Posts

From the Kumamoto International Slow News Day Desk: The Kumanichi reports that police in Oyano, Amakusa have taken into custody a goat found loitering at a local seaside park. Wearing a collar and comfortable with humans, the goat exhibits evidence of once being someone's goat, but despite a thorough questioning of local residents, that someone remains obscure.
The goat has been registered with the police as a lost and found item. If not claimed within three months, the goat will either be auctioned or, (according to the article), "police will redouble their efforts to locate its owner."
In the meantime, the goat was tethered inside the police station grounds but had eaten well over half the grass there so has since been entrusted to a local citizen. The article quotes the goat as commenting only, "Umeiiii～."
- William
迷いヤギ、飼い主どこに？　上天草署が保護 - 熊本日日新聞
上天草署が拾得物として保管しているヤギ＝上天草市　上天草市大矢野町で飼い主不明のヤギ（全長約６０センチ、全高約４０センチ）が見つかり、通報を受けた上天草署員が保護した。拾得物として署が預かっている。 　９日、「宮津海遊公園付近をヤギがうろう...

Here's some information about an event that planned for November 3rd. Personally, I'm a fan of these mini fireworks. I think they're a nice example of "compact culture" in Japan (the idea that bigger isn't always better).
-- Kirk
https://www.facebook.com/events/135731733840625/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2229%22%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3A%22plan_user_invited%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&notif_id=1508064149796986&notif_t=plan_user_invited

The fireworks were held in Ezuko as scheduled, despite the rain. I didn't go but I could hear the explosions and was able to see some of the bursts of color from a footbridge in my neighborhood.
Meanwhile, some natural pyrotechnics have been on display to our south in the Kirishima area (only about 40 kilometers or so from Kumamoto's southern border). I found the YouTube video here:
http://mashable.com/2017/10/13/volcano-japan-drone-eruption/
-- Kirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hud-QRuFPJA
Aerial Footage Shows Eruption at Shinmoedake Volcano
To use this video in a commercial player or broadcast, contact [email protected] Credit: James Reynolds via Storyful Original video: https:/www.youtube....

This movie about the Kumamoto earthquake will be broadcast on Monday beginning at 15:55 on KAB. A French-speaking foreigner, played by Loic Garnier, is a central character in the drama. The reviews are pretty good but I'm a bit apprehensive about the portrayal of a bewildered foreigner who insists of speaking French to all of the Japanese people he meets. I doubt that a French-speaking person who had some reason to come to Kumamoto would be unable to string a few basic English words together to at least attempt to communicate with people. Still, at this point I've only seen the YouTube trailer so I should reserve judgment.
Here's the programing note I saw:
http://tv.so-net.ne.jp/schedule/157384201710161555.action
-- Kirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u2FioiLZ7k
うつくしいひとサバ？ 予告篇

Yamaga in Taiwan . . . but Vice Governor Ono's name is misspelled.
-- Kirk
Carrefour’s Japan Week reaches climax with Kumamoto dance and cookie workshop | Taiwan News
The rice cookie workshop and lantern dance performance rendered customers a unique cultural experience..The Japan Week taking place each October is one of the most important activities for Carrefour in a year, and this time, the French supermarket chain has put on sale more than 100 local products f...

This is not a Kumamoto-specific item but when I shared a bit of news about Ishiguro and his roots in nearby Nagasaki, quite a few readers seemed to be interested so I thought I'd share this as well. It's a link to re-edited versions of WNYC (a New York City public radio station) interviews with the author from 2005 and 2015. Actually, if I had known in advance, I would have posted about a lecture by Ishiguro that NHK broadcast recently. The NHK broadcast allowed viewers to choose between the original English and Japanese overdubbing. I happened to catch that and was very impressed with Ishiguro's description of the importance of the Japanese side of his identity and his quiet, modest way of speaking. I haven't had a chance to listen to this compilation of WNYC interviews yet but I have no doubt that literature fans will find it to be of interest. The interviewer, Leonard Lopate, is also very good, in my opinion. You can download the mp3 to listen on favorite device at your leisure.
-- Kirk
Kazuo Ishiguro: Winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature was just awarded to Kazuo Ishiguro. Leonard spoke with the author in 2005, and 10 years later in 2015.

If you'd like to read about this in Japanese, you can find an article at
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017101100157&g=eco
-- Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003996767

Joe Tomei here. I usually don't pass on student surveys (though I don't mind if people do so), but this one, from a student of Simon Bibby in Kobe was actually quite thought-provoking. I encourage Japanese readers of the list to fill it out, I think it is an interesting challenge to possible preconceptions! The message and link are below
=====
Hi everyone,
Miku from my graduation thesis class asked me to post this, to reach a more international audience. Topic of thesis, and this super-short questionnaire: What is 'made in Japan'?
She'd be very grateful if people can fill in a quick 2-3 minute survey. Thank you, I appreciate it too!
Particularly timely, noting the recent Nobel Prize for Literature award - Ishiguro was actually in the survey before.
Thank you all! :)
Questionnaire　アンケート
I am researching about "What does 'made in Japan' mean?" for my graduation thesis. Please rate '1' to '5' the extent to which you think these items below are 'made in Japan'. 1 is lowest, meaning 'not at all made in Japan'; and 5 is highest, meaning 'certainly made in Japan' The questionnaire will t...

Today, October 11, is the International Day of the Girl Child. I saw something on the web reminding me of that fact a few minutes ago and thought I'd check to see if anything had been planned for Kumamoto. I searched in both English and Japanese but came up mostly empty-handed in both languages. This post is from five years ago.
As I see it, there are many places in the world where girls face far more severe challenges than they do here in Japan. Still, it seems like a nice occasion to send positive, encouraging messages to the girls of Kumamoto. Perhaps next year some event will be planned. :)
-- Kirk
Celebrating the International Day of the Girl Child in Tokyo
Did you know the UN has over 60 information centres around the world? From time to time, we promote their activities and special events on this blog. The first-ever International Day of the Girl Ch…

Hello all - I just wanted to piggyback on Mark and Kirk's posts and share a bit more information about the Kumamoto Mizuakari festival with you, as it's an event that's very close to my heart (and I'm sad not to be in Kumamoto this year to experience it). If you're in Kumamoto and didn't get to see all of the lights and lanterns yesterday, please think about going today!
The festival was started in 2004 as part of an effort to celebrate the unique beauty and heart of Kumamoto and the diverse people who live there. In recent years it has featured over 50,000 candles, thousands of lanterns, and the hard work of thousands of craftspeople, volunteers, and organizers. I first saw it in 2012 only a few short weeks after arriving in Kumamoto. It was my first time living in another country, and to say that I was stressed is an understatement. The Mizuakari festival was one of the first events that made me feel like I was living as part of a community, and it will always be one of my dearest memories.
This year and last year, though, it's taken on a deeper meaning as a symbol of support and perseverance in the face of the damage caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. Not only does it show the creativity and dedication of the crasftpeople and volunteers who make the festival possible (not just in Kumamoto but also around the world - thanks, Mark!) - it's also a way for people to come together and express hope for the future. Working together is what makes us strong.
I wanted to share a short video with you about last year's festival. If you can read Japanese, you'll note that many of the lanterns are decorated with messages of love and support in face of the earthquakes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MhyGvI3u24
I also wanted to share one of my Mizuakari photos from when I was living in Kumamoto. If you were able to go this year, please think about sharing some of your photos with us!
-Grace

Hi everyone, joe tomei here. Apologies for the slightly selfish post, but it is less than a month to The Sinfonietta concert, a all Brahms concert featuring the Brahms Double Concerto and Brahms 3rd Symphony. The concert is scheduled for Sun Nov 5th doors open at 1:45, concert starts at 2:30. I do have tickets for pre-purchase. Feel free to contact me at tomeiter (at) gmail
The Sinfonietta is a local orchestra so if you play an instrument (especially strings) and would like to join, please let me know. We play one concert a year and you can see the rehearsal information and previous concerts at this website
http://www.the-sinfonietta.org/

This images shows the morning route for Monday's festival parade. Personally, I'd recommend the beginning at about 6 AM that day. That's when everyone is fresh, sober (for the most part) and looking their best.
-- Kirk
P.S. I took the image from a pdf put out by the police to show areas where traffic will be restricted that day:
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/police/page1060.html

I don't share all of the news leads that I get about medical research at Kumamoto University but this one is especially intriguing. In this and other articles, research at Kumamoto University is cited as having the potential to lead to an actual cure -- not just a treatment -- for HIV infections.
The first article I saw on this topic (which I'm not sharing this time) sounded a bit sensationalistic so a did a little more digging on the web and found the following article on a medical website:
A new method for removing cells infected with the AIDS virus
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-10-method-cells-infected-aids-virus.html
It looks like the claim of "promise" is legit.
-- Kirk
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/new-breakthrough-could-one-day-lead-to-aids-cure/
New Breakthrough Could One Day Lead To AIDS Cure
HIV affects 1.1 million people in the US, and around one in seven of these people aren’t aware they have it. So far, there is no cure for the virus, but ne

"Born in 1954 in Nagasaki but educated in Britain, Kazuo Ishiguro is known for, among other things, his lyrical prose, his acute sense of place and for his masterful parsing of the British class system."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/books/nobel-prize-literature.html
"He earned a Master’s degree in 1980 and became a British citizen in 1982, the year he published his first novel, 'A Pale View of Hills,' which is set in Nagasaki after the atomic bombing."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/kazuo-ishiguro-wins-nobel-prize-in-literature/2017/10/05/c9869a30-a91b-11e7-92d1-58c702d2d975_story.html
Nagasaki isn't Kumamoto . . . but it's pretty close! :)
-- Kirk
Kazuo Ishiguro Is Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature
The British author’s best sellers include “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go.”

Here's a blog post from our friends at the Kumamoto Islamic Center.
-- Kirk
Initiate collaboration, KIF visit Kumamoto Islamic Center to discuss some opportunity
Kumamoto (28/7). A meeting between Kumamoto International Foundation (KIF) and Kumamoto Islamic Center (KIC) was held on Friday 28 July 2017 at 11.00-12.00 am. From KIC, Br Rahmat , Br Imam Sheeraa…

The article doesn't mention it, but I think they'll probably train at the Aqua Dome:
http://kc-sks.com/aqua/floor.html
It's a 50 meter long, 10 lane pool -- probably the most suitable pool in Kumamoto for olympic athletes.
-- Kirk
https://swimswam.com/germany-make-training-camp-kumamoto-tokyo-2020/
Germany to make training camp in Kumamoto before Tokyo 2020
The German Swimming Association (DSV) is cooperating with the city of Kumamoto (Japan) where the immediate competition preparations before the 2020 Olympic

Apparently, Mashiki's earthquake data may have been fudged (falsified). I think the "jury's still out" on this one but questions have been raised.
-- Kirk
Researchers' work questioned after errors discovered in Kumamoto quake data | The Japan Times
Research by academics from two major universities has come into question after data from a notably strong earthquake in Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, was f

Fish kanji demonstrate deep imagination. Below is a link to a Japan Times article explaining the etymology of a few. One (or two, actually) refer to the Pacific saury (sanma, 秋刀魚 - yes, they've managed to use 3 kanji to make a 2-syllable word. This is called gikun 義訓, a reading of kanji that has no correspondence to the characters' individual on'yomi or kun'yomi). As you can see, it literally means "autumn sword fish" as it is caught in autumn, is shaped like a sword, and is a fish. The season's first saury catch, which occurs as they migrate from their summer waters north of Hokkaido into waters off Tohoku, is called "shin sanma" and is written 鰶 (here, 3 syllables with 1 kanji!), literally meaning "festival fish".
The Oe chapel of the Japan Lutheran Church will hold its annual sanma festival to benefit both Tohoku, which has graciously provided the sanma, and Kumamoto disaster victims, after services (noonish) this Sunday, 10/8 (take home or eat there; the chapel has a cafe cozily decorated with English antique furniture). The chapel is behind Kyushu Gakuin, everyone is extremely friendly, and all are welcome. - William
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2009/05/20/language/fish-kanji-help-you-hook-the-perfect-meal-2/#.WdQ6zlS0NEE

Joe Tomei here, we've been asked to post this job notice. Please contact the person listed below. Thanks
Hello. Maple Tree International School in Higashi-ku is looking for fun, energetic and dedicated teachers who love working with very young children. Our main students' age groups are from 1.5 year-olds to 6 year-olds. We offer different types of positions below and competitive wages.(Contact us for more details)
**Part time position(starting as soon as possible) ①Mon~Fri.15:00-16:30 (1.5h ¥3,750)
*Approx. monthly wage:¥75,000 ②Mon~Fri.9:15~11:45 (2.5h ¥3,750)
*Approx. monthly wage:¥75,000 ③Mon~Fri.9:00~14:00 (5h ¥7,500)
*Approx. monthly wage:¥150,000 ④Tue.17:00~18:00 (1h ¥3,000)
*Approx. monthly wage:¥12,000 ⑤Thu.18:00~19:00 (1h ¥3,000)
*Approx. monthly wage:¥12,000 ⑥Fri.17:00~18:00 (1h ¥3,000)
*Approx. monthly wage:¥12,000
**Full time position(Staring from April 2018 or earlier) ⑦Mon~Sat.8:30~18:00(Sat.9:00-17:00)
Please send us your resume and a recent photo of you to [email protected] Thank you in advance, Kenshi Narimatsu

Here's something for the academics among our readership.
Sorry to be late to share this. Fortunately, there's still some time before the submission deadline.
-- Kirk