Posts

There has been a good deal of national (and local, of course) coverage of this. -- Kirk
JR Kyushu unveils new sightseeing train colored after local forest, river - The Mainichi
KITAKYUSHU -- Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) on Feb. 27 unveiled its new luxury sightseeing train

Facebook, in it's infinite wisdom (sarcasm alert) has removed the search function from the page. I have tried to reintroduce it in the form of the "Learn More" button. If you click on the button (under the picture of Kumamoto Castle) and then replace the ****** in the URL with the word you are looking for, you should be able to use it to search for information on this page.
-- KIrk

Here's a bit of sad news that came out in February but that I neglected to pass on at the time. -- Kirk
Death toll from Kumamoto quakes in 2016 tops 200：The Asahi Shimbun
The official death toll from the series of earthquakes that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southweste

Itsuki Village (五木村), located southeast of Yatsushiro on the Kawabegawa River （川辺川) is beautiful and wild but remote, so the residents have put some effort into activities to attract visitors. One is bungee jumping, as you can see from these photos of Kumamon likely soiling his suit. The bungee jump facility was placed on hiatus in June last year as trained staff were unavailable (and, trust me, staff which is trained is desired here); however, Kumanichi notes that new staff has been secured, and the facility is set to reopen in mid-April, ahead of Golden Week. - William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20170310005.xhtml

Here's another item for coffee aficionados in Kumamoto.
-- Kirk
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201703050001.html
Coffee grown in Kumamoto by team of high school students：The Asahi Shimbun
ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--When you think of coffee plantations you don't think of Japan, but some hi

Our favorite Kumamoto-dwelling Scottish graphic novelist, Seán Michael Wilson, in February received a bronze award from the International Manga Awards (国際漫画賞) of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外務省) for his work, "Secrets of the Ninja." Seán has lived in Kumamoto for many years and is the first British person to ever be awarded this distinction. The novel is available from Amazon via the link below, and more about Seán from the link to his Website below that:
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ninja-Shinobi-Teachings-Hattori/dp/1583948643
http://seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com/

I'm not familiar with this brand of coffee but if you love coffee you may want to check it out. If you scroll down to the end of the article you will find the address. Copy and paste that into Google maps to find the exact location.
-- Kirk
http://sprudge.com/conjunction-junction-and-coffee-roasters-brings-specialty-to-kumamoto-111483.html
Conjunction Junction: And Coffee Roasters Brings Specialty to Kumamoto
And Coffee Roasters in Kumamoto, Japan.

Here's a Japan Times article about the "Pokemon Go" project I introduced yesterday. -- Kirk
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/03/national/pokemon-go-deploys-snorlax-quake-hit-kyushu/
'Pokemon Go' deploys Snorlax to quake-hit Kyushu | The Japan Times
The maker of "Pokemon Go" is now trying to draw visitors to quake-hit Kumamoto and Oita prefectures by increasing appearances made by a popular character i

Kumanichi provides an update on that symbol of Kumamoto resilience after the quakes, the Iida Maru Turret, left tiptoeing precariously on that single leg of cornerstones - hence it's nickname, Ippon Ishigaki (一本石垣).
Last time we checked in, Fukuoka-based Obayashi-Gumi had most miraculously constructed the cantilever support which currently stabilizes the turret (pictured below). Negotiations have resulted in the same company being selected to reconstruct that portion of the wall - an easy choice as Obayashi was the only company which bid for the job*.
The proposed procedure is quite complicated: (1) wrap the wall and turret in scaffolding; (2) provide support to that corner of remaining rock so that it does not collapse while (3) the turret is dismantled and (4) the cantilever is removed before (5) the remaining wall, including Ippon Ishigaki, is also dismantled. The project will then essentially reverse, rebuilding the wall and replacing the turret atop.
The project is expected to begin sometime after August 2018 and will cost a whole lot. (You really don't wanna know. It's like talking with your kids about how much their college education costs.)
Though some have criticized dismantling Ippon Ishigaki, engineers have pointed out that it is inevitable for complete restoration. "You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs," said one expert.** - William
*Technically their bid is in that "anyone have any better idea?" bureaucratic, final phase.
**Me, to be precise.
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20170306007.xhtml

" . . . this is a special Japan-only event designed to stimulate tourism in the Kumamoto Prefecture, which was recently hit by large earthquakes. In that way, it's similar to the Lapras event last year that sought to help stimulate tourism in the Fukushima Prefecture."
Coming up on 3/13.
-- Kirk
https://mic.com/articles/170120/next-pokemon-go-event-increased-snorlax-spawns-are-coming-to-one-japanese-city
Increased Snorlax spawns in 'Pokémon Go' are coming to one Japanese city
Here's what we know about the game's next event.

Whether you're planning to do some budget travelling yourself of have friends from back home visiting who want some tips, this guide has lots of information about how to travel cheaply in Japan. It covers everything from international and local travel, cheap accommodation, where to eat of a budget, cheap times of year and peak seasons, travel passes and other tips.
- Celia
https://thetruejapan.com/japan-budget-complete-guide-cheap-travel-japan/
Japan on a Budget: The Complete Guide to Cheap Travel in Japan - The True Japan
How to Travel Japan on a Budget: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need Is is possible to travel to Japan on a budget? Definitely! Japan is one of the most fun and amazing travel destinations in the world. However, many travelers are reluctant to plan a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun because of the...

Sightseeing train offers aromas and flavors of Kumamoto：The Asahi Shimbun
KITA-KYUSHU--With pleasant wood aromas filling the carriages of Kyushu Railway Co.’s new sightseeing

"Morrison shot The Missing Tourist in Yellowknife, Tokyo and Kumamoto over a period of several months in 2016."
-- Kirk
http://www.myyellowknifenow.com/21218/new-film-digs-deeper-into-the-death-of-atsumi-yoshikubo/
New film digs deeper into the death of Atsumi Yoshikubo
A forthcoming documentary seeks to bring closure to the disappearance and death of Japanese tourist Atsumi Yoshikubo two years ago. The 45-year-old ... more ›

Personally, I'm not a boxing fan but this bout relates to Kumamoto in a couple of ways.
In another article, Fukuhara said that he wanted to win the fight for Kumamoto:
「“I want to win and I want to deliver good news for Kumamoto,” Fukuhara said. “I want to thank the many people who made his title fight happen.”」
http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/fukuhara-calleros-confident-victory-weigh-wbo-title-fight-395502
-- Kirk
Fukuhara claims WBO minimumweight interim title | The Japan Times
Tatsuya Fukuhara defeated top-ranked Mexican Moises Calleros to become the WBO minimumweight interim champion on Sunday. Second-ranked Fukuhara deployed le

A new kind of Onsen-hopping pass if you are planning on visiting Kurokawa Onsen in a group,substantial savings!
Posted by Charmaine
Kurokawa-onsen.com/new-shared-onsen-hopping
NEW Shared Onsen-hopping pass for groups!
Since the middle of January a new type of shared onsen-hopping pass 　（シェア入湯手形　sheya nytotegata)　 has been on sale at the Visitor Center

More travel-related news: the "hidden Christians" of the early Edo-era Nagasaki-Amakusa archipelago were able to remain both due to their remoteness, a situation which has proven disadvantageous for modern-day tourism. Kumanichi reports on plans to connect Nagasaki Port with Sakitsu Hamlet in Amakusa by a thrice-weekly ferry which may also pass by the Goto Islands and Hashima ( better known as Gunkanjima - "Battleship Island," a now-abandoned island famous for its coal mining) - each area filled with World Heritage sites. A one-way voyage is expected to take 90 minutes. Plans are still in their early stage, but we'll keep you up to date.
Photos are posted below: (1) Sakitsu Church, Amakusa; (2) Goto Islands; (3) Hashima
- William
http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20170228001.xhtml

Local entities wake up to needs of foreigners in a natural disaster：The Asahi Shimbun
When the first Kumamoto earthquake struck last April, Karim MD Fazlul didn't know what was occurring

The Kyushu Expressway around Mashiki is one lane in each direction now as repairs from the quakes proceed, making navigating the zone a bit tricky. An accident occurred early this morning that killed one and injured six. The expressway southbound lane remains closed. http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170228/p2g/00m/0dm/035000c
1 dead, 6 others hurt in multiple pileup on highway in Kumamoto - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) -- One man was killed and six others were hurt following a pileup on the Kyushu Expressway in Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, southwestern Japan, police said.

An article written by my go-to economist, Kevin Short, is not about Kumamoto specifically but about Japan in general. He provides a few graphs which neatly do away with the doom-and-gloomers re: the Japanese economy from a macroeconomic perspective. One quibble: he did not mention median income, which seems to me to have stagnated considerably and is a major source of sourness. The article is at the link. - William
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/02/enduring-mystery-japans-economy

Director Isao Yukisada helms Kumamoto film festival：The Asahi Shimbun
The Kumamoto Reconstruction Film Festival that will take place in April will mark the first annivers