Posts
Here's a share from Kuma Visit. -- Kirk
Kirk here. Today I'd like to share something that is tangentially related to Kumamoto (TSMC specifically) and something I think is just plain amazing, regardless of whether or not it's connected to Kumamoto. First of all, if you are like me until recently, you may not know that Nvidia is the third largest tech company in the world as measured by market capitalization. That puts it ahead of Google and Amazon!!
Kirk here with a list, in simple Japanese, of various expat communities in Kumamoto. This kind of information is very welcome because I think a lot can be gained by bringing communities together, even if only through the sharing of information online, especially in emergencies (national disasters, etc.). There are several communities with which I am not familiar (and therefore haven't been able to introduce on this page) so I'm glad to learn about them. There are also several groups and sources of information that I know well and have mentioned or quoted on this page many times. Among them (in alphabetical order):
It we can get beyond the "yuck" factor, it's probably a good idea. -- Kirk
Kirk here. A while ago I posted about the opening of the new Kumamoto Children's Book Forest (children's library; こども本の森 熊本) and asked if anyone had been inside to check out the collection of books in English. Although I got quite a few comments, no one reported on what they actually observed inside in that regard (see the url at the end of this post). Part of the problem may have been that it's not at all easy to gain admission. It's a very popular place and so, to prevent little kids from being trampled by a stampede of curious adults, they require that you have a reservation and limit the number of reservations they will take for any single period.
According to the article, the luminescence is caused by the presence of a large number of noctiluca, a plankton that glows when stimulated. The article says that the video was recorded on April 16 in Amakusa. A map in the video that's embedded in the article shows the exact location:
Ironically, this old guy seemed to imagine that he was teaching some elementary school girls good manners by punching one of them in the face. -- Kirk
Kirk here with a job notice from Greg Howes at Freedom English School
Joe Tomei with Funky Friday Finds. Just down the road from where we were last week, Tatomiya sandwich cafe is Kohaku ramen, alternatively Shoyusobakohaku.
URL copied and pasted by Kirk (It's hard work but someone's gotta do it. ;) )
As one might expect, the arrival of TSMC is making life difficult for farmers in the area. -- Kirk
There was an earthquake after 11 PM. The shaking in Kumamoto City was relatively mild but my phone went nuts (wake up and run for cover!!). Shikoku had more intense shaking. -- Kirk
Kirk here. I got this is my feed today:
Kirk here with some notes on pdf publications in various languages that provide information for residents. The languages are やさしい日本語 (Easy Japanese), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), 中文（簡体字） (Simplified Chinese), 中文（繁体字） (Traditional Chinese), Tagalog, bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian), नेपाली (Nepali), English, 한국어 (Korean), မြန်မာ (Burmese), ខ្មែរ (Khmer). They are available at the following URL:
Here's an article on the machiya (traditional wooden townhouses) of Uki City. Kyoto is famous for such buildings but you can see them right here in Kumamoto. -- Kirk
Don't be fooled by the headline -- Kumamoto is actually recognized as one of the BEST mannered places in Japan. Of course, I can't vouch for the scientific reliability of the survey -- but I'm pleased with the result just the same. ;) -- Kirk
Kirk here with a video report (in English) on the eighth anniversary of the quakes.
Kirk here with something about Kumamoto Square. The URL of the website I took a screenshot of is here:
Kirk here. It's been eight years since the 2016 quakes. In addition to being a life-changing event for everyone who experienced it, the disaster kept the volunteer editors of this page (including yours truly) quite busy. I may write a bit about that some other day.
