20.3 seconds, which remains the longest marathon time in history. Kanakuri remarked, "It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren." His story is a lesson of eternal persistence.
The popular NHK program held from 8:00 PM Sundays, "Taiga Drama", will take up his story from January, and in celebration, Kumamoto has emblazoned his figure on the free shuttle busses which circle the castle. And if you want to impress your Japanese friends, remind them that the "KK" of "KK Wing" stands for "KanaKuri."- William
金栗大河ドラマに合わせラッピングバス　来月１２日から無料で - 熊本日日新聞 ｜ This kiji is
来月１２日から玉名市内を無料で循環する、金栗四三などを描いたラッピングバス＝玉名市　熊本県玉名市ゆかりのマラソンランナー金栗四三を描く来年のＮＨＫ大河ドラマ「いだてん」の放映に合わせ、市内を無料で循環...

Coming to the Contemporary Art Museum . . .
-- Kirk
Takashi Murakami Explores Traditional Japanese Art Movements in "Bubblewrap" Show
Practices that spurred his 'Superflat' practice.

Welcome to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year! The good news is that daylight will from now extend (tomorrow's daylight will be two seconds longer than today's - not a lot, but you take what you can get); the bad news is the extension will initially accumulate in the evening, leaving mornings dark and frigid. And it will get colder. But we've turned a corner. - William
Sun & moon times today, Kumamoto, Japan
Time for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset in Kumamoto – Japan. Dawn and dusk (twilight) times and Sun and Moon position. Takes into account Daylight Saving Time (DST).

A student of mine brought this year-old news to my attention. Some 80% of Japanese igusa (the rush used to make tatami) is grown in Yatsushiro. However, a combination of igusa imports from China and a drop in demand for tatami as Japanese increasingly opt for wooden floors has put local growers on the mat, so to say.
A growing option is alternative uses for the grass. One some entrepreneurial locals baked up is edible chopsticks. Apparently, they're crunchy and make a good dessert. Mainichi has more, including ordering info for those behind on Christmas shopping. - William
Done with dinner? Have your chopsticks for dessert - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- Who needs to worry about wasteful disposable chopsticks when you can eat them once you're done? With pairs of edible chopsticks developed

I've been catching up on news recently and realized, belatedly, that the Dalai Lama was in Kyushu. Sorry I couldn't give you a heads up in advance:
"The Dalai Lama will perform a religious ceremony Thursday in the southwestern Japan city of Fukuoka for the victims of a deadly earthquake that hit Kumamoto in 2016 and this year's series of deadly natural disasters in western and northern Japan."
-- Kirk
Dalai Lama urges China's "approach that corresponds to reality" over Tibet issues
The Dalai Lama urges the Chinese government to take a realistic approach toward Tibet during a speech in Tokyo.

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