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This news is about a nuclear power plant in Shikoku, but the possibility of a huge eruption of Mt. Aso was a decisive factor in the court's decision:
"In the ruling, the high court concluded there was a chance the Ikata plant could be affected by a pyroclastic flow from Mount Aso if an eruption occurred similar in scale to a massive one 90,000 years ago on the southern island of Kyushu."
-- Kirk
For 1st time, a high court rules against nuclear plant operations：The Asahi Shimbun
HIROSHIMA--A high court for the first time has banned operations at a nuclear power plant.The Hirosh

Here's an update on the "baby-in-city-council" issue. This article doesn't mention it but I saw a TV news segment in which Mr. Yoshitomo Sawada, chairman of the Kumamoto municipal assembly, spoke about this willingness to discuss the issues Ms. Ogata has raised. Also, in response to Ms. Ogata's request, she is being allowed to leave the council hall temporarily during meetings to breast feed her child. So, despite the controversy, there are indications that Ms. Ogata's actions are succeeding in moving the discussion in a positive direction.
If you read Japanese, please have a look at the following Change.org article about a meeting with supporters that was held yesterday:
https://www.change.org/p/子育てと仕事の両立を個人の問題にしないで-赤ちゃんと議会に出席しようとした緒方夕佳熊本市議を支持します/u/22129906
Please note, too, that over 10,000 people have signed a petition of support for Ms. Ogata and there is a link to that petition on the Change.org page.
For her part, Ms. Ogata spoke apologetically about the fact that the beginning of the meeting was delayed as a result of her action (and also, of course, by the manner in which Mr. Sawada and others reacted -- though Ms. Ogata didn't put it that way).
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201712120053.html
Kumamoto politician who took baby into session rebuked：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--An assemblywoman who tried to attend a plenary session with her 7-month-old infant son has

From the Kumamoto International Desk of Grounds for Arguing over Kanji: It's that time of year when the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation chooses which kanji best represents the past 12 months, and for various (lame!) reasons, north （きた、北）was chosen. 北 is composed of two people carrying loads, back-to-back. Let me begin the argument over why 北 was an unfortunate choice by discussing the origin of the character. To do so, we must look to China, where kanji originated.
In Chinese tradition, the North Star - aka Polaris - symbolized the Chinese emperor. Thus, the emperor was always placed with his back oriented northward, and all spread from there southward. (The main gate at the Imperial Palace is on the south, and an artificial mount was built at the northern end.) Also, China traditionally faced its greatest dangers from the north - Mongols, Jurchen, Manchu - so combined with symbolism of the emperor, the meaning indicates a barrier against invasion.
When 北 is combined with 月 (which in this case indicates an individual), the result is 背, which means "back" - that is, turning away from the emperor, which was something not wisely done. The Great Wall in northern China - to the rear of the emperor - was built for a reason, and in both China and Japan, the north was used as a place of exile.
For these reasons, 北 carries the nuance of defeat. The kanji "haiboku" (敗北）literally means to lose and run away with ones back to the emperor. The phrase is interesting as it indicates a bit of tolerance on the emperor's part - he sent his enemies scattering to the north and sat again with his back to them.
So the origin of 北 contains several rather negative nuances. To be sure, 2017 saw many setbacks, but we're scattered, not defeated. Let's hope 2018 will result in a more positive kanji. - William
北 (north) chosen as kanji character best representing 2017
The kanji character 北, meaning north, has been chosen as the character best representing the sentiment and events in Japan in 2017. The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, a Kyoto-based organization that promotes kanji, has conducted the survey nationwide every year since 1995. The foundation...

Sorry that I neglected to post about this in advance. It's an annual event so perhaps I can help get the word out next year.
-- Kirk
2017 Kumamoto International Friendship Festival

You'll probably see dense groups of small birds flitting about and twitting excitedly like children who've consumed way too much sugar. Those would be the Japanese tit (hee hee) - shijyuukara
(シジュウカラ、四十雀). The name is interesting: カラ(雀) is an alternative pronunciation of suzume - sparrow - and シジュウ is an ateji (当て字) - kanji used as a phonetic symbol rather than for its meaning; in this case, it approximates the bird's call.
The Japanese tit (hee hee) generally spends its summers up in the mountains but retreats to the plains during the winter. The species made headlines in 2016 when experimental evidence was reported indicating compositional syntax in their calls, marking the first evidence for that type of syntax in nonhuman animals. It is also the Kumamoto prefectural bird.
Many locals feed the Japanese tit (hee hee) by hanging strings of mikan outside their window. You will find yourself popular with the Japanese tits (hee hee) if you do so. - William
Note: Apologies for being so juvenile. :) If you teach English, though, introducing the topic of the Japanese tit (hee hee) might be fun.

Here's a post from earlier this year about satisfying American notarization requirements via the web. Has anyone actually tried this? I have a friend who needs to get some documents notarized in order to inherit property but isn't sure how to go about it.
The Japanese word for notary is koshonin (公証人) and the government has a local office in Kumamoto:
熊本公証人合同役場
〒862-0976 熊本市中央区九品寺２丁目１－２４ 　ベストアメニティ熊本九品寺ビル３階
電話：096（364）2700
http://houmukyoku.moj.go.jp/kumamoto/table/kousyou/all/kumamoto.html
I'm not sure, though, if they can help with the notarization of documents required in the United States.
Another possibility might be the American Consulate in Fukuoka:
https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/notarial-services/
If anyone has any insights regarding this issue. Please make a comment to this post. Thanks!!
-- Kirk
Notaries Are Starting To Put Down The Stamp And Pick Up A Webcam
Technology and new laws are taking notarizations digital, adding them to the list of things you can do on your phone or computer. However, America's 4 million notaries are split on the idea.

For those of you who have been staying awake at night wondering what you might do to make your mouse sperm last a little longer, some researchers at Kumadai have the answer.
Actually, I doubt that many readers of the page spend much time thinking about mouse sperm ( ;) ) , but, for people who use mice in research, mouse sperm viability seems to be an important issue (see article).
-- Kirk
Cold-stored Mouse Sperm Viability Can Be Maintained for 10 days
A Japanese research team from Kumamoto University has succeeded in developing a refrigeration preservation technology that maintains the fertilization functionality of mouse sperm for 10 days.

From the Kumamoto International Desk of Obscure Town Names: Uneno (畝野)*. Let's get back to this in a minute.
Long ago, travel across Kyushu was hindered by rivers which blocked the most convenient valley routes. Today, driving up Rt. 218 as it traipses between ranges before suddenly diving into a valley, you'll come across two parallel bridges crossing Midorikawa, one built rather recently and the other in the mid-1800s called Reidaikyo (霊台橋). Stop your car, get out, and look.
Though the route had been used since time immemorial, the lack of a bridge left crossing to forders and ferries in a narrow cleft on a river with thousands of upstream tributaries. Result = not good, survival-wise; the water could rise meters in seconds even when local conditions were fine. A sequence of smaller wooden bridges having been sequentially washed away, when the government in 1846 proposed a really big bridge made of stone, local enthusiasm was so great that an eventual 44,000 local citizens joined the 72 government masons sent, and the single-arched stone bridge was completed in one year, far earlier than planned. Thus the name etymology: Ancient Chinese texts regarding Confucian morals denote spontaneous acts of labor in support of public gain as 霊台建造 (which could be translated as "spirit-based construction"). So the name is kinda cool if you think about it.
Anyway, crossing whichever bridge will bring you to an extremely steep incline which will not end until you reach the far-away Yabe basin, and to your right, you'll see a large dam which has somewhat tamed the river. This area is a town called Uneno (畝野), which literally means "furrow fields" as the steep slopes only allowed contour farming. The area has degraded to mostly cedar plantation today (though its stone terraces remain), but the dam is still under charge of Uneno, and to beautify its concrete walls after a recent cleaning, they opted to paint a large Kumamon panoramic.
A lot of news about a very small area, but this is, after all, what comprises Kumamoto. - William
*Disclaimer: My father-in-law was from Tomochi, just uphill from Uneno.
壁の汚れ、洗い残して「くまモン」　緑川ダム管理所 - 熊本日日新聞
緑川ダム管理所の下の法面に完成した巨大な「くまモン」の絵。手前は町道＝美里町　美里町畝野の国土交通省緑川ダム管理所が１１月末、近くのコンクリート法面に、壁の汚れを部分的に洗い残して巨大な県のＰＲキャラ...

Kumamoto is famous for citrus. Two things you'll notice: (1) aside from the mikan, you'll probably have no idea what it is (don't worry - most Japanese don't either); (2) some of it is very large - like, bowling-ball size large.
Case in point: the Citrus maxima 'banpeiyu (晩白柚)'. The banpeiyu, similar to the avocado, is proof that God wasn't constantly paying attention during the design stage. It ended up with a massively thick rind encasing a sour, baseball-sized fruit. The name derives from Chinese - "ban"（晩）meaning "late" (in the season), "pei"（白, white), referring to the color of the mesocarp (inner rind), and "yu" (柚) - citrus.
The question has long been what to do with them (at least God made avocados really delicious), and, as is typical in Japanese culture with citrus you really don't want to eat, the answer has been to toss them in the bath. 晩白柚 contain a large amount of citrus oil in their rinds, which, when withdrawn by soothing, hot water, gives both women lustrous, glowing skin and their husbands time to sneak off for a beer.
If you'd like to try this, the Hinagu Onsen Collective, composing 11 onsen in what is the loveliest, most traditional onsen towns on the Yatsushiro Sea, is offering this chance through the end of January. For more info, please post below. - William
バンペイユ風呂、香り漂う　八代市・日奈久温泉 - 熊本日日新聞
さわやかな香りが広がるバンペイユ風呂＝8日、八代市　八代市の日奈久温泉で９日、冬の名物「バンペイユ風呂」が始まる。お披露目会が旅館金波楼で８日あり、世界最大級のかんきつ類といわれるバンペイユが湯船に浮?...

Hi! Joe posted about this event the other day but, just in case someone might like to participate, I'll post again.
I contacted the organizers and learned that all but one of the presentations will be done in Japanese. It costs Y9,000 to participate but, if you attend the party afterwards, you get to hobnob with a lot of movers and shakers. (Note: I read this on the web but I got another notice through my university that you can watch the presentations free of charge and that the "after party" costs 5,000 yen. The web figure of 9,000 is still up but I suspect the notice from Kumamoto Gakuen University, where the event will be held is correct.) I think that interaction between the people who were willing to pay for the live conference was part of the idea behind the original TED conferences too.
At any rate, it will be held of Sunday so if you're interested you should hurry. (I first wrote "hurry" because the web page indicates that you need to apply in advance. However, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to get in if you just show up.)
-- Kirk
http://www.tedxkumamoto.com/event_tedxkumamoto2017.html

Ms. Ogata published an article in the Guarding presenting her perspective on the issue. Recommended reading!
Here's one quote that I think gets to the crux of the matter: ". . . this isn’t a women’s problem – it is a management issue."
-- Kirk
I tried to take my child to work with me in Japan – but I got thrown out
As a city councillor I have come to see the huge obstacles that are put in the way of working mothers. For the benefit of all things have to change

Kumanichi reported on the tunnel under construction between Ozu and Aso to replace that crumbled section of Rt. 57. Apparently, building a tunnel is similar to cooking in that the most efficient way to proceed is not necessarily how the food comes out but different in that you also have to excavate evacuation routes (something perhaps recommended for some places I've eaten). Anyway, they're proceeding at what for boring is a lickety-split pace, with over 10% of the entire 3.7km length complete across various sections. The tunnel is expected to open in 2020. - William
二重峠トンネル、掘削１割　大津町長、町議ら現場視察 - 熊本日日新聞
急ピッチで工事が進む二重峠トンネル・大津工区の本坑掘削現場＝大津町　大津町の家入勲町長と同町議が５日、同町古城の国道５７号・北側復旧ルートの二重峠［ふたえのとうげ］トンネル工事の掘削現場を、初めて視察...

Yuki and Sean are back with a special English-based culinary class scheduled for 12/23. The theme for this class is Tex-Mex, a combination of Texas and Mexican traditional foods. Please feel free to message for more information. - William

Have you ever had difficultly sending money abroad from Japan?
Several years ago, when I had just moved to Kumamoto, I needed to send about $1000 back home. I didn’t have many options for sending the money, so I settled on Western Union. But the fees were extremely high — around 15-20%! Paying $150 dollars felt unreasonably expensive.
I think it crossed my mind to send money using bitcoin, but I was totally clueless about it at that time. Moreover, the people to whom I was sending money also knew nothing about bitcoin.
Fast forward to today, and bitcoin is gradually gaining mainstream acceptance along with other “crypto currencies”.
While doing some research on which coins to invest my money in, I came across a project called “Monaco Card”. It’s a prepaid Visa debit card that automatically converts bitcoin or other crypto currencies in your account to local currencies (e.g. $¥€£) when you purchase something. It also converts bitcoin to local currencies when you make withdrawals from ATMs.
In anticipation of going back to Japan next Spring, I’ve signed myself and my family up for Monaco Cards so that we can easily (and cheaply) send money to one another and withdraw it from ATMs.
If the card sounds useful to you, consider signing up for the wait list here:
https://get.mona.co/IVWT/kLh77gdYxI
Thanks for reading,
-Noel
▲Neither Kumamoto International nor I profit from this link. I’m simply sharing this information because it seems really useful to the Kumamoto expat community!▲
Launch Monaco
Please make sure the following badge appears in the app to make sure the referral works. You might need to click the referral link again.

Are you in elementary or JHS? If so, quick, call your parents! I'll wait....
Okay, all gathered round? The ＦＯＲ　ＫＵＭＡＭＯＴＯ　ＰＲＯＪＥＣＴ (weird font in the original), a non-profit supporting earthquake recovery, announced plans to establish the "Kumamon Dance Group Project" and from 12/1 is recruiting 50 participants from the above demographic. Application deadline is 12/8, and participants are expected to perform in an event in March. Call ０９６（３１９）８０１１ or visit the site below.
Lessons will be held once monthly on the 14th-floor hall of City Hall. The first lesson is 12/17 and will be instructed by Kumamoto-born Nesumisu-san of the group Exile (the dance will be to their song "Rising Son") and someone else whose name I don't recognize but is probably important enough to have his/her name printed. - William
https://forkumamoto.yahoo.co.jp/
https://this.kiji.is/309932233257616481?c=92619697908483575
FOR KUMAMOTO PROJECT - Yahoo! JAPAN
【FOR KUMAMOTO PROJECT】くまモン募金箱 – 熊本地震災害支援・復興支援募金 –

Alarm is a matter of degree. (Case in point, this Steven Wright quote: “You know when you're sitting on a chair and you lean back so you're just on two legs and you lean too far so you almost fall over but at the last second you catch yourself? I feel like that all the time...”) I'm far from that level of paranoia, but certain events regarding North Korea have caught my attention. I have two students who work for the Self Defense Force, and both have said a sudden increased work level will prevent them from attending until further notice.
Kengun (健軍 ー literary, "build the military") has been a major base since the Meiji era. It is currently the headquarters of the Western Army, tasked with defending Kyushu and Okinawa. As such, it is a potential target for North Korea's inaccurate intermediate missiles if hostilities do break out. Read more about the Western Army at the link. - William
Western Army (Japan) - Wikipedia
The Western Army (西部方面隊) is one of five active Armies of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is headquartered in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture. Its responsibility is the defense of Kyūshū and Okinawa.

Here's some tourism news about Kumamoto. I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news regards cruise ships coming to Yatsushiro port.
First, the following Japanese article, which came out in May of this year, says that the port is expecting 75 cruise ship visits this year, 7.5 times last year:
http://www.sankei.com/region/news/170526/rgn1705260016-n1.html
The next article, also in Japanese, says that they are doing work on Yatsushiro port to make it possible for 220,000 ton cruise ships to dock there. The work is scheduled to be completed by March of 2020, in time for the olympics.
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLZO11845140Y7A110C1LX0000/
The bad is that 2016, the year the earthquake hit, was a bad year for tourism -- no surprise there. The number of foreign tourists visiting Kumamoto dropped to 4.6 million, down about a million from the previous year. It was the first time to go under a million in 9 years.
On the positive side, I think the increase in cruise ships and other factors should lead to significantly better numbers in coming years.
-- Kirk

Here's a bit of jaw-dropping news that is not specific to Kumamoto but definitely strikes me as relevant discussions we've been having recently.
The opening sentence of the article, which summarizes the ruling, says that a Kobe judge has ruled that a law, currently in force, that allows the husband to declare that a child borne be his wife is not his, but does NOT allow the wife to make such a legal claim, is constitutional. (Insert image of jaw dropping to floor here.) It seems to me that the woman might have some idea of who the father of her baby is (I'm not sure, you know, being a man and all, but I think many women probably notice who it is that they are engaging with when doing the business of baby making) but the woman has no legal right to declare that, if I have understood the ruling correctly -- and the judge says this is all constitutional and no problem in terms of equality of the sexes. Someone, please tell me that I've misunderstood this. I heard about it on the news today and couldn't believe my ears. Reading the Japanese text gives me the sinking feeling that I understood the news report correctly the first time.
「妻が産んだ子どもを法律上自分の子どもではないと求める手続きを、夫にだけ認めた民法の規定が、憲法に違反するかどうかが初めて争われた裁判で、神戸地方裁判所は「法律的に子どもの身分の安定を保つもので、合理性がある」として、憲法に違反しないという判断を示しました。 」
-- Kirk
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20171129/k10011239771000.html

The problem of suspects being pushed to make false confessions is not unique to Japan but, since protections for suspects being interrogated are relatively weak, it has long been recognized as a serious problem in Japan's legal system. The first death sentence in Japan to be overturned because the confession was eventually ruled to have been forced was that of Menda Sakae of Kumamoto. Here's another such case regarding a crime that occurred in Kumamoto. This one, however, isn't over yet.
-- Kirk
High court upholds retrial of man convicted of 1985 Kumamoto murder | The Japan Times
A high court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision to retry an 84-year-old man who served prison time for fatally stabbing an acquaintance in Kumamoto

In this post, I'd like to present two articles that provide some additional information and updates on the Ogata Yuka baby-in-city-council controversy. First, the image you see is from a BuzzFeed article about the case. The second article
Lawmaker who brought baby to assembly receives written warning
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/lawmaker-who-brought-baby-to-assembly-receives-written-warning
is, as the title indicates, about a formal warning she has received.
-- Kirk
https://www.buzzfeed.com/bradesposito/yuka-ogata?utm_term=.lvop7nnnR#.bpZnpVVVA
Everything You Need To Know About The "Controversial" Japanese Politician Who Brought Her Son To Work
The Kumamoto Prefecture assembly waited 40 minutes before Japanese politician Yuka Ogata left the chamber with her son.