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We have few consecutive rainy days this week. My Japanese friend says that when we have rainy days, that's time when Sakura blooms.
Take a stroll at some random Parks, rivers, slow down our pace, and enjoy the beauty.
Take pictures with your phone or even with your professional cameras.
If you have scenic spots that you wanna share with others, please feel free to write in comments below 🙂
-Olivia-

I first came to Japan on a cargo ship from Taiwan with $800 and a phone number of a friend in Kyoto, and spent my first two weeks on Japanese soil in Okinawa. With language ability and cultural understanding both hovering around non-existent, all was inscrutable. Why, for example, did almost every shop have a yellow sign with a black cat out front? Was it some kind of religion? Turns out it was of course the logo for Yamato Delivery (lotsa omiyage in Okinawa), but with no language skills and no one to ask, that black cat remained a mystery for quite some time.
A black cat again unfamiliar in a Kumanichi ad caught my eye, but this time I'm better able to handle it. Turns out the little guy's name is Kineko (the "ki" is likely from "kinematos," Greek for "cinema"), and he's the mascot for the non-profit Kineko International Children’s Film Festival (link below).
On April 15, the show comes to Kumamoto. Sponsored by the FOR KUMAMOTO PROJECT, the Kumanichi, and the Kumamoto Prefectural Theater (where it will be held in the main concert hall), the show is split into morning and evening sections (choose one). Tickets are free (2,400 available) and are intended for parents with children, though non-Japanese adults might also benefit from language immersion (I learned much of my Japanese by watching children's TV with my kids). Below is the bill.
Morning (doors open 10:45; show starts 11:30)
Thomas the Tank Engine "Harbour Hide and Seek" [UK / 8 minutes] ★
Pingu in the City "Now Under Construction!" [Japan · America / 7 minutes]
Zebra [Germany / 4 minutes]
Shimajiro's Wow! "Hana and Baby" [Japan / 8 minutes]
Teddy and Annie [UK / 8 minutes] ★
Afternoon (doors open 13:45; show starts 14:30)
Peanuts Snoopy - short animation [France / 7 minutes]
Komaneko "The First Step" [Japan / 5 minutes]
The Chocolate Soldier [USA / 12 minutes] ★
Lila's Sketchbook [Argentina · Spain / 9 minutes]
Julian [Australia / 13 minutes] ★
The movies will be dubbed in Japanese. In the case of those marked with ★, the dubbing will be conducted live by two special guests, actresses Keiko Toda and Rika Matsumoto (戸田恵子さんや松本梨香さん). Questions can be directed to the Kumanichi "Kumamon & Kineko Film Festival," 096-361-3343 (weekdays 9: 30 ~ 17: 30, likely Japanese only). Registration for tickets is done online via the below link (definitely Japanese only; message us for help if needed. I just completed ours and it's quite easy.)
If you have children, they will certainly love this. If you're just starting out with the Japanese language, you will certainly benefit. Please let us know if you have any questions. - William
くまモン＆キネコ映画祭　KUMAMON×KINEKO FILM FESTIVAL　参加者募集 | 主催事業 | 熊本日日新聞社
　くまモンと、映画と旅が大好きな黒猫の「キネコ」がタッグを組んで熊本の子どもたちのために映画祭を開催します。特別ゲストに女優の戸田恵子さんや松本梨香さん（『ポケットモンスター』サトシ役など）をお招きし...

From the Kumamoto International Desk of Unusual Metrics: Sandwiched between Tsuboi and Shira Rivers directly to the east of Tasaki Market lies Furu-machi, unremarkable in all respects except one. The Kumamoto branch of the Japan Meteorological Agency announced this morning the commencement of the someiyoshino-variety cherry blossom season. As scientists, this is not something they do all willy-nilly. They require a metric, and that metric has been since time immemorial based on a particular tree rooted at Furu-machi Elementary School. Should five to six buds on this tree have blossomed, the season is declared open. (The Agency doesn't keep it under round-the-clock surveillance or anything; it's not like they're zealots. They simply send a couple of officials round each morning to tabulate blossomed bud number.)
Anyway, this morning, the count reached EIGHT! - and this the two officials duly reported after rushing back to headquarters, the information then being disseminated through the ranks and broadcast both to local citizenry and the nation as a whole: Cherry blossom season in Kumamoto has officially begun.
So Furu-machi's got that going for it. Sunday should be meteorologically eponymous, but unfortunately rain is forecast Monday to Wednesday. Since the season start is official, perhaps tomorrow is the day to stake out a spot under a tree, drink a bit of sake, lie back, and count the blossomed buds. - William
熊本の桜、開花宣言　平年より６日早く - 熊本日日新聞
坪井川沿いの長塀通りで淡いピンク色の花を咲かせ始めたソメイヨシノ。右奥は行幸橋＝１７日午後、熊本市中央区（小野宏明）　熊本地方気象台は１７日午後、桜（ソメイヨシノ）の開花を宣言した。平年より６日早く、...

Update: Though it became possible to view the Aso crater for a few days, it closed again soon after. Thanks to Jennifer for pointing this out. The current status of the crater can be found here:
http://www.aso.ne.jp/~volcano/info/
========================
This is old news but, in case you missed other announcements we made about it, the volcano has reopened. -- Kirk
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/02/28/national/tourism-mount-asos-crater-area-resumes-volcanic-activity-diminishes/#.Wq0Gn2aB2u4
Mount Aso's crater area reopened to tourists after volcanic activity calms | The Japan Times
Local authorities reopened a crater area of Mount Aso on Wednesday to tourists for the first time in over three years following diminished volcanic activit

Hi all, there is job vacancy for those who are looking for one,
Maple Tree International School is looking for full time starting in April!
[***Full time position*****]
*School Location: Nagamineminami, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto city
*Class type: English-immersion preschool/kindergarten & eikaiwa classes
*Monday-Friday,:9:00-18:00 or 19:00(1 hour or longer lunch break)
*Monthly Salary: Depending on teaching experience
*Days off: According to the school calendar
*Qualifications: Native English speaker/ Teaching experience preferably at preschools, kindergartens, eikaiwa schools and International schools/ TESOL or any teaching certificates/PC skills(Word/Excel/Power point) /Conversational Japanese skill
*Candidates must
-love working with very young children
-be hardworking and punctual
-be friendly and energetic
-be passionate about teaching
-work as a team player
-have respect for the students, parents, other teachers and staff
-have an understanding of the Japanese culture, manners and customs
**Hiring process****
1: Applicant screening
2: Face-to-face interview (*Please note that we conduct our job interview in Kumamoto city. For those who are living outside of Kumamoto, we’d like you to come to Kumamoto for the interview.)
If you are interested and would like to know more information, please send your resume and cover letter. Please don’t forget to attach a recent photo of you.
Thank you.
Maple Tree International [email protected]
-Olivia-

Movie inspired by Kumamoto quakes tops bill at city’s filmfest：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--The Kumamoto Reconstruction Film Festival, inaugurated last year to benefit people affecte

"Aso-Kuju National Park, which had struggled to boost visitor numbers in 2016 due to the Kumamoto earthquake and the eruption of Mount Aso that occurred the same year, experienced a 37.2 percent increase.
'The disasters had a huge negative impact on local tourism businesses around the park,' said Aso-Kuju Park administrator Yuji Morita.
'In fact, the number of Japanese tourists is still below the level before the Kumamoto disasters,' Morita added. 'However, we have seen many returning foreign tourists from South Korea and other Southeast Asian nations who love exploring the mountainside hot spring spas.'"
Estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan's national parks hit record 6 million in 2017 | The Japan Times
The estimated number of foreign visitors to the nation's national parks increased to a new record of 6 million last year, with a park in Kumamoto Prefectur

Weather has been gloomy these days because of the rain.
I do wish for bright and sunny days for a nice Hanami with friends and family.
This Sakura Matsuri will be held in Ozu on March 31th - April 1st.
I might go and check it out.
Address is given in the website (Japanese only)
http://www.town.ozu.kumamoto.jp/product/kanko/sakura.html
If you know more about this event, please feel free to write in comments below.
-Olivia-

Joe Tomei here. For this Funky Places Friday, we will go way way back to when life was simpler. I think this was the first restaurant I went to for lunch from my university, 20 years ago, in Bocca al Lupo. It is a sad fact that in Kumamoto, restaurants pop up and disappear with surprising frequency. I was told that Kumamoto people like new things, but in my old age, I'm appreciating things that stay the same.
The phrase "in Bocca al Lupo" is the Italian equivalent of 'break a leg' and means 'into the wolf's mouth', since one never wants to say "good luck" before someone goes on stage. The master has made trips to Italy to study cooking and take photographs. The lunch is usually a choice of 2 or 3 freshly made pasta dishes and I love his bacon and ginnan (ginko) pasta. There used to be parking across the street, but that is now a 7-11. However, there is coin parking just down the street.
One of the neat things about doing this is finding extra information, and I just discovered that the restaurant has it's own facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/boccalupo.kumamoto/
All the Funky Friday places are on this map
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing
and if you have any places you'd like me to write about or places that have moved or gone out of business, please send me a message thru Kumamoto-i.

Here's an article from the Telegraph on the recent changes I've already described. -- Kirk
Japan council bans 'non-members' from meetings after politician brings baby to work
Japanese politician Yuka Ogata had intended to change old fashioned attitudes towards working mothers when she brought her baby to a local council meeting last year.

I must admit having mixed feelings about solar power being used to mine Bitcoin. The reason is that, before Bitcoin, there was no need for such "mining" so I get the feeling that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are canceling out progress that's being made in renewable energy. On the other hand, I guess it's better than building or restarting nuclear power plants for the same purpose.
-- Kirk
Japanese to use solar power for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining - AMBCrypto
The local power producer and supplier from Japan’s Kumamoto City, Kumamoto-Energy has recently announced that they will be utilizing solar power for mining cryptocurrencies. This opens up the new array of possibilities on how cryptocurrency can be mined in a clean, green and renewable way. On 20th...

Joe Tomei here. As Kirk noted, things are heating up on the tourist front at Aso (perhaps not the best metaphor, but I trust you understand) and on 14 April, there is a program featuring a talk by Austrian Japanologist Josef Kreiner, emeritus professor from Bonn University. Attached is a flyer for the event. The talk is free and will be in Japanese, and his topic is "The study of regional Japanese culture from Kunio Yanagita onwards" (apologies for my poor translation)
Kunio Yanagita was a famous Japanese scholar who founded the field of minzokugaku, or Japanese folklore studies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunio_Yanagita
There is also an exhibition of photos from Aso that will be open from 14-20 April.

The other day, I wrote about how the Kumamoto City Council took steps to tighten, rather than relax, restrictions that make balancing childrearing and work difficult for female members:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1798732196866871
This YouTube video was recorded from a monitor that displayed, with sound, the proceedings of a committee meeting at which the new policy was discussed. Two points are worth noting: (1) No political constituency that was formally allowed to participate in the meeting, not even the left-wing Communist Party, objected to the crack down; (2) When Ms. Ogata, seated with her back to the camera raised her hand requesting to speak, no one voiced approval so she was not allowed to speak. She attended the meeting as an observer so she could not demand that she be allowed to speak but the committee could easily have granted her request to do so. I think their unwillingness to even listen to her speaks volumes about their attitude.
-- Kirk
P.S. Please share if you feel so inclined. If enough people take an interest, it may help Ms. Ogata and others in their efforts to push the pendulum back in a more humane direction.
2018年3月9日熊本市議会議会運営委員会で、自民党熊本市議団提出の議会会議規則改正案ならびに議会運営に関する申し合わせ改正案について、各会派からの意見を聞くところ。市民連合の西岡誠也委員、公明党の浜田大介委...

From the Hope This Doesn't Happen Soon at Aso Desk: Volcanic lightning is the production of lightning in a volcanic plume. Electrical charges are generated when rock fragments and ash in a volcanic plume collide and produce static charges. Unlike regular thunderstorms, though, this type of lightning doesn’t descend from storm clouds to the ground; instead, it remains within the plume (first photo) or sometimes follows the plume up from the crater (second - kinda like upside-down lightning). Little is known about this phenomenon as, obviously, up-close study is a tad difficult. Both of these photos are from the recent Shinmoedake eruption (130km south of Kumamoto on the Kagoshima/Miyazaki border). - William

Funky Friday places time with Joe Tomei. This is another new place, Suplica, that is sort of behind the Aeon (formerly Daiei) at Kuhonji Kosaten. The business card gives the map. The owner purchases goods from around SE Asia, a business model that I've seen in other places. Their website is asiakirakira.com
Also made a map for these places that you can find at
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing
If you have any suggestions for Funky Friday places (or if you find that one of the places has moved or gone out of business) please let me know thru Kumamoto-i.

The Kumamoto International entomology desk is normally run by William, but seeing this NPR (National Public Radio, a U.S. network) news story prompted me to take a stab at running entomology desk for the day.
I had never hear of a "brown marmorated stink bug" before but the word "stink" made me think of a critter I know from my experience in Japan. When I looked up the scientific name (halyomorpha halys) with some Japanese words (虫, の etc.) I found that, sure enough, the stinky bug I have encountered here seems to be the invasive species identified in the NPR segment. The Japanese name is "kusagi kamemushi." It's usually written in katakana but the kanji are 臭木椿象 -- yup, "stink" is in the Japanese name for this bug too.
It won't kill you but I'd advise you not pick it up. ;)
-- Kirk
A Look At Just How Invasive The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Is
The brown marmorated stink bug first showed up in the United States about 20 years ago, and has been terrorizing homeowners and farmers ever since. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Kathryn Schulz, who writes about the invasive insect in the latest issue of The New Yorker.

Joe Tomei here, Just picked up this notice for a "recycle park market" in Shirakawa Park on 22 April (29 April in case of rain). I put this up early in case anyone wants to have a booth (1000 yen for a 2x3 m space). There are more details at their website at https://rpmkumamoto.wixsite.com/rpmkumamoto and perhaps some folks can chime in if they have done this before.

Do you know that もも (Momo = Peach) Flowers and うめ (Ume = Plum blossoms) look so similar that I actually can't tell their difference?
--- Please feel free to give further information about these two flowers at the comments below
My Friend, Sue, just visited Taniosakibairin Park, and she posted beautiful pictures of Plum blossoms trees.
I am not sure if the actual bloom is exactly as what the picture shows now, and I wish the weather will be bright and sunny this week, so we can enjoy this beautiful scenery in the park.
The address is in the website.
https://kumamoto-guide.jp/spots/detail/48
Have a good trip visiting the park 😊🙏
-Olivia-

My wife taught me an idiom that I thought germane to this season and that some of you might like: konomedoki「木の芽時、コノメドキ」。Its literal meaning is the March/April period when trees are budding but more generally refers to this time of widely fluctuating weather patterns. As such, it also refers to a period psychological instability. (Hello! I'm 52!) Take care during this season. - William

Insect sounds are something I associate with autumn, but the sounds from my veranda tonight made me think of crickets - a sonification quite out of season and so of a species unaccustomed to me. Below is a link to a delightful site which both introduces insects and contains sound links to give you an idea what you're hearing. - William http://nakumushi.justhpbs.jp/sub2.html