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Toyo Kezai magazine published their annual ranking of what they call 「地元愛」、which might be translated as "love of hometown" - or, better, an identifier of one's primary identity. As seen at the link, Kyushu scored high, with Fukuoka #1, Kitakyushu #5, and Kumamoto #9 out of 21 major cities; in terms of pride in one's hometown, Kumamoto ranks #7; and in terms of recommended living, #10.
Unfortunately, there was no question regarding mascots; conversely, fortunately, there was also no question regarding city council. Easily readable tables (Japanese) are at the link. - William
発表！全国21都市｢市民の地元愛｣ランキング | 街･住まい
自分が暮らすまちや生まれ育ったまちに愛着や誇りを持つこと――いま、こうした「市民のプライド」や各都市のイメージに対する注目が集まっている。それは、市民のプライドが高まることによる効果として、自治体関…

For those of you who can understand Japanese and would like to gain some insight into "lozengate" (the weird goings on that led to the punishment of Yuka Ogata), I strongly recommend these videos. There are all of the same program (divided so as to meet Facebook's data restrictions):
スッキリ[デ]のどアメなめて登壇…熊本市議が出席停止/本人を直撃!!
http://www.ntv.co.jp/program/detail/21872486.html
The program was broadcast Wednesday morning. If you are feeling down about the kind of inflexibility shown by the city council members, this show should renew your faith in Japanese common sense. The commentators are much more bothered by the attitude of the majority of the council members than by Ms. Ogata's choice of cough suppressant. Also, whereas many media reports tend to skim over the surface so that it's hard to know what really happened, this one provides enough detail, including lots of video of what went on in the city council chambers, to give you a clear idea of how things really developed.
One city council member uses the tired cliché of the council chamber being a "sacred" space in justifying their action against Ms. Ogata. You can see in the video, however, that many men are heckling her in a manner that no one would mistake for sacred chanting. ;) Ms. Ogata comports herself throughout the affair with much more dignity than do the hecklers.
At the very end of the program, the main announcer bemoans the lack of flexibility demonstrated by the politicians in power. Blame for 8 wasted hours and an disproportionately heavy punishment is put at the feet of the politicians -- not Ms. Ogata. I also like the fact that the video ends with a good deal of laughter at the ridiculousness of the city council's actions. Sometimes laughter is the most appropriate response. (If only SNL in the United States would do a skit about this!!)
The sound is not very good. The video was recorded by merely pointing a smartphone at a TV. However, if you use earphones or speakers, you should be able to hear everything.
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/100002017792457/posts/1943111262432781/

Here's a nice message to me from friend-of-this-page Atsuko Furue:
"Please share our information about YWCA bazaar and halloween party for kids and international friends.They will also have cooking activity.
We hope many guests come to join us.✩°｡⋆⸜(˙꒳˙ )⸝"
-- Kirk

Fiona here. I'll be running my homemade escape game again this weekend at my classroom in Onoue, Higashi-ku. If you're interested in playing, get a team together (3-6 players is ideal) and contact my via the Escape from Britz page to reserve your time.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=742988316043700&id=737968626545669

A note from the Kumamoto International Desk of Oddities (merged with that of Everyday Occurrences as they've grown impossible to distinguish):
Another weekend coming up! Odd how that seems to happen every week. And another typhoon coming! Odd how this seems to happen every weekend.
This guy goes by a few names. Japan only counts typhoons which form in the west Pacific, so it's No. 25. The U.S. Navy counts all (there's one in Cabo San Lucas now sending tasty waves to my hometown), so it would be No. 30; the U.S. also, for some reason (maybe an affinity for pets?) gives them names, so it would be "Kong Rey." I can't find the etymology, but the name sounds scary.
It will pass through the Tsushima straights and likely won't be a big deal, but typhoons passing to the west often have greater impact on Kumamoto, so take care. Below is an image of its expected course as well as a video of a bro from my hometown who got, like, so pitted (an example of why, no matter how well you master English, you'll never be able to communicate with the surfer culture in LA). - William
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2h1VprIBpE

Kirk here. As is apparent from my recent posts on this page, I've been thinking about the city council issue a lot lately. In off line conversations I've had, the idea has come up that part (but, of course, certainly not all) of the hostility shown to Yuka Ogata by her colleagues in the city council may stem from her experience outside of Japan. If you check out her Wikipedia page, you can see that she has studied at George Mason University in the U.S. and then "was an officer in the Yemen office of UNDP."
Most of the internationally-minded readers of this page probably see her foreign experience and ability to use English as something that is positive and admirable. However, it seems that such an assessment is not universal. In fact, there's even a derogatory word in Japanese for people who have been abroad and flaunt that experience: Kaigai kabure (or "gaikoku kabure").
Now, I'm not saying that Ms. Ogata has flaunted her foreign experience. But it has been suggested to me that the very fact that she has spent a considerable chunk of time outside of the country may have heightened feelings of antipathy for her.
It's not hard to find evidence of a general dislike of so-called "gaikoku kabure" types. There are many, many web pages and YouTube videos about the topic. For example,
https://girlschannel.net/topics/1447573/
https://girlschannel.net/topics/1215773/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jb7JhDJhXI
I'd be curious to know if Japanese readers of this page agree with the idea that Ms. Ogata's experience abroad may be making some of her colleagues just that much more hostile to her. Thanks in advance.
https://culture-talk.com/2018/02/12/【留学あるある】海外かぶれした日本人の特徴５/
【留学あるある】海外かぶれした日本人の特徴５つ。 - Culture Talk Blog
「留学へ行く前は典型的な日本人だった。でも短期留学を経て海外…

All of that wonderful publicity Kumamon has done for Kumamoto flushed down the drain. Huffingtonpost Japan reports on how lozengegate has gone international with an article titled "Inflexible Society" - "Yūzū ga Kikanai Shakai". (Japanese but English-language comments and links.) - William
のど飴をなめながら質疑したことを理由に、緒方夕佳議員が退席させられました。

Here's an ironic look at the cough drop scandal
https://www.therisingwasabi.com/kumamoto-councilwoman-ejected-from-hearing-for-using-mouth-to-speak-out/
-- Kirk
P.S. Thanks to Suzanne Hayasaki for the heads up.
Kumamoto Councilwoman Ejected From Hearing For Using Mouth To Speak Out
Kumamoto City councilwomen Yuka Ogata, 43, an assembly member who attracted attention last year for bringing her newborn son to the assembly, has been ejected from the municipal assembly hall during a plenary session of the city council for using her mouth to speak out. Male members of the chamber s...

Kumanichi reports that, as of November, 13,314 households remain in temporary housing. In principal, this housing was made available for two years; last year, usage was extended for an additional year, and yesterday, the Prefectural government extended it a further year for those under two conditions: whose homesites are permanently damaged (liquefaction was stated as a cause); and who are unable to afford funds to rebuild, conditions (sadly) met by 7,746 households. As for the latter, Governor Kabashima was quoted as saying he'll investigate availability of reverse mortgages "without a moment's delay." Considering it's been three years since the quakes, one might hope so, but a reverse mortgage on a now-worthless piece of land belonging to a person too elderly to start over doesn't help much.
This does mean that housing for about 50% of the population will be terminated from next April. Below is an image of how they've been living. - William
熊本地震の仮設入居期限、さらに１年延長　最長４年に | 熊本日日新聞 - This kiji is
県内最大の５００戸超が立ち並ぶテクノ仮設団地＝２０１８年４月、益城町　県は１日、熊本地震の被災者が入る仮設住宅の入居期限をさらに１年延長して最長４年とすると発表した。延長は昨年に続き２度目。２０１９年...

Joe Tomei here, I've just received this notice for a program (in Japanese) that may be of interest to some folks here. I met one of the speakers, Adam Fulford, last month. Please direct inquiries to the email listed on the handout.

The Guardian has published a detailed article on Ogata Yuka's case. I think it is quite good -- much more detailed and accurate than the Japan Times article.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/01/japanese-politician-thrown-out-of-meeting-for-sucking-cough-drop-yuka-ogata-breastfeeding-row
-- Kirk
Japanese politician thrown out of meeting for sucking cough drop
Yuka Ogata, the councillor at the centre of last year’s breastfeeding row, rails at ‘outdated attitudes’

Our hearts go out to the victims of the quakes and tsunami in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Methods to provide aid are provided via the Jakarta Post link below.
Of geological interest was liquefaction (Japanese - "ekitaika" 「液体化」). This can happen during quakes where the water table is shallow and is of concern in Yatsushiro and certain areas of Kumamoto City. A rare video of its effects was captured, showing buildings sliding as if on slime or simply being swallowed by the earth, available at the second link. A friend recently asked for advice on purchasing a house regarding earthquake faults; I answered that those are unavoidable but to be careful of the soil type. - William
http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/09/30/how-you-can-help-palu-earthquake-victims.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-hRPnHZhGQ
How you can help Palu earthquake victims
Humanitarian organizations have extended a helping hand, accepting donations in the form of funds, goods and volunteer work. Here is the list of organizations through which you can offer assistance to the Palu and Donggala earthquake victims:

The Japan Times has picked the issue up:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/30/national/kumamoto-municipal-assembly-kicks-female-member-sucking-cough-drop-session/
One correction: Ogata didn't refuse to apologize. She refused to read that the humiliating 'apology' that the leadership demanded that she read.
-- Kirk
Kumamoto Municipal Assembly kicks female member out for sucking on cough drop during session | The Japan Times
Should cough drops be allowed or not? That is the question that took center stage in the Kumamoto Municipal Assembly on Friday, forcing it to suspend delib

Now that the typhoon's passed, the insects are getting on with their imperatives. Let's discuss crickets (of the family tettigoniidae, or "kirigirisu" 「キリギリス」, a rather cute name), known in Japanese as "kourogi" ( コオロギ) - but it's one of those weird words that have multiple kanji（蟋蟀、蛬、蛩、蛼）- memorize any to amaze your Japanese friends, who probably know none.
For cricket guys, this season means continually shouting "I'm here!" in a voice they hope gals will find more attractive than that of that schmuck beyond the shrub. This all makes for a delightful symphony of lust.
Males may create noise as the bottom of their wing is covered with ridges, and the upper surface acts like a scraper. When crickets rub the upper and lower parts of their wings together, they create a chirping sound called “stridulating." They're not the most attractive of beasts, but they do produce a wonderful autumn symphony. Below is a chart of stridulating insects; each creates a different sound. Click for a better view - or, just sleep with your window open and try to count them. - William

Ken Mogi is a well-known brain scientist and, according to Wikipedia, was the first Japanese person to give a TED talk.
Well, Dr. Mogi has just begun a new vlog and the first installment is about the "Lozengate" issue (my term; I've heard のど飴騒動 in Japanese) here in Kumamoto. The YouTube video has an extremely artificial sounding laugh track but I think his ideas are good. If you understand spoken Japanese well, you might enjoy this. Even if you don't understand what he's saying, I think it's interesting that the issue is generating debate far away from Kumamoto.
-- Kirk
P.S. I think that the men who control the city council were trying to shame Ms. Ogata into submission. Perhaps it would be a good idea to give them a taste of their own medicine -- let their attempt to bully Ms. Ogata be known to people all over the world and see if international opprobrium has any effect of their behavior. One step in this direction might be to share my English-language summary of the issue (following link):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/2148510448555709
Thanks in advance!
のどあめをなめながらしゃべるのは不謹慎か？（もぎけんのデイリーショー No.0001）
どれくらい続くのか、わかりませんが、もぎけんのデイリーショー第一回です。 ２０１８年９月２９日の気になることをお話しています。

Last year, British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a coughing fit that interfered with a speech she was giving. At that point Chancellor Philip Hammond passed her a lozenge, which the Prime Minister sensibly put in her month.
https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/04/europe/theresa-may-speech-disaster-conservative-party-conference/index.html
That was the UK. Now for Kumamoto. To avoid a similar coughing fit, Yuka Ogata used a lozenge while she addressed the city council. Later when the chair asked her if she had something in her month she explained that she was using a lozenge because she had a cold. This led to the sudden convention of a disciplinary committee which, in it's infinite wisdom, censured Ms. Ogata and required her to read the following:
"On the 28th of September, when I stood to address the chamber, I violated Article 134 (which prohibits undignified behavior) of the council rules. In view of the need for members to behave in a dignified manner, I deeply regret my thoughtless behavior. I am deeply sorry and hereby apologize."
私は9月28日の本会議において、質疑中に演壇において、本市会議規則第134条に抵触する行為を致しました。議会の品位を重んじなければならない議員の職責に鑑みて、軽率な行為であり深く反省いたします。まことに申し訳ありません。ここに陳謝いたします。
✳︎134条 議会の品位を重んじなければならない
Ms. Ogata refused to read this humiliating statement and was therefore further sanctioned by being excluded from the city council meeting for one day.
This is not the first time that Ms. Ogata has locked horns with the leadership of the city council. Earlier this year, she was sanctioned for attempting to bring her infant son into the chambers:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/13/japan-council-bans-non-members-meetings-politician-brings-baby/
-- Kirk
P.S. The Japanese photo was taken from
https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/kumamoto/article/453408/
Also, I have reposted this because my use of a Japanese article in the previous version interfered with the sharing of the English text.

Last year, British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a coughing fit that interfered with a speech she was giving. At that point Chancellor Philip Hammond passed her a lozenge, which the Prime Minister sensibly put in her month.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/theresa-may-coughing-speech
That was the UK. Now for Kumamoto. To avoid a similar coughing fit, Yuka Ogata used a lozenge while she addressed the city council. Later when the chair asked her if she had something in her month she explained that she was using a lozenge because she had a cold. This led to the sudden convention of a disciplinary committee which, in it's infinite wisdom, censured Ms. Ogata and required her to read the following:
"On the 28th of September, when I stood to address the chamber, I violated Article 134 (which prohibits undignified behavior) of the council rules. In view of the need for members to behave in a dignified manner, I deeply regret my thoughtless behavior. I am deeply sorry and hereby apologize."
私は9月28日の本会議において、質疑中に演壇において、本市会議規則第134条に抵触する行為を致しました。議会の品位を重んじなければならない議員の職責に鑑みて、軽率な行為であり深く反省いたします。まことに申し訳ありません。ここに陳謝いたします。
✳︎134条 議会の品位を重んじなければならない
Ms. Ogata refused to read this humiliating statement and was therefore further sanctioned by being excluded from the city council meeting for one day.
-- Kirk
https://www.sankei.com/west/news/180928/wst1809280102-n1.html
喉あめ服用で懲罰動議可決　子連れ騒動の熊本市議会
喉あめをなめながらの登壇、是か非か－。２８日に開かれた熊本市議会の定例会本会議で、乳児を連れて議場に入り騒動となった緒方夕佳市議（４３）が喉あめを口に含んで請願…

Due to the approach of the typhoon, the fireworks that had been planned for Ezuko tomorrow have been cancelled. Unfortunately, the event will not be rescheduled; it will not occur this year. -- Kirk
江津湖花火大会、台風接近で中止　順延もなし | 熊本日日新聞 - This kiji is
　熊本市東区の下江津湖一帯で２９日に予定されていた「江津湖花火大会」は台風２４号接近に伴い、中止が決まった。２８日、市が発表した。順延もしない。 　台風による強風や大雨が予想されるため。順延予定だった.....

Joe Tomei with a Funky Family Friday Place! Apologies for the absence and with classes starting, this feature may be a bit irregular, but today's place is in Nagomi, just off of the Kikusui interchange. It's a set of places, the Kikusui Roman Kan, an excavated Jomon village and a camping and canoeing site.
http://kikusuiromankan.jp/
The site has pictures, it looks like a fun place to take kids. Enjoy!
キャンプ・バーベキュー・カヌー業務変更に付いて | 道の駅きくすい菊水ロマン館公式サイト
キャンプ・バーベキュー・カヌーが受付が変りました。 キャンプ・バーベキュー・カヌーのお問い合わせは、 こちら で予約か受付電話番号　0968-82-8414　へご連絡ください。

The Edo-era Shogunate realized an effective system to maintain control over their numerous daimyo (lords) by requiring either close family members or the lord himself in Edo (Tokyo) as a sort of hostage. This was known as "sankin-kōtai" - "alternative attendance" (参勤交代). Generally, every year or so, the family members swapped, so much travel was required, particularly for fiefs far from Edo.
The Hosokawa clan used a purpose-built road to present-day Beppu in Oita Prefecture called the "Bungo Gaidō" (豊後街道), portions of which still exist, and then took a ship. But daimyo didn't travel steerage, so an elaborate type of ship was constructed called a "gozabune" (御座船). These were pretty well decked out (ha ha!). The last of the Hosokawa gozabune was constructed in 1839 and called "Naminashimaru" (波奈之丸", which could be translated as "Wave Shrine Tree Ship". An image of how the flotilla appeared is below (note the Hosokawa crests on the sail, though the prohibition on ocean-going ships meant they were primarily powered by rowers).
Parts of the Naminashimaru remain, including the decorative ceiling. Until the quakes, they had been displayed within the castle but were then dismantled and underwent restoration. The decorative ceiling portion, called tenjō-ga (天井画) - a National Cultural Treasure - has now been fully restored (the interesting method involved no paint application, so the colors are original, and is explained in Japanese at the attached Kumanichi article) and has been put on display at the Daizaifu Museum in Fukuoka until December 1, when it will return to Kumamoto for display at the art museum while it awaits its return to the castle. The tenjō-ga apparently depicts 171 types of plants and flowers. I suppose in pre-karaoke days, they'd play games by gazing up and identifying them. - William
https://this.kiji.is/417818130795627617?c=92619697908483575