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Aging entails increased stubbornness; an interesting aspect of stubbornness is self-perpetuation: I refuse to relinquish my enjoyment of the condition.
For example, young people these days depend excessively on electronic devices, few of which I own because I am old and stubborn. Turns out that car navigators continue to point drivers headed towards Aso and beyond up Route 57 despite it being buried under tons of muck. Overhead road signs have been re-written and many roadside signs also indicate the detour, yet the area continues to be plagued by drivers oblivious to their surroundings who then have to U-turn. This annoys local residents, as this Kumanichi article points out, and worries about problems during the coming Golden Week abound.
Young people. Have a wonderful Golden Week - and pay attention to your surroundings! -
William
https://this.kiji.is/230522767142143476?c=92619697908483575
大型連休、カーナビ利用注意を　阿蘇地域不通区間“案内”も - 熊本日日新聞
国道５７号から阿蘇市方面に向かう分岐点の引水交差点。周辺に案内看板などが多数あるが、直進して通行止めのルートに向かう車両も多いという＝２５日、大津町　大型連休中に多くの観光客が見込まれる阿蘇地域で、熊本地震で寸断しているルートに向かう車両が...

Might be fun for kids. -- Kirk
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/04/21/help-rebuild-the-damaged-kumamoto-castle-by-buying-a-miniature-one-to-build-yourself/
Help rebuild the damaged Kumamoto Castle by buying a miniature one to build yourself
Build your own little castle, to help build something bigger.

This video (with English narration) won't last long so have a look while you can. -- Kirk
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170423_15/
Blue Impulse flies over quake-hit Kumamoto- News - NHK WORLD - English
Six aircraft from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's aerobatic flight team, Blue Impulse, flew over Kumamoto Castle on Sunday.

Here's a little video by F Rene Saint-Laurent that should give you an idea of what you may be able to see between 11:00 and 11:20 AM today in Kumamoto City, even if you are not in the immediate vicinity of the castle. -- Kirk

Hi! I try to share posts like this so that more people can find them, but sometimes I get busy and fail to do so for a while. Sorry 'bout that.
-- Kirk
Aso print sale for Aso Shrine
Aso Print sale - Limited edition photographic prints of Aso for sale, all proceeds to go to the Aso Shrine Restoration fund.

William posted about Blue Impulse a while back:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1409159995824095
The video is of today's rehearsal. The main event is scheduled for 11 AM (lasting about 20 minutes) tomorrow morning:
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp/hpkiji/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=5&id=15642
It should be visible from much of Kumamoto but you might want to look for an unobstructed view from a relatively high point.
-- Kirk
https://youtu.be/ONDBg3wjF7A?t=55s
ブルーインパルス 熊本復興を願って (会場:熊本城二の丸広場)【熊本復興 飛翔祭2017】
2017年4月22日(土) 熊本城二の丸広場にて 熊本復興 飛翔祭2017 ブルーインパルスが熊本の空に!

A while back I asked about whether, when addressing a foreigner in Japanese, one should add "-san" or not. しばらく前に、外国人と日本語で話す場合に呼び捨てにすべきかどうかについて聞きました。The results were clear. 明確な答えが出ました。90% of the foreigners who responded that they are "fairly or quite fluent" in Japanese think that the norms that Japanese people follow when speaking to other Japanese people should apply when they speak in Japanese with foreigners. 今回、「割と、あるいはかなり日本語ができる」と答えた外国人の9割は外国人であっても、日本語で話しているなら、日本人と話す場合と同じような基準で呼び方を決めるべきだと答えました。Simply put, the vast majority of foreigners who responded rejected the notion that it's OK to apply "yobisute" (address without a polite suffix like "-san") to foreigners merely because they are foreigners. 簡単に言えば、「外国人だから呼び捨てでいい」という発想は、アンケートに答えた圧倒的多数の外国人によって否定されました。
Here are the results. 結果は次の通りです。
Primary question / 中心的な質問
When conversing in Japanese with a foreigner (particularly, a Westerner), some Japanese people address the person as they would another Japanese person (that is, adding honorific suffixes such as -san) while others leave such suffixes off. 日本語で外国人（特に西洋人）と会話する際、日本人と会話している時と同じく「さん」などの敬称を使う日本人もいれば、使わない日本人もいます。In situations where you don't know the person's preference, which approach do you think is better as a general rule of thumb? 相手の希望がわからない場合には、一般論として、どちらのやり方が望ましいでしょうか。
Answer choices / 選択肢
1. When speaking Japanese, follow the norms of Japanese (use suffixes like -san) when addressing foreigners / 日本語で話している場合には、日本語の慣例に従って「さん」などの敬称を名前につける
2. Even if you are speaking Japanese, if you are speaking with a foreigner, follow the norms of English by not using honorific suffixes such as -san / 日本語で話していても、相手が外国人であれば英語の習慣に従って呼び捨てにする
3. Other / その他
Results / 結果
All 80 respondents /　すべての回答者（80人）
1. 67 (84%)
2. 7 (9%)
3. 6 (8%)
Foreigners [lower-level Japanese / high-level Japanese] / 外国人 [低日本語能力 / 高日本語能力]
1. 58 (89%) [11　(85%) / 47 (90%)]
2. 4 (6%) [0　(0%) / 4 (6%)]
3. 3 (5%) [2　(15%) / 1 (2%)]
Here are the responses that were typed in the "Other" category / "その他"への書き込みは次のとおり
(a) Either way is fine. Dont make it too complicated.
(b) Ask the foreigner what they prefer.
(c) I don't speak Japanese enough to converse fluently, however, if people using the honorific "san" is an issue for them, why are they here. Go home. I mean really? It is a matter of respect. I don't understand why something so trivial would be an issue for anyone.
Foreigners [native English speakers / non-native English speakers] / 外国人 [英語母語 / 英語非母語]
1. 58 (89%) [55　(89%) / 8 (89%)]
2. 4 (6%) [4　(7%) / 0 (0%)]
3. 3 (5%) [2　(4%) / 1 (11%)]
Japanese / 日本人
1. 9 (60%)
2. 3 (20%)
3. 3 (20%)
Here are the responses that were typed in the "Other" category / "その他"への書き込みは次のとおり
(a) 初対面の方は敬称で、友達は呼び捨て又はちゃん付け
(b) 相手の年齢やキャラクターによる。
(c) 場所、状況、人間関係によりますが、例えば、友だちであっても仕事中にその友だちの事を話す場合は"さん"をつけます。初対面で初めて名前を呼ぶ時も付けるでしょう。友だちなったらcasualなsituationならつけないと思います。
At the end of there survey, respondents could type any comments they wished. Here are the comments organized by response to the main question. アンケートの最後に、自由記述の欄を入れました。中心的な問いへの答え別に整理した書き込みは次の通りです。
1. Treat foreigners like Japanese /　外国人であっても日本人と同じように
(a) Personally, I don't mind if people I'm fairly close with, like my friends and coworkers, leave off the -san. But if strangers do it, it feels really rude, because why are you treating me different from anyone else? Also, strangers don't know where I'm from and what my first language is - it's entirely possible that I could have grown up in Japan and have Japanese citizenship. Just because I look different isn't a reason to treat me different. If we're speaking Japanese, we should follow the rules of Japanese. If we're speaking English, we should follow the rules of English.
(b) Addressing foreigners without the san or Mr. /Ms. shows not only lack of respect, but also discrimination (referring to them as something lower than a pet animal that would get a - chan)
(c) You should follow the rules of the language you are speaking regardless of the nationality or race of the interlocutor. Would you refer to another human as an 'it', if they were different to you?
(d) If speaking Japanese, they should also follow the custom of [family name]san and not assume that because a stranger is a foreigner, they want to be called [given name]san. (Which would never be done with native speakers of Japanese)
(e) I think some people are operating under the assumption that the foreigner wants to be called by his/her first name. Of course, this is not always true. They need to be aware that even among native speakers, people say, "Oh, call me (first name or nickname)" which is granting permission as some people don't really like being called by their first names by strangers. It can be off-putting and too familiar-- and without the "-san" come off as rather rude.
(f) 私は日本語を習った時、授業で"さん"を使うのが普通でした。なので、相手が初対面に使わないとちょっと不思議に思います。別に怒るわけじゃありませんが、相手との距離とか、相手の希望とかは分からないこともあるから、使うと助かります。友達同士に呼び捨てしても構いませんが。
(g) It depends on the situation, relationship, or how the person call me. If the person call me with -san, I don't think it's good idea that I call them without -san. And if the relationship is not that close, we had better call them with suffix.
(h) I employ and expect people, when speaking Japanese, to employ the conventions of the language and culture when using it. I employ and expect people, when speaking English, to employ the conventions of the language and culture when using it.
I feel Japanese conventions should be followed, as it is the host nation, but I feel the speakers should address each other using the conventions associated with communicating with Japanese people. (ie. not treating non-Japanese as exceptional in the language used, I feel this is more likely to cause offence). The individuals can then agree amongst themselves as to how casual the conversation can become. (ie. Just "Tom" is ok from here in, rather than "Tom-san or Tom-sensei".)
(i) 私は日本人ですが、敬称をつけるかつけないかは、仮に日本人に対してであってもケースバイケースです。外国人に対しても、ケースバイケースだと思います
(j) Japanese cultural traditions instruct to present respect to others who are not exactly well known to the speaker, a stranger for example. Depends of the person, if they want to show tremendous respect.
(k) Go by the conventions of the language you are speaking regardless of your conversation partner. Your assumptions about who they are and how they prefer to communicate in their native language may not be correct. Why would you deviate from the convention of what is considered polite just because the person you are talking to is Japanese? Moderating language for understanding is fine but omitting a key way of being polite is not.
(l) May be just me but I also find it irritating when Japanese people are referred to by their surname (plus -san) which is polite, whereas they'll refer to the non-Japanese person by first name. Maybe they are using what they think is a western convention however I feel like I'm being treated like a child. It often happens at the doctors or eye clinic they'll call out my first name but everyone else is by surname. Makes me feel like it's just one more way to make me "different".
(m) 現在私は通訳の仕事をしています。相手のファーストネームに「さん」を付けるのは余り親しく無い相手或いは敬意を表すべき相手で親しくなったら年上でも「さん」を付けないで呼びます。日本では基本的に年上の人には「さん」を付けます。
今私が接するような外国の人達、日本在住かそうで無いに拘わらず、同じです。
(n) Exception to be added for fellow students at university. In Kumadai and Sojo, no foreigners I know used an honorific to talk to one another.
But it's not part of the survey, is it?
2. OK to omit "-san" if the person is a foreigner /　外国人なら呼び捨てはOK
(a) 外国人の方が呼び捨てで呼ばれる事に抵抗感を抱くほどに日本の生活に馴染み(生まれが日本、幼少期から日本で生活した、日本以外の学校を卒業後日本に関心を持ち日本へ来て生活している人)、日本語に長けている方を日本人は"みなし日本人"として接する必要がある。敬語の存在は知っているが使い分けがわからない外国人の方には敢えて使う必要はないと思う。
3. Other / その他
(a) (from person who wrote "Go home") Hope I didn't come across too harsh. I nod my head in disbelief at some of the pettiness that time is wasted on. :-)
Note about language skill / 日本語能力に関するメモ
In regard to the skill level of the non-native speakers of English all respondents fell into one of two categories: 1) little or no Japanese or 2) fairly or quite fluent. Two respondents said they were between these two categories. As I interpreted this to mean "not yet 'fairly fluent'", I put them in the "little or no Japanese" category. 外国人の日本語能力については「
割とできる」に達していない人と「割とできる」以上の二つに分類しました。アンケートの中にあった二つの選択肢の中間ぐらいのレベルであると書いた回答者は二人いましたが、まだ「割とできる」に達していないということで、低い方のカテゴリに入れました。
P.S. I'll add some comments in another post. This post contains the basic results. / 改めて他の投稿で結果についてコメントします。まず、ここで基本的なデータや結果を投稿したいと思い、以上のことを書きました。
Kirk

The article mentions the fine work done by Kumustaka here in Kumamoto last year. The topic of how to better provide information to the foreign community is one I prepared a video about and presented at the International Center last Sunday. After I tweak it a bit, I plan to share it here.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/20/national/efforts-underway-better-support-foreign-nationals-times-disaster/
Efforts underway to better support foreign nationals in times of disaster | The Japan Times
Efforts are underway by local governments across the nation to support non-Japanese in times of natural disaster as the number of foreign nationals living

According to this article, "the recovery of tourism has been tardy in the city of Aso, although it has Mt. Aso, one of the most famous sightseeing spots in the prefecture in the Kyushu region, partly because of the slow pace of restoration in transport infrastructure."
-- Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003638920
Slow travel recovery hampers Aso tourism
ASO, Kumamoto (Jiji Press) — Many sightseeing spots in Kumamoto Prefecture are gradually winning back visitors a year after a series of powerful earthquakes.

I'm a bit late in sharing this article but I think it provides a good overview of where we are now, a year after the quakes. -- Kirk
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170414/p2g/00m/0dm/004000c
Grief, resolve mixed as Kumamoto marks 1st quake anniv. - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO, Japan (Kyodo) -- Japan on Friday marked the first anniversary of strong earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture that caused more than 200 deaths, with governments and those affected pledging to overcome the disaster and accelerate efforts at reconstruction.

I know it's the wrong time of year to post this but I just heard that Ezuko is particularly beautiful at sunrise in the winter. As I heard it, because Ezuko is fed by springs, the water temperature is relatively constant all year. So, in the winter, the difference in temperature between the air and the water causes mist (moya) to form on the water, making for stunning scenes that attract photographers. I learned about this recently from an competitive rower who is frequently practicing his rowing early in the morning on the lake. After I enjoy this year's summer, I looking forward to seeing this in the winter. -- Kirk
http://sirabird.exblog.jp/20138469/
湖面に湧き上がる朝霧（江津湖） | チャレンジ！　鳥、鉄、風･･･
朝の冷え込みが厳しくなると、早起きがいっそう億劫になります。そんな中で決心し、真っ白な朝霧が湧き上がる江津湖（熊本市）へ行ってきました。 　　※...

The recovery process is moving forward but progress is very uneven. The reports I've seen indicate that the pace of recovery is much, much slower in Minami Aso than in Kumamoto City. -- KIrk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201704130046.html
Railway waiting for Tokyo aid one year after Kyushu quakes：The Asahi Shimbun
MINAMI-ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--Dirt partially covers rusted railway tracks amid rubble near Tateno

The home you see, which is located in Mashiki-machi, belongs to the woman shown in the other picture as she is being arrested in Thailand on chargers of fraud. Of course, I don't know what really happened, but media reports give the impression that she got the money to build this mansion through nefarious activities. This issue is getting a lot of coverage in the national media.
-- Kirk
P.S. The Mainichi article came without images so I borrowed these from the following two sites:
http://japinfo.xyz/2017/04/06/山辺節子の住所自宅発覚！若いと思い込んでる服/
https://sukini164.com/yamabesetsuko-2-2585
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170419/p2g/00m/0dm/001000c

This was the first professional baseball game held in Kumamoto's Fujisakidai Stadium since the quakes last year. --Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/04/18/baseball/japanese-baseball/sugano-outduels-local-favorite-yamanaka-series-opener/
Sugano outduels local favorite Yamanaka in series opener | The Japan Times
A little more than a year after earthquakes rocked Kumamoto, Tomoyuki Sugano had local fans rocking as he pitched the Yomiuri Giants to a 3-0 Central Leagu

A recent image of the northern approach through the Tateno Gap, shown below, can only leave two words: not good. This is particularly so as rainy season approaches. Kumanichi reports that studies into nationalizing rehabilitation of the area have begun.
The article notes that the steep slopes of the inner edges of the caldera make it unique, thus justifying nationalization. What it doesn't say is, as you'll notice from the photograph, that if the hill continues to crumble and fills in Tateno Gap, a very large, unstable lake sitting right above Kumamoto City would be created. This would change "not good" into "very bad."
Nationalizing the problem would bring in more money and personnel to prevent this. Seems like they're finally realizing how serious this situation is.
-- William
https://this.kiji.is/227234572366659587?c=92619697908483575
阿蘇砂防事業、県の負担減めざし国直轄に　国交省検討 - 熊本日日新聞
阿蘇大橋付近の大規模な土砂崩れ現場。１年が経っても見た目は変わらないままだ（小型無人機で撮影）＝１６日、南阿蘇村（高見伸、園田琢磨）　国土交通省が、熊本地震で山腹崩壊や地滑りなどの被害が多発した阿蘇地域を対象に、土砂災害を防ぐ県の砂防事業を...

"Skilled masons are facing the daunting task of identifying where each stone was placed in the wall. They must then put the famed curved stone walls that supported the foundations of the castle back together like a jigsaw puzzle."
Recently, I saw a fascinating NHK documentary about how the design and construction of the curved walls (known as "mushagaeshi" in Japanese) helped many of the original walls remain standing while a larger percent of the the more recent, Meiji-period walls collapsed. More about that later.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201704140031.html
Masons work to put Kumamoto Castle walls back together again：The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--On the one-year anniversary of the start of the devastating Kumamoto earthquakes, every st

Many readers of this page already know about the video, but I thought I'd share the article about it from Rocket News. -- Kirk
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/04/17/u-s-japan-release-collaborative-video-of-support-one-year-after-kumamoto-earthquakes【video】/
U.S.-Japan release collaborative video of support one year after Kumamoto earthquakes【Video】
On the Road to Recovery: The People of America and Kumamoto Join Together is a beautiful clip that encourages the people of Kumamoto to be positive during recovery efforts.

Bamboo, a family of grass, are one of the fastest growing plants on earth due to their rhizomes - a self-sustaining root system - which prepares their shoots (called in Japanese usually "takenoko" and written 竹の子 or 筍 - choose your poison - and toxic if not prepared correctly) so that they can explode upward (the phrase 雨後の筍のように is equivalent to the English "spring up like mushrooms" or "grow like a weed") and solidify to avoid being eaten. The young, soft shoots are cleverly dug up by certain animals, including humans, at this time of year. Humans generally peel, slice, steep, and boil them before adding them to miso soup. This requires much work. Much, much work.
Two pieces of advice regarding bamboo shoots:
1) Do not buy them as gifts for anyone.
2) If you receive them as a gift (and, someday, you will), feel free to re-gift them to whomever you want to be passive-aggressive with.*
More at the link. - William
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_shoot
*Guys - it needn't be said: never, EVER buy these for your wife. It would be like your wife bringing home a block of wood and saying, "Honey, can you make me a desk tomorrow?"
Bamboo shoot - Wikipedia
Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes, and are available in fresh, d...

"The facility, which takes in babies who cannot be cared for by their parents, will mark its 10th anniversary next month after obstetrician Hasuda set up the baby hatch in 2007. Since its opening, 125 babies had been left as of March, according to the hospital."
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/15/national/social-issues/aftermath-quakes-kumamoto-baby-hatch-continues-offer-hope/
Kumamoto baby hatch still delivers hope 10 years on | The Japan Times
Early on the morning of April 15 last year, the president of a Kumamoto hospital with Japan's first baby hatch was relieved to hear the facility could cont

"The service, launched April 15, represents a collective effort by a group of 117 manga artists and other supporters who chipped in to help restart full service of Minami-Aso Railway Co.’s Takamori line."
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201704160023.html
Kumamoto rail line gets colorful lift from top manga artists：The Asahi Shimbun
TAKAMORI, Kumamoto Prefecture--With the support of cartoonists, popular manga characters including D