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"Kumagawa Railroad launched the sightseeing train operated under the “One Piece” theme between Hitoyoshi-Onsen Station in Hitoyoshi and Yunomae Station in Yunomae, both in Kumamoto Prefecture, on Oct. 29." -- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610310064.html
‘One Piece’ train begins runs to help Kumamoto rebuilding：The Asahi Shimbun
HITOYOSHI, Kumamoto Prefecture--Usually sailing the high seas, the Straw Hat Pirates of the popular

From collapsed houses to concrete: Disposing of debris resulting from the quakes was a huge problem, but governments came together to find an optimal solution: recycling. As part of this program, some seven thousand tons of wood waste were transferred to Yatsushiro, where it was chipped and loaded onto ships to be sent to a Taiheiyo Cement plant in Niigata for use as fuel (Kumamoto does not have facilities equipped to handle such fuel, so over half of wood waste was transferred to facilities outside of the prefecture). The resulting ash was then used as an ingredient in the cement.
On October 31, the first of several return shipments arrived back in Yatsushiro to deliver the cement, which will be used in reconstruction. Though transport costs added to the financial burden of local governments, as one official said, "The method was necessitated by the haste of recovery." A Taiheiyo official remarked, "Separation of recyclable items is complex, but we hope to increase recyclable categories in future." The photo below shows three tons of resulting cement being pumped from a transport ship to a holding facility in Yatsushiro. - William
http://this.kiji.is/165991313032282117?c=92619697908483575
災害廃棄物セメントに　県内の復興事業に利用 - 熊本日日新聞
専用船からホースを使って荷揚げされる木くずを利用して製造されたセメント＝３１日、八代港 　熊本地震で被災した益城町の住宅の解体で出た木くずを製造プラントの燃料に使い、その焼却灰を混ぜてつくったセメントの第１便３千トンが３１日、新潟県から八代...

Suntory Holdings on October 31 announced a further donation of 300 million yen for earthquake relief activities in Kumamoto. Dubbed "Water Country Kumamoto Support Project," donations were split in two, with half earmarked for water-related projects and half for cultural and sports support for youth.
In Mashiki, headwater conservation and paddy restoration will be targeted, with research to be conducted on aquifer mechanisms and the results used for the expansion of water conservation measures. In addition, facilities for music and sports will be created for youth in Mashiki, and members of various Suntory-sponsored sports teams are slated to visit to provide instruction to local youth.
Additionally, Suntory's facility in Mashiki-neighboring Kashima Town will begin limited production on November 8, with full-scale production expected next spring. If you drink beer, make it a Suntory. Thanks, guys! - William
http://this.kiji.is/165991344221143045?c=92619697908483575
サントリーが復興支援に３億円　地下水保全や芸術・スポーツ - 熊本日日新聞
熊本地震からの復興支援活動について発表したサントリーホールディングスの福本ともみ執行役員（左）。右は田嶋徹副知事＝３１日、県庁 　サントリーホールディングスは３１日、新たに３億円を拠出して熊本地震からの復興支援活動を始めると発表した。地下水...

One of this trio from Uto City was the 50 thousandth visitor to the Ghibli exhibition underway at the Kumamoto Contemporary Museum of Art. While, technically, they could not all have been the 50 thousandth visitor, considering sibling rivalry, the museum wisely opted to award it to them as a group. The clearly frazzled mother commented that she loves Ghibli because it calms her. Ganbatte, mom! The exhibition continues through January 9. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161031005.xhtml

Google provided a map of which countries had access to their Halloween Google Doodle that left me a bit perplexed. Of course, countries with no Internet access such as North Korea were excluded; others may have been due to a lack of awareness of the holiday, such as those in Africa, I assume. Still, why did Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh get it, but India did not? We are fortunate here in Japan to be connected to the Google "in" crowd. I killed three ghosts in as many seconds before deciding that was about as much time as I wanted to spend with it, but others may differ. The link offers more details, including said map. Happy Halloween! - William
https://www.google.com/doodles/halloween-2016
Halloween 2016
Happy Halloween!Grab your wand and help fend off a ghostly catastrophe. Press play to swipe spells, save your friends, and help restore the peace at the Magic Cat Academy.

The Marubun bookstore on Kamitori, aka "the kappa bookstore," has almost completed its renovation and is slated to open on November 18. A burst rooftop water tank and severe damage to the building's steel frame necessitated lengthy repairs. The interior of the shop has been completely remodeled, and to increase sales space, mounting the kappa statue on a wall was considered, but eventually it was decided to recreate the small pond that the kappa has graced since 1970. Two smaller kappa statues previously placed in other locations will now join the main kappa in the pond center.
We had written earlier on the multitude of hand-written notes the shop's fans had left on the closed shop's shutters. A shop spokesman noted, "The overwhelming support turned into great energy for us." - William
http://this.kiji.is/164556835394979316?c=92619697908483575
名物かっぱ像にまた会える　上通「まるぶん」 11月18日再開 - 熊本日日新聞
１１月１８日の営業再開に向け、改装工事中の「金龍堂まるぶん店」。名物のかっぱ像は新しい台座で客を出迎える＝熊本市 　「かっぱの本屋さん」として親しまれる熊本市中央区上通町の老舗書店「金龍堂まるぶん店」が、熊本地震の被害から復旧し、１１月１８...

Kumamoto-based Ajisen Ramen, which already operates shops across Asia and the United States, plans to open their first European outlet in Italy, presumably because the Italians need to be taught a thing or two about how to properly prepare noodles. The shop is scheduled to open on December 21 in the international terminal of the Aeroporto Internazionale Leonardo da Vinci di Fiumicino (less poetically known as Rome Airport). So now, when in Rome, you can do as the Romans do as the Japanese do. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161027006.xhtml
味千拉麺、欧州初出店へ　ローマに12月－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。

For your entertainment, Kumamoto-born comic Korokke-san (コロッケさん) has recorded his mimicked versions of several of his talento pals as announcements for seven of the Streetcar Line stops. They are: Shimura Ken (志村けん) for Kengun Kotsumae; Awatani Noriko (淡谷のり子) for Kengun; Mori Shinichi (森進一) for Suizenji; Segawa Eiko and Mikawa Kenichi (瀬川瑛子,美川憲一 ) for the respective uptown and downtown Suidocho stops; Takeda Tetsuya (武田鉄矢) for Shiyakusho Mae; and again Shimura Ken and Awatani Noriko for Gion Bashi and Kumamoto Station, respectively (hey, even a mimic runs out of inspiration). The recordings will begin on November 1 and will run through March 3. If this does not make you shiver with anticipation, nothing will.
This is a good excuse to ride the tram! (I'll wave to you from my car while you glide on past so smoothly.) - William
http://this.kiji.is/164176874917823995?c=92619697908483575
ものまねで「次は～水前寺」コロッケさん、市電の停留所案内 - 熊本日日新聞
　熊本市電の車内アナウンスに１１月１日から、タレントのコロッケさん（５６）の声が使われる。「水前寺公園」「熊本城市役所前」など七つの電停を知らせる案内を、志村けんさん、武田鉄矢さんなど６人のものまねで告げる。来年３月３１日まで全車両で流さ...

Kumamoto Prefecture's Civil Engineering Department has chosen two house designs among several proposed as affordable housing to replace that lost during the quakes, particularly in Mashiki, as reference for those considering reconstruction. Models of the two types will be built in the Techno Evacuation Area (near the airport) with the first scheduled to be completed at the end of November.
Attractions of the designs are their wooden construction, said to be earthquake-resistant and low-cost.
The first building is a collaboration of 82 Kumamoto-based companies. It is a single story, 2LDK of rather traditional Japanese countryside style with a total floor area of about 64 square meters and a price of 9.6 million yen (excluding tax and land).
The second building is a collaboration of 23 Kumamoto-based companies. It is a two-story, 3DK of about 66 square meters priced at 10 million yen and will be primarily constructed of high-quality wood sourced from Itsuki village. It is expected to be completed by early February. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161026006.xhtml

There must be a fair amount of friendly rivalry between the onsens in neighbouring prefectures of Kyushu! Last year,two onsens in Oita prefecture pipped Kurokawa Onsen to the post,forcing it into third place in this contest run by Kyushu Tourism. Currently,Kurokawa Onsen (Kumamoto Pref.) is in second place with 238 votes,a bit behind Yufuin Onsen (Oita Pref.) with 278....voting runs until January 15th ,2017 so there is still time to cast your vote and send the link to friends or relatives who have also visited Kurokawa Onsen. (Foreign tourists in Japan or overseas may vote,the contest prize is a pair of vouchers towards a one-night stay in an as-yet-undisclosed inn). Just click through on the heart mark of your chosen onsen and that takes you to a second page to vote and enter your details if you want to be entered in the prize draw.
PLUS,there is lots of useful information on the site on Kyushu Onsen,in English,Japanese and Chinese.
Posted by Charmaine
KYUSHU ONSEN CONTEST 2016
The Onsen Competition voted by tourists. Let us know your best one!

Kirk here. I'm sharing this in the hope that doing so will make it more likely for interested people to see it. I'm afraid Facebook's algorithm will not show this post to many people so please share it with anyone you happen to know who might be interested.

Privatization reaches JR Kyushu . . .
-- Kirk
https://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/kyushu-railway-skyrockets-on-tokyo-trading-debut
Kyushu Railway skyrockets on Tokyo trading debut
Japan's Kyushu Railway rocketed Tuesday as the former state-owned firm made its trading debut in Tokyo after scoring one of…

I don't read French so I can't comment on the details of this article but I'm pretty sure it's about One Piece manga author Eiichro Oda's project to raise money to help with the rebuilding of Kumamoto Castle. Actually, I saw a notice about an English article on the topic but then found the link to be broken and then searching for alternative sources led me to the French article. If you would like to read about this in Japanese you can find an explanation at:
http://mainichi.jp/articles/20161023/dyo/00m/200/017000c
-- Kirk
http://www.mangamag.fr/actualite/actualite-manga/one-piece-soutient-reconstruction-de-kumamoto/
One Piece soutient la reconstruction de Kumamoto | Manga Mag
Eiichiro ODA et la municipalité de la ville de Kumamoto ont lancé le One Piece Kumamoto Fukkô Project (One Piece projet de reconstruction de Kumamoto) destiné à récolter des fonds pour aider à la reconstruction de la ville sinistrée. Petit retour en arrière, au printemps dernier la ville de Kumamoto...

Here's an extended list that shows what facilities are closed or open to the public.
-- Kirk
http://kumanago.jp/whatsnew/?mode=detail&id=421
Information about a main tourist facility
October, 24, 2016[ Kumamoto City ] -Kumamoto Castle : Out of service Parts of the stone walls, the Tenshukaku main tower, the Utoyagura scaffold, and etc. are viewable from parts of the area permitted to enter. -Suizenji Park : Open-Josaien : Open-Wakuwakuza : Open-Kumamoto City Zoological and Botan...

Working at my PC in my office and noticed a weird shaking - clearly an earthquake, and long in duration, but strangely slight and not accompanied by the usual rumble. I checked JMA and found that there was at 14:10 an extremely powerful quake in Tottori Prefecture; preliminary measurement 6 weak on the Japanese scale and magnitude 6.6.
Amazing that I could feel it all the way here in Kumamoto.
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/
Japan Meteorological Agency | Earthquake Information

Autumn in Kurokawa is the perfect time for a day trip and a relaxing dip or two. If you are not too keen on baring it all in the public outdoor baths ,the recently opened Iromomiji offers a selection of private (`family`) baths for hire,prices starting from 1000yen for 50 minutes. Leaves are not quite changing colour yet,it`s still a little early.
Posted by Charmaine
Onsen-hop #23 Iromomiji
Exploring a fairly new hot spring complex on the outskirts of Kurokawa today, Iromomiji 　（彩もみじ, not yet on the English onsen-hopping map,but tucked

I just found this page on the Kuma Visit site. If you're looking for a good place to eat, check it out.
-- Kirk
http://kumavisit.com/where-to-eat/
WHERE TO EAT | Kuma Visit
Kuma Visit is an organization to promote tourism in Kumamoto by providing information in several languages at businesses

In addition to the six tournaments held each year (three in Tokyo and one each in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka), the big guys conduct exhibition tournaments in such provincial towns as - Kumamoto! Yes! - It is almost time for the Ozumo Kumamoto Basho, which will be held on December 10 at the Prefectural Gymnasium. Tickets run as low as 4,000 yen for nosebleeder seats (but again, this is a small gym, so even the cheap seats are not bad). For an extra 3,000 yen, you can get a special bento, tea, and a bag of "sumo goods."
Even if you don't want to shell out the dough to watch the fights, sumo aficionados should mark this date on their calendar: As this is an exhibition match and thus does not count towards their ranking, the wrestlers tend to be low-key and treat their time here as a sort of vacation. Hang out around the gym before or after the event and you'll likely be able to meet some of the sumotori; listen to their conversations and you might figure out where they'll be going to drink that night and maybe join in (happened to me a few years ago). More info is at the link: http://www.tku.co.jp/web/event/kumamotobasho
- William

Here's an announcement from the Kumamoto International Foundation about an event scheduled for Nov. 5th. I think the "Japanese craft art (chigirie)" is a kind of paper tearing art. With the art and also yoga for kids, it looks like a particularly good event for families with kids.
-- Kirk

Click on the link to find information, in both English and Japanese, about a free artistic event for elementary-school-aged kids to be held at the International Center on November 3rd.
https://dancedakuriah.wordpress.com
See also
http://streetofart.crayonsite.com
-- Kirk
Street Of Art
アート 芸術 ダンス 熊本 子供 体験教室