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It's pear season! - or, more precisely, the season for Asian pears (nashi, 梨). The kanji occurs occasionally in family names such as 梨坂 and 梨本. Probably due to some ancient marketing ploy, Western pears are generally referred to in Japanese as "la France" (ラフランス), and the two are not related. The nashi, common from Nepal throughout East Asia, is round and crisp, much more like an apple, and generally peeled before eaten.
Unfortunately for many lowland nashi farmers, elevated heat levels have resulted in an historically high level of blight this year, with some farmers losing up to 80% of their crop, as this Kumanichi article explains. http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20161018001.xhtml
A common joke is that nashi are healthy because they are low calorie (a play on the homonyms 梨 and 無 - "nothing"), and, sadly for many farmers, it seems the latter will be their incomes this year. - William
猛暑、ナシ大打撃　荒尾産・新高“ヤケ”被害広がる－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。

Students pull out the stops to help Kumamoto pay tribute to victims：The Asahi Shimbun
MINAMI-ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--University students forced to flee their campus here because of a s

I was asked to participate in an NHK World program (broadcast outside of Japan and on the internet) reflecting on the passage of six months since the earthquakes first struck. I was invited to appear on the show to talk about this Facebook page and how our team of editors tried to get information out in English.
My section of the program is toward the end. Earlier on in the program, there's a section about Franck Limoges' work with
Michi No Eki Aso.
I found appearing on live TV to be a little nerve racking. I was on a live RKK program more than a decade ago but we had a lot more time on that program and we didn't have to plan everything out in advance. Here, the questions were worked out before hand (which, in a way, made it easier) but I had to get my pre-arranged answers out within very clear time limits -- something I'm not very good at.
Being a rather self-centered person, I've written mostly about my own part in the program but I think it would be worth watching even if I weren't on it. ;) Take a look!
-- Kirk
P.S. The web page has a detailed text summary of the main parts of the program. Some of you may prefer to scan the text before committing to watching the whole thing.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/newsroomtokyo/aired/20161014.html
Kumamoto Quakes Then and Now - NEWSROOM TOKYO - TV - NHK WORLD - English
Kumamoto is recovering 6 months after the area was hit by a series of powerful earthquakes. Repairs are underway on Kumamoto Castle, and a French resident is spreading the word that Mount Aso is worth visiting despite a recent eruption.

Fireworks bring festive fun to earthquake-hit Kumamoto：The Asahi Shimbun
YATSUSHIRO, Kumamoto Prefecture--Some 14,000 fireworks brilliantly illuminated the night sky in an a

The article below is only tangentially related to Kumamoto, but it turns out that the first time liquid baby formula was legally allowed to be consumed in Japan was when it was distributed as aid following the quakes. One thing my parenting experience has taught me is that simply shoveling powdered formula into your infant's mouth is not ... uh ... good. (Note to new parents: hot water is required.) Apparently, though, bureaucratic inertia had not kept pace with food sterilization techniques until (briefly, at least) yesterday. So good for you, new parents! One less thing to worry about!
https://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-to-allow-liquid-baby-formula-hoping-more-men-will-join-in-child-rearing
On a similar note, it also turns out that America is sitting on a cheese glut equaling 777,240 cubic meters due to subsidies encouraging production exceeding demand. Meanwhile, here in Japan, we're lucky to get a stick of butter. Think maybe the two sides could allow for the transport of a few thousand cubic meters of cheese? - William
http://www.vox.com/2016/10/13/13268980/cheese-glut-united-states
Japan to allow liquid baby formula, hoping more men will join in child rearing
The Japanese government is planning to allow the distribution of liquid baby formula in the country, hoping the measure will…

Memorial Service Held for Kumamoto Quake Victims
KUMAMOTO (Jiji Press) — The Kumamoto city government on Saturday held its first memorial service for the victims of a series of powerful earthquakes that started in the city and nearby areas about six months before.

A note from the Kumamoto International entomology desk: Love those little spiders in your house!
Now is peak season for Hasarius adansoni, known commonly as Adanson's House Jumper, and "haetori" (ハエトリ, "fly catcher") in Japanese. They're the little black guys with white mandibles (the females often have white spots on their abdomens) who currently occupy most every nook in your house, from the living room to the ofuro.
As this article notes: DON'T KILL THEM! They are wonderful animals in many ways:
- They jump really fast - really, and have no qualms about hurling themselves off any height;
- They eat anything that moves, including mites and small roaches, so will keep your house pest-free;
- Though they make small nests for sleeping, they are hunting spiders, so do not make webs;
- The species lives in warm climates around the world and was first identified by some French guy named Adanson in Africa over 200 years ago;
- They're entertaining to watch on a computer monitor as they chase the cursor around.
Like most hunting spiders, they have an eye atop their head that allows them to distinguish light shading but not to visualize objects, so if you place your finger an inch or so behind one, you can observe as he whirls around to see what it is; they only distinguish between prey and not prey, and as your finger falls in the latter category, it is good fun for all.
Welcome these lil' guys, and thank them for keeping your home otherwise bug-free. More info with videos at the link. - William
http://rocketnews24.com/2013/06/07/337685/
【殺さないで】よく家で見かける「黒くて小さいクモ」の名前が実はメチャクチャかっこいい / しかもハエやゴキブリを食べてくれる！
家の中でよく見かけるクモといえば、黒くて小さいアイツである。茶色のヤツもいたりする。1センチにも満たない体で、家の中を一生懸命チョコチョコと徘徊している。どう …

This blog post contains several interesting photos displaying the aftermath of the eruption. I couldn't find the original cover image on the JMA site, though. The post contains a link to the following pdf document with more images (the text of the pdf is in Japanese):
https://www.gsj.jp/hazards/volcano/kazan-bukai/yochiren/aso_20161013_1.pdf
See also
https://lechaudrondevulcain.com/blog/2016/10/14/october-14-2016-en-piton-de-la-fournaise-planchon-peteroa-asosan-turrialba/
-- Kirk
http://www.earth-of-fire.com/2016/10/back-on-the-eruption-of-aso-and-the-current-activity-at-turrialba-and-the-nevado-del-ruiz.html
Back on the eruption of Aso, and the current activity at Turrialba and the Nevado del Ruiz. - Earth of fire
Some details about the eruption of the volcano Aso on October 7 and 8 - link - posted by the JMA after analyzing images taken during an overflight on 8 October. General view of the massif di Aso on a overflight 8 October by the JMA The ejecta have a...

Recent Mt. Aso eruption attests to the fury of Mother Nature：The Asahi Shimbun
Mount Aso's pre-dawn eruption Oct. 8, the most violent in 30 years or so, lobbed mighty boulders in

This image is from a detailed pdf map I found at
http://d2bbxa7r541r3a.cloudfront.net/whatsnew/photo/1475963817.pdf
The map is dated "October 8th," immediately after the eruption so I think the information should still be correct. The roads shown in dark blue are "restricted" (daytime hours, alternating single-lane traffic, etc.) but open.
A little more information is available in English at
http://kumanago.jp/whatsnew/?mode=detail&id=366
-- Kirk

Earlier today, I posted about Aso Farmland. Now I'd like to write a little note about a problem that comes up fairly regularly with foreign-language information in Japan: No links to the original Japanese-language information. Take this page as an example. The English page contains a link to itself (which merely refreshes the page) and to Chinese and Korean. However, there is no link to Japanese! I think this is the result of the assumption that foreigners ONLY need information in foreign languages. Even if one doesn't understand Japanese, however, one might want to be able to send a Japanese friend a link to the Japanese information -- particularly if there seems to be some sort of problem with the translation. I think the assumption behind this phenomenon is that non-Japanese live in a foreign-language bubble and couldn't possibly find a way to make use of information in Japanese. I hope the day will come when more people recognize the importance of providing links from foreign-language translations to the original Japanese-language material.
By the way, the only way I could find to get to the original Japanese was to erase "lang/en/index.html" from the URL:
http://www.asofarmland.co.jp/lang/en/index.html

Though this article doesn't mention the impact of the quakes and the current state of repairs (an omission that I find to be rather puzzling), the Aso Farmland website includes the following statement:
"We're close since the earthquake of April but started to accept reservation after August.
A part of facilities and shopping area are still under repairs now.
Available facilities might be changed depends on progress of the restoration."
As I looked for information about the current situation at this facility, I came across an interesting article that I think we missed when it first came out:
"Quake-proof, dome guesthouses offer comfort to Kumamoto evacuees," July 10, 2016 (Mainichi Japan)
http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160710/p2a/00m/0na/002000c
It looks like the facility might be a fun place to take kids! For more, please read the article.
-- Kirk
https://fastjapan.com/en/p116071
Aso Farm Land in Kumamoto Has 300 Egg Shaped Dome Hotels
Aso Farm Land in Kumamoto Prefecture is a health conscious theme park. Play brain games and relax in the onsen surrounded by nature. Come relax and enjoy this family friendly retreat.

NHK has published a video and article about the Honmaru Goten. Actually, I think "main building" is a mistranslation of "honmaru." The is not the iconic castle keep but the lord's residence, which is situated right next to the castle keep.
-- Kirk
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161012_25/
Main building of Kumamoto Castle opened to media- News - NHK WORLD - English
A main building of a castle in Kumamoto has been opened to media for the first time since strong earthquakes hit the southwestern prefecture in April.

Kumamoto marks six months after quakes, as rebuilding homes remains issue | The Japan Times
As Kumamoto Prefecture marked six months since two powerful quakes hit the region, some 200 residents are still living in evacuation centers while many oth

As of today, it's been exactly six months since the shaking started. This article and the TV program that Charmaine mentioned earlier are among a wide variety of commemorative media publications.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610130043.html
Survey: 35% of quake evacuees in Kumamoto can’t go home：The Asahi Shimbun
More than one-third of residents displaced by the series of earthquakes that rocked Kumamoto Prefect

Tomorrow! This is the biggest fireworks event in Kumamoto and one of the biggest in Japan.
-- Kirk
http://kumamotojet.com/shin/index.php/2016/10/12/event-yatsushiro-fireworks-festival-2/
Event – Yatsushiro Fireworks Festival Kumamoto JET
Event – Yatsushiro Fireworks Festival October 12, 2016 Uncategorized FYI… The Yatsushiro Fireworks Festival will be held Saturday, October 15 from 18:00 to 20:15. This is the largest fireworks show in Kyushu and each year pyrotechnicians from across Japan compete to produce the most spectacular fire...

I learned a new expression today: "volcanic bomb" (火山弾 kazandan). According to Wikipedia, a volcanic bomb is "a mass of molten rock (tephra) larger than 64 mm (2.5 inches) in diameter, formed when a volcano ejects viscous fragments of lava during an eruption."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_bomb
Today, when I took another look at an NHK news program about the eruption I had recorded, heard the announcer describe the first big explosion you see as the landing of a "volcanic bomb" (the announcer said "kazandan") near a cable-car tower. Pretty impressive bomb!
-- Kirk
https://youtu.be/A3W7JLyridw
Raw: Japan's Mount Aso Volcano Errupts - YouTube
A volcano in southwestern Japan erupted early on Saturday, spewing a plume of ash 6.8 miles into the sky, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency. Ja...

Here's a video report that NHK published several months ago but that I have just found. Part of the reason I have been looking at the Newsroom Tokyo material is that I'll be interviewed on their show this Friday. That, like this, will be easy to stream after the fact. More later.
-- Kirk
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/newsroomtokyo/aired/20160617.html
Reconstructing Kumamoto Castle - NEWSROOM TOKYO - TV - NHK WORLD - English
Recent earthquakes in southern Japan caused heavy damage to an important cultural landmark, but artisans and workers are teaming up to repair Kumamoto Castle.

From Charmaine, written yesterday:
"For those who cant read Japanese, there has been a large fire in Oguni Town where I work and previously lived for over ten years. The report says 20 buildings, including shops and houses in one of the main streets, have burnt down, but incredibly no casualties. I can't bear to go to work tomorrow. My classroom building is just around the corner, and have to see this kind of destruction. What a shock!"
"This will probably affect the annual town festival, held October 18th every year. The parade always takes a route around town directly through that area. It looks as if it will probably have to be cancelled ... that part of town is still closed off today while they investigate what caused the fire."
Posted by Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/articles/photo/AS20161010000711.html
密集地で火災、約２０棟が全焼か　熊本・小国：朝日新聞デジタル

Here's an NHK program featuring Jason Morgan of Kumamoto talking about Tsuetate Onsen and other hot springs in the area.
-- Kirk
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/jtripplan/20161003/
The Hot Springs of Kyushu & Country Life in Tottori Prefecture - J-Trip Plan - Video On Demand - NHK WORLD - English
Hot springs are sure to warm your body and soul, especially during the colder months. Our correspondent recommends hot spring areas in Kumamoto and Oita Prefectures. Many inns there are back in business after the earthquakes that hit Kyushu in April 2016. Our reporter escapes the city to Tottori Pre...