Posts

Here's an article about the bird flu situation:
"The agriculture ministry and other sources said there has been no report of human bird flu infection through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs in Japan."
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003428243
-- Kirk
7th bird flu case at Kumamoto farm
KUMAMOTO (Jiji Press) — An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Nankan in Kumamoto Prefecture, the prefectural government said Tuesday.

"While the prefectural police headquarters' Inspection Department has stated that no criminal cases have been fabricated, the department is questioning the officer on suspicion of fabricating and using sealed official documents and destroying evidence."
I heard something similar on RKK news: "A police officer fabricated evidence but only in cases where the guilt of the accused was clear." The police seem to be trying to convince the public that, although an officer fabricated evidence, there's no reason to take another look at the prosecutions the prints became part of. Personally, I'm reluctant to take the police department's word on this one.
-- Kirk
http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161228/p2a/00m/0na/009000c
Kumamoto police officer suspected of misusing fingerprints in reports - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- A criminal identification officer at Kumamoto-Kita Police Station is suspected of forging several investigation reports using fingerprints previously taken within the police station, according to an announcement by Kumamoto Prefectural Police on Dec. 27.

"The Kumamoto Earthquake that claimed 50 lives was selected as this year’s top domestic news story by The Yomiuri Shimbun readers. The Yomiuri Shimbun has asked its readers to choose the 10-top domestic news stories of the year annually since 1947. A total of 14,593 votes from Japan and abroad were submitted this year. The 10-top international news stories of the year will be published in The Japan News on Thursday."
-- Posted by Kirk
Top 10 Domestic Stories of 2016 / Quakes in Kumamoto head the year
The Kumamoto Earthquake that claimed 50 lives was selected as this year’s top domestic news story by The Yomiuri Shimbun readers. The Yomiuri Shimbun has asked its readers to choose the 10-top domestic news stories of the year annually since 1947. A total of 14,593 votes from Japan and abroad were s...

Though this article doesn't mention it, Shodai (as in Shodai-yaki, the kind of pottery made near Tamana) is from Kumamoto.
-- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/12/26/sumo/basho-reports/tamawashi-shodai-promoted-sekiwake-new-year-basho/
Tamawashi, Shodai promoted to sekiwake for New Year Basho | The Japan Times
Tamawashi and Shodai were promoted to sumo's sekiwake rank for January's New Year Grand Sumo Tournament it was announced on Monday, and the contrast betwee

Fascinating is how words bloom depending on their importance to a particular society. Just as Japanese contains an astonishing number of words for rice, English does for cows. Below is a list of Japanese words for "knife." A general rule is that if it ends with "丁" (chō), it is for cooking, but if it ends in "刀" (katana, tō), it is not.
ナイフis the most general term, but often refers to a bladed object used as a weapon; it is often also referred to as 刃物 (hamono).
小刀 (kogatana) is a utility knife.
包丁 (hōchō) is a knife used for cooking.
鮪包丁(Maguro bōchō) - my favorite - these are very long knives to fillet tuna.
短刀 (tantō) were the short swords that samurai carried.
手術刀, also called メス, are scalpels used for surgery.
Numerous other terms exist in Japanese to define precise composition and purposes of knives. Wikipedia has a somewhat exhaustive list. - William
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cutlery
Japanese cutlery - Wikipedia
There are a number of different types of Japanese kitchen knives. The most commonly used types in the Japanese kitchen are the deba bocho (fish filleting), the santoku hocho (all-purpose utility knife), the nakiri bocho and usuba hocho (Japanese vegetable knives), and the tako hiki and yanagi ba (sa...

This is a bit complicated, so please pay attention. In 1921, some French artists, probably because absinthe was in and total warfare out (both cases would prove temporary, but those are different stories), decided to found a new country which they dubbed "la République de Montmartre." Flash forward some 94 years later and - hey! - it still exists! Though not an actual country, they like to play so, with elected officials and traditional dress; actually, they are a philanthropic organization aiding children and artists.
Anyway, the reason i bring this up is that Kumamon was yesterday made an honorary citizen of la République de Montmartre, joining anthropologist Aoki Tamotsu (青木保) and Hyogo Prefecture governor Ido Toshizou (井戸敏三) as the only Japanese to have received that honor. Apparently, it was bestowed due to Kumamon's contribution to French cutlery. (Seriously. That's what the article said.)
Admit it: Who among us would not want to share a bottle of absinthe with Kumamon? - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161227004.xhtml
くまモンが名誉市民に　仏民間文化組織が任命－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

In more medical news, Kumamoto Prefecture has announced collaboration with the Self Defense Force (SDF) for transportation of patients during the winter. Particularly due to worries over icy roads, necessary transportation of patients from the Aso Medical Center will by conducted by SDF helicopters at night, when medical helicopters are prohibited from flying. More info is at the link. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161226005.xhtml
阿蘇地域の夜間急患、陸自ヘリで搬送へ－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

Kumamoto Shimin Byoin ("citizen's hospital") was heavily damaged in the quakes; all patients were transferred out, and the facility was closed. Recovery is proceeding, though, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Growing Care Unit (GCU) reopened on 12/26 with the admission of five-month old Ichigi-chan, whose parents had heretofore had to drive four hours to a facility in Kurume. The NICU currently has space for 18 infants and the GCU 24. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161226004.xhtml
新生児集中治療室病棟が再開　熊本市民病院－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム
熊本日日新聞社が取材した熊本のニュース。新聞紙面に掲載前の記事もお伝えします。

Our friend Mitch Hons has begun what is called the Kumamoto Earthquake Experience Project (KEEP) to record memories of those who experienced the Kumamoto quakes for reference by future generations. Your contributions are welcome. More info can be found at their site. - William
https://kumadaiquake.wordpress.com/
Kumamoto Earthquake Experience Project (KEEP)
Recording the experiences of the Kumamoto earthquakes for future generations

Bird flu (H5) has been discovered in Nankan, northern Kumamoto. About 50 chickens have died. According, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, the prefecture has decided to cull about 107,000 chickens within a 10 kilometer radius of the farm where the disease was discovered. The article doesn't say anything about the possibility of spread to humans but I assume that this aggressive response will significantly reduce that danger.
-- Kirk

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20161227/k10010821041000.html
熊本・南関町でも 鳥インフルでニワトリ処分始まる | NHKニュース
熊本県南関町の養鶏場で２６日、ニワトリが相次いで死んでいるのが見つかり、県が行った詳しい検査で「Ｈ５型」の鳥インフルエンザウイルスが検出され…

Good news from Franck of Michi No Eki Aso:
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/denku_franck2711/56286192.html
Two roads are finally reopening in the area! - Michi No Eki Aso
Hello everyone ! Bonjour ! There is a lot of changes concerning the road situation in Aso area. As I told you in this bl...

I just learned about a deal on Amakusa Airlines that has just ended. Even though the promotion is over, I think I'll go ahead an post about it. Maybe something similar will be done next year.
The following Facebook post from Amakusa Airlines features a YouTube video report about the promotion:
https://www.facebook.com/mizoka.atr42/posts/1364809326876304
The deal was that, during the month before Christmas, anyone in a Santa suit could fly from Fukuoka to Amakusa for just 3,000 yen. The "3" in 3,000 was decided upon because "Santa" starts with "san."
Here's the official announcement in Japanese:
https://www.amx.co.jp/news/n_20161101_362.html
Though I'm sure that there was no intent to exclude foreigners, this deal seems to have been announced in Japanese but not on the English side of the site.
-- Kirk

I've written several times about how to avoid getting gouged for cell phone service by major providers such as AU, Docomo, and SoftBank:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1131066736966757
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1157172877689476
The issue is not unique to Kumamoto but I think it should be of particular interest to foreign residents, especially people who will not be here for the full two-year contract period that the major companies insist upon and/or people who have an unlocked ("sim free") phone and only need a provider.
I'm writing again today because I've had some experience with UQ, which the "SIM-Only Mobile Providers in Japan" page describes as follows:
"Not to be confused with U-Mobile, UQ Mobile resells Au's service, which makes sense since KDDI is a key shareholder."
http://www.mondaiji.com/blog/japan/general/10240-sim-only-mobile-providers-in-japan
Here's a UQ page in English:
http://www.uqwimax.jp/english/customers/
At any rate, we chose UQ because we had been using AU and had the impression (perhaps mistaken impression) that things would go more smoothly if we used an AU-related company. What I would like to report is that I found the support staff to be polite and helpful, but also poorly trained and not-well versed in how to make different phones work with their system. I'll avoid going into detail but it took over a week, with many hours on the phone and lots of going back and forth between the local shop to figure out what SIM card would work on our phone. Perhaps some of the confusion stemmed from our not buying the phone directly through UQ. Nonetheless, we bought a phone (an AU iPhone 6s) that the company had authorized on their web page. After going back and forth with support staff about problems related to the SIM card, I went back and read some fine print on the companies web site. There I found the answer to the issue and wound up having to teach the answer to the support staff.
I wanted to share this experience because, though I still believe that more people would benefit from avoiding the big three providers (AU, Docomo, and SoftBank), I've learned that it can be hard for consumers who buy a phone separately and then try to get it to work with a cheap provider like UQ. If you are going to do something like this you will first need to research your phone purchase and what services you can and cannot expect (is tethering possible, does the phone need to be unlocked, etc) very carefully.
I'd also like to make a comment about Japan's vaunted service culture. In general, I would agree that people in stores and in call centers who respond to inquiries and requests for help are very polite and that they try to be helpful. Still, truly good service in a technical field requires knowledge and expertise. In this area, I found UQ to be sorely lacking -- and this problem seems to be systemic because I spoke with many different representatives who could not provide the correct answer regarding the SIM card required in our case, even after checking with superiors. It reminded my of a very computer-savy student who came to Kumamoto several years ago. In a class discussion about Japan's service culture, he was very critical because of his experience at electronics stores. Perhaps a language barrier was part of the problem but his main complaint was that the staff didn't seem to know much about what they were selling. He would have preferred a surly nerd with bad hygiene, but who really knew his stuff to a polite but clueless part-time worker. During my experience with UQ, I too would have preferred a gruff geek with the right answers. ;)
http://www.uqwimax.jp/lp/uqm/01/
UQコミュニケーションズ｜UQ WiMAX,UQ mobile｜超高速モバイルインターネットのWiMAX2+,格安スマホ,格安SIM
UQコミュニケーションズの公式ホームページ。超高速モバイルネットのWiMAX2+、格安スマホ・格安SIMのUQmobileを提供

Kyushu Gakuin took the bronze medal in the national ekiden (relay) event held this year in Kyoto. Kyugaku is known as a running powerhouse; my son ran with the team for a few years. Look for the crimson and gold among the leaders! (Incidentally, if you are non-Japanese and are looking for a junior or high school suitable for your offspring, you couldn't do better than Kyugaku - as a Lutheran school, it emphasizes English and is as close to an international school as Kumamoto offers.) -- William

Our friend and favorite jazz fabulist Yuji Hashimoto has mentioned a possible New Years gig other than roasting surume - The Heat, a Rolling Stones cover band so true that the lead singer just had his eighth child at the age of 70*. They will perform at a venue in Hanabata-cho on 12/31. Info can be found at the link. - William
*I made that up.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1247190822018212&set=pcb.1247200922017202&type=3&theater

William posted about Martin Scorsese's new film, Silence. I think the setting is Nagasaki but there were many hidden Christians in Amakusa as well, so the story is not unrelated to Kumamoto. Sakitsu Church in Amakusa was built on a site were Christians were forced to step on an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary in order to signify their renunciation of the faith (the practice is called fumie). According to the following Japan Times article, Sakitsu, where "Christians practice their faith despite a ban, . . . is one of several Christian sites the government will put forward . . . as candidates for a . . . UNESCO world heritage listing." The proposal discussed in the article was postponed but is being pursued again now.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/09/17/national/japan-moves-recommend-christian-sites-world-heritage-listing/
If you enjoy listing to audio, you can download an mp3 of an interview with Martin Scorsese about the movie or stream it directly.
-- Kirk
http://www.npr.org/2016/12/20/506155008/the-modern-lessons-of-martin-scorseses-17th-century-epic-silence
The Modern Lessons Of Martin Scorsese's 17th-Century Epic, 'Silence'
The director's new film follows a pair of Portuguese Jesuit priests in Japan. He says he's been trying to make it since the late 1980s.

The Tokugawa Shogunate was not fond of the religion Europeans introduced along with their technology and learning, so various shoguns tried to stamp it out - literally, by a practice known as "fumie" (踏み絵), in which a suspected believer was required to absolve himself by trampling on a religious article such as a cross or statue. As a result, many Christians went underground, blending their beliefs with the traipse of indigenous religions - these were known as "hidden Christians" (kakure Christian - 隠れキリシタン).
But what of those early missionaries who somehow ended up on these shores? Shūsaku Endō’s novel 沈黙 (Chinmoku - English title "Silence"), published in 1966, addresses this issue in a very unique way. The novel has recently been adapted to film by director Martin Scorsese. An eye-opening review can be read at the link.
Of course, the connection with Kumamoto is the large number of 隠れキリシタン who lived in Amakusa and were instrumental in the Shimabara Rebellion (though the movie is set in Nagasaki). - William
http://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12/21/14005760/silence-review-spoilers-martin-scorsese-andrew-garfield-adam-driver
Silence is beautiful, unsettling, and one of the finest religious movies ever made
Martin Scorsese’s film keenly understands Shūsaku Endō’s novel and challenges believer and nonbeliever alike.

Today is Emperor Akihito's 83rd birthday. In remarks, he mentioned the visit he and the Empress, Michiko-sama, paid to Kumamoto following the quakes: "While it broke my heart to see the extent of the damage, I was also touched to see how the people were helping one another as they strove to overcome adversity together.” Below is a photograph of the two back in their younger days. - William

Japan-based American diplomatic staff got into the holiday spirit doing the 恋ダンス (koi dance, or dance of love - gotta watch TV to understand it, but my wife only lets me watch 今日の料理, so I had no idea). The woman in the Santa suit is Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, and Kumamon has a cameo . お疲れ様, guys, and thanks for all of your hard work! - William
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuXlpvWw1I
日本で大人気の「恋ダンス」をケネディ大使と一緒に米国大使館、在札幌米国総領事館、在名古屋米国領事館、駐大阪・神戸総領事館、在福岡領事館、在沖総領事館のアメリカ人外交官と職員みんなで踊りました！是非ご覧ください♪

I rode my bike to work today and will use the following radar site to try to time my return trip so that I don't get too wet. There are a number of similar services but I like this one in particular. You can see where the rain clouds are at the moment and how they are expected to move over the next hour. Very useful!!
-- Kirk
P.S. It's a Japanese-language site but you don't need any language skills to make sense of the images.
http://weather.yahoo.co.jp/weather/zoomradar/
雨雲ズームレーダー - Yahoo!天気・災害
全国各地の実況雨雲の動きをリアルタイムでチェックできます。地図上で目的エリアまで簡単ズーム！