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I just got back from a little jog around my neighborhood (Obiyama). At the end of my jog, I stopped by a German bakery called Biggi and got a fresh (just out of the oven) pretzel -- delicious!! The baker is Japanese but she studied in Germany and bakes for the German olympic swim team when they come to Kumamoto so I think her goods are quite authentic.
If you'd like to get some of these German pretzels and/or other baked goods, you can find the address, phone number and other information about the bakery here:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134.25925.123734781033296/464800160260088/
-- Kirk

Joe Tomei here. It's Friday Funky place time with a volume is good edition. For some reason, all the lunch places a few weeks ago were full, so I hiked a bit further than usual and found 味道園 (Midoen?) The lunch is huuuuge, if you feel like you need to take a one month fast, this is the place I suggest for your last meal.
The sign explains that if you spend more than 750 yen, you can get a parking ticket for the parking garage next to Suizenji Eki and they ask you not to park at the neighboring sushi shop.
The FPF map is here
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing

"Keynote speaker Yukiko Takeuchi from Kumamoto University in Japan discussed three important lessons learned from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake."
https://www.ucalgary.ca/utoday/issue/2018-03-28/expert-shares-hard-lessons-learned-japans-kumamoto-earthquakes
Copied and pasted by Kirk
Expert shares hard lessons learned in Japan's Kumamoto earthquakes
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The Rising Wasabi is a humor site in the vein of The Onion which pokes fun at Japanese society and the myriad ways gaijin try to navigate it; I find it most often hilarious. Their use of Kumamon in a recent fundraising ad caught my eye. I guess the idea is that, if you wire them money via Pay Pal, they'll hand it off to Kumamon, who will run to the nearest conbini and bring back a few bottles of Asahi. That is not entirely unimaginable.
What's more difficult to fathom is Johnny Depp shilling the same beer brand. Guess he needs the money, what with his recent divorce and cratered acting career. So here is the question: From whom would you prefer to receive an ice-cold bottle of Asahi, Kumamon or Johnny, and why? Please enter you answers in the comments section. - William

As always, this edition of YOKA is beautifully laid about and very well written. Here's the table of contents as found on the page I'm linking to:
The Call of the Drums by Olayitan Akindes
Eventful Uto, 御輿来海岸 by June Ang
Kimono Class in Uto City by June Ang
An ALT’ｓ Journey to the Kendo World Championships by Dale Padoin
Winter Blues or Something More Sinister? Thoughts on How to Protect Yourself against Depression on the JET Program by Jennifer Frey
ALT Pep Talk by Bilal Khan
Learn about Pizza by Chiri Davis
Shimabara by Melissa Wright
Graduation by Timothy Hull
A Taste of Tea in Minamata by Greg Corbett
KumAJET’s Christmas Party at Jiaien Children’s Home and Spring 2018 Events, KumAJET
Kashima: the Village of Water by Lily McDermott
Carnival: Introducing my Country’s Largest Festival by Zaynab Nakhid
Interview with a Wirebender by Zaynab Nakhid
Photos by June Ang, Greg Corbett, Chris Hester, Justin Lau, Laura McGhee, Joyce Tan, and Jenifer Vosper
-- Kirk
Winter 2018 YOKA

How best to send money overseas is a topic that comes up from time to time on this page. Here's the address of a recent inquiry from Charles, which has already received some responses:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1840495396023884
Another post by Noel explains how to use Monaco Cards to convert crypto currencies to a local currency. Since crypto currencies can be transferred over international boarders, this constitutes another way to "send" money:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1688352171238208
In 2014, we had this discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/600135043393265?comment_id=4564305
In 2012, in that ancient age of Yahoo Groups (e-mail) we had this discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/356030051137100
Obviously, some of this information is outdated but I hope previous discussions can be a spring board for a discussion generating new information and insights.
-- KIrk

Kumanichi news roundup (links at bottom):
The paper reports that real estate values in Kumamoto have finally rebounded to their 1992 levels, the year the bubble burst. On the graph at the link, light blue indicates housing, dark blue industrial, orange retail, and yellow the average of the three. The article does not break the stats down into city vs. countryside, and I suspect that values in the latter are still down considerably, but nevertheless, this is a good sign of economic recovery.
A ceremony to celebrate completion of the removal of Arase Dam on the Kumagawa River in Sakamoto, Yatsushiro was held yesterday. The dam was built in 1955 during the postwar rush towards economic recovery but resulted in deteriorating water quality and prevented fish migration. This is the first time a dam has been removed in Japan.
Finally, from March 24th to April 8, the Minami Aso Cherry Festival will be held. Among some 6,700 cherry trees, the main attraction is a 400-year old yamazakura called "Isshingyōnoōzakura" (一心行の大桜), a name which deserves a bit of explanation. During the Warring States Period, Minami Aso village was called Minemura and contained a castle called Kakuyokujo (鶴翼城), which was built as a secondary castle by a guy who must have required a half hour to write his name: Nakamura Houkinokami Korefuyu (中村伯耆守惟冬) and whose main castle, Yazakijo (矢崎城), was in Misumi. He unwisely went to war with Satsuma's Shimazu clan in 1580, which resulted in the destruction of Yazakijo by fire and his death.His wife, children, and a handful of retainers covertly returned to Minemura after the death of the Lord and planted a cherry sapling to mourn the spirit of the castle owner and vassals, naming it "Isshingyo" (一心行), which can be translated as "devoted conduct." It is one of the two oldest cherry trees in Kyushu, the other being the 600-year old Toraozakura in Fukuoka.
And that's the news. - William
https://kumanichi.com/news/407199/
https://this.kiji.is/351301079944201313?c=92619697908483575
https://this.kiji.is/350447925970617441?c=92619697908483575

China’s eight-ton prototype space station, Tiangong-1, or “heavenly palace”, has decided it's had enough of space and so will make an uncontrolled plunge to Earth, likely re-entering the atmosphere around Sunday, April 1st. Most of it will burn up, but a few chunks may survive and wack water or land here or there.
The most likely wack points are at the extremities of its orbital latitudes – 43° North and 43° South. The center figure below shows Tiangog-1's orbit, and the figure at right shows impact probability along given latitudes (click for an enlarged view). You'll notice Japan - indeed, Kyushu itself - is way up there, probability-wise, though perspective-wise, your marrying Kumamon and having "half" children remains far more likely than being wacked.
Still, if you do happen to be whacked by a piece of satellite this weekend, you'll know where it came from. - William

This NHK video won't last long so. If you were there or think you know someone who was, check out the video before it's taken down.
-- Kirk
留学生が熊本の生活を語り合う会｜NHK 熊本県のニュース
世界各国から来た留学生たちが、熊本での日々の生活で感じていることなどを伝え合う交流会が、開かれました。 ２７日、熊本城に隣接する観光施設…

Looking for something else, I stumbled upon this page which contains exquisite photos of the castle one year following the quakes. The site author is anonymous, though he did note, "85kg→78kg 達成！体の故障でリバウンド。84kg→70kgに再挑戦中。" ("I'd succeeded in slimming down from 85kg to 78kg! Then I rebounded due to injury. Next I will challenge 84kg to 70kg.")
Best of luck with that from all of us at Kumamoto International, mysterious photographer - and thank you! - William
http://blog.skeg.jp/archives/2017/04/kumamoto-castle-20170409.html

"About 100 participants were from other countries, including China and Thailand."
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180325_16/
-- Kirk
'Kumamon' race held in Kumamoto- News - NHK WORLD - English
About 1,300 people took part in a run on Sunday to support the reconstruction of Kumamoto Prefecture, which was hit by earthquakes 2 years ago.

The video is in English but probably won't be available for long. Apologies in advance if the link goes dead.
-- Kirk
Part of Kumamoto Castle opened for blossom viewing- News - NHK WORLD - English
Local residents and tourists are visiting Kumamoto Castle in southwestern Japan to view cherry blossoms in a picturesque setting.

William has already written about this at
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1834304096643014
"During questioning, Akiyama said that he got into a dispute with the victim. 'I beat him several times,” the suspect was quoted. “I didn’t know he would die.'"
-- Kirk
Kumamoto cops nab 3 over fatal beating of male acquaintance | The Tokyo Reporter
Suspect, who admitted to repeatedly beating the victim in the head, told police, 'I didn't know he would die'

In addition to discussing recent restoration efforts, this article also includes a lot of historical information, including an overview of the Seinan civil war of 1877. -- Kirk
Restoration of Kumamoto Castle progressing
Two tenshukaku main castle towers — one large, one small — were covered by scaffolds for restoration work. A crane stood high beside them. The castle’s appearance was upsetting but conveyed a sense of dignity as well.

Kirk had asked for suggestions re: good hanami spots. This is one of my favorites. About halfway up Mt. Tatsuda is a reservoir called Tatsudayama Haisuiike (立田山配水池) fronted by a long, grassy, narrow park lined with cherry trees and affording a gorgeous view of Kumamoto. It is equipped with (limited, free) parking (and is not too far so is accessible be bike or foot), a public restroom, and really delicious water. Few people visit as, even though it is visible from the city as a pink gash on the green mountain, few know how to get there.
The below links should clue you in. And here is a photo of me with my dog Devo and wife Sawako taken there yesterday. - William
http://www.kumamoto-waterworks.jp/wp-content/uploads/07/gallery_07_1/photo_07_01.html
http://www.kumamoto-waterworks.jp/?waterworks_article=3086

"This Week" is an Indian publication that featured this essay on Kumamoto.
-- Kirk
A lesson in history
This peaceful city of Kumamoto has had a turbulent history

Kumamoto Castle Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom.
And the Miyuki Zaka Slope is open for public for today and tomorrow from 8:30-6pm.
The crowd were there but the beauty of cherry blossoms conquered them.
Hope you have chance to visit Kumamoto Castle soon!
-Olivia-

"Yana has announced plans to make an independent film set in Kumamoto Prefecture as part of efforts to support reconstruction from the devastating 2016 earthquakes."
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803230005.html
-- Kirk
Screen villain turns hero, makes indie film in quake-hit area：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--Seems like one of Japan's most famous baddies has had a change of heart.For decades, resid

If sneezing and freezing under the cherry blossoms isn't your thing, why not check out Kyushu's escape room scene this spring? People who know me well know that I can barely get through a conversation without the subject coming round to escape rooms, so it seems like the perfect topic for my first Kumamoto-i post. Admittedly, Kyushu doesn't have much of an escape room scene, but Fukuoka has an escape room close toTenjin that doesn't need any Japanese skills. Currently only one room (Wherehouse) is open but the company has three more in the pipeline. Visit escapegamesfukuoka.com to find out more! If you're confident in your Japanese ability, one of the pioneers of escape rooms, Ajito of Scrap, has a few games dotted around the country, wth English available at their Asakusa branch in Tokyo. Hop on a plane to Seoul, though, and you have a couple of dozen English-friendly escape rooms to choose from.
Fiona

The good news is that Kumamoto made Japan Today! The bad news is it did so because some guy allegedly beat up another guy until he died, left the building, returned, and called 119, pretending he'd just discovered the body. This all went down at a multi-occupancy entertainment building in not the best area of Suidocho. Video at the link.
The victim's name was 永松徳也, but the Japanese-language article linked to below contained an interesting note: " ※「松」は「ム」が「口」", meaning an unusual form of 松 which the authors couldn't be bothered to look up. It took me all of two seconds to find: 「柗」. Lazy reporters. We here at Kumamoto International will not rest until we correctly provide our loyal readers with ムs and 口s as appropriate. - William
http://rkk.jp/news/backno_page.php?id=NS003201803231504220111
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/dead-man-found-in-office-of-kumamoto-city-building
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