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Here's an eight-minute video segment from NHK World. -- Kirk
New microchip plant energizes Kumamoto | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
A new plant built in Kumamoto by a Taiwanese semiconductor giant is energizing the prefecture as well as the entire country.

Goodbye, SL Hitoyoshi! Well done! -- Kirk
Final Run of SL Hitoyoshi; Farewell Signs Along the Line, ‘Until We Meet Again!’
On Saturday, the tourist train “SL Hitoyoshi,” pulled by Kyushu’s only steam locomotive (SL), ended its commercial operations due to its age.

Kirk here. Kumamoto Kokufu plays Ananhikari of Tokushima today at 2PM. We're already in the second round of the Koshien Tournament. If Kumamoto Kokufu win today, they will be one of eight teams to move on to the next round.

Kirk here. It seems Mr. Kimura has won the governorship. I have nothing against him personally but I was rooting for Mr. Koyama (former Kumamoto-city mayor), in part because I know him but also because Mr. Kiyama campaigned with the support of the LDP and the LDP has given me numerous reasons to dislike them (connections to the Moonies, recent financial scandals, xenophobic and nationalistic stances of various individual politicians, etc.). The race was seen as a sort of referendum on the LDP and, sadly, it looks like the response from the people of Kumamoto was "no problem."
The article doesn't share any details about how Mr. Kimura managed to win but I suspect that a combination of LDP organizational power and low voter turn out (apathy) had something to do with it.
P.S. The gentleman you see in back of Mr. Kiyama is NAKAYAMA Mineo, president of Sojo University. I've posted about his connections to the Moonies in the past in the following posts:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0EnCZVjEtP616xUKFJB91DUV2VPdVnnPG95wPF2xEy6XSo54VZYz9YV8pUNxNFwPal
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02BPjJMuaAp766ERJL785dsVhmyp3hEo1Ubok8cU2jVj43beYGAYRWETuqHtyDamb1l
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02yTtApnRkAERsUWtPokKE1yoJbXHSNzjxzQ6os22Ea3E1rkWS6VBn4GL7rFiqK2NSl
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0uU2kbk2NfRmedSTBgSmzvmNWr9R1LKjdJx5mmud2iKUnqfjMQPaARFJCTcK5uLMil
熊本知事 前副知事・木村氏が当確 - Yahoo!ニュース
　任期満了に伴う熊本県知事選は24日投開票の結果、無所属新人の前副知事木村敬氏（49）＝自民、公明推薦＝が、野党各党の県組織が支援した元熊本市長の幸山政史氏（58）ら無所属新人の3人を破り初当選を確

Kirk here. This isn't local news but there is a Kumamoto connection. On this evening's NHK news, Takerufuji's mom said that she frequently sends him basashi. The people of Kumamoto are the leading consumers of basashi but the delicacy is also enjoyed in Aomori, Takerufuji's home prefecture, Fukushima, and Nagano.
By the way, we're approaching sakura (cherry blossom) season and "sakura niku" (cherry blossom meat) happens to be a common euphemism for basashi. There seem to be at least a couple of theories about the reason why but I'm pretty sure that the pink or red color has something to do with it.
Takerufuji becomes first top-division rookie to win a sumo tournament since 1914 | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Takerufuji has become the first top-division newcomer to win a sumo championship in 110 years.

Kirk here with a must-read for train fans:
JR Kyushu Ready to Restore the Hisatsu Line | JAPAN Forward
After four years, JR Kyushu is set to reconstruct its Hisatsu Line. Working with local governments, the company hopes the line's restoration will boost tourism.

Kirk again. Wish I could have given readers of this page advance notice. But, if you live here, you might want to put it on your calendar for next year.
Fire-spinning ritual held in front of restored shrine gate destroyed in 2016 Kumamoto quake - The Mainichi
ASO, Kumamoto -- A fire-spinning ritual to pray for bountiful harvests took place at a Shinto shrine in this southwest Japan city on March 21.

Kirk here. I passed by this place on Friday afternoon, several hours after the incident. The only odd thing I noticed at the time was that there were TV cameras and people with media arm bands in the area:
--- quote from Yomiuri ---
Kumamoto central police received an emergency call at around 9 a.m. Friday saying someone had been injured after being stabbed with a knife in the Chuo Ward of Kumamoto City. Officers rushed to the scene and found three women, believed to be in their teens to twenties, to be injured. All three were responsive when they were transported to the hospital by ambulance. The police apprehended a 29-year-old man nearby on suspicion of attempted murder.
--- end quote ---
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/man-arrested-after-3-women-stabbed-in-kumamoto-building
The RKK video report from which I took the screenshot said that the young women seem to have been attacked by their employer -- an extremely bad boss.
RKK video report:
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/1070259?display=1

Atsuko, with information about the advance screening of the Yamaga movie(*´∀`)ノ
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
The advance screening of the movie "Boneless Lanterns," set in Yamaga, will finally begin March 22 (Friday) at Denkikan (Kumamoto City) ✨✨.
In addition, from March 22 to 25, there will be stage greetings by the lead actors and the director after the screenings 😊.
Please come and see the film!
Screening times.
From March 22 (Friday) to March 28 (Thursday), there will be two screenings per day
1st screening: 10:50am
　2nd screening from 15:10
Movie theaters
Denkikan
Address: 8-2 Shinshigai, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City
Phone number: 096-352-2121
Story
A man wanders around with his late wife's urn in his arms, looking for a place to die.
In Yamaga, a hot spring town on Kumamoto's Buzen Highway that still retains the atmosphere of the old days, the man sees the image of his wife, Yukari, in a "lantern girl" depicted on a festival poster.
Yusuke Ichii (49), a former art teacher, is lured into working by Naoki (30), an apprentice lantern maker, but even after a year has passed and the third anniversary of his wife's death, he cannot shake off his deep sense of loss and loneliness.
On the day of a festival, he decides to leave the town.
Suddenly, Akari, Yukari's twin sister, appears.
I have a favor to ask you."
Akari says that she has come from Spain to dance the "Sen-nin Toro" (Thousand Lanterns).
What is her purpose?
Official movie website:
https://honenashi.com/
For more information about greetings and screening schedule, please visit Denkikan's official website and Instagram @denkikan_1911.
#yamagafan
https://honenashi-com.translate.goog/en/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en
https://honenashi-com.translate.goog/en/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en#modal_hon
↑↑↑translated page.
映画『骨なし灯籠』公式サイト | Boneless Lantern Official WebSite
亡き妻の骨壺を抱え、死に場所を探し、彷徨う男がいた。 古き時代の佇まいを残す温泉町、熊本・豊前街道の山鹿（やまが）。 祭りのポスターに、妻・ゆかりの面影を見た男は―――。あなたの心に灯をともす、珠玉のス....

Kirk here. In order to rely on wind and solar energy as primary power sources it's necessary to come up with some way of storing excess power for times when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. A facility intended to help solve that problem has been build in Kawashiri.
Completion of Battery Station Kawashiri, a Joint Project of JR Kyushu and Sumitomo Corporation Group
View Sumitomo Corporation's News : Completion of Battery Station Kawashiri, a Joint Project of JR Kyushu and Sumitomo Corporation Group

Joe Tomei and here at the Funky Friday Find department, we aren't just about food and drink. This next FFF is an honest to goodness old fashioned sento, the Kuwamizu Koshu Yokujo (神水公衆浴場) Nothing fancy, but nice to go and relax. There is parking next to it, though you have to get off Higashi Bypass and go down the side road It is just up from the Baskin Robbins 31, so after a nice soak, you can get your cup or cone of Rocky Road.
The google maps link has a number of photos
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zKKr89cMehJ3L8B88
and their Instagram is here
https://www.instagram.com/kuwamizu_sento/?utm_medium=copy_link
and they are a member of the Kumamoto Public Bath association, whose webpage is here
https://kuma1010.com/
Do check out the English pdf with several other local baths
https://kuma1010.com/wp-content/uploads/map_english.pdf
And I'll put up the sento listed on the FFF google map, which can be found here
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing
神水公衆浴場 · 2 Chome-2-18 Kuwamizu, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, 862-0954, Japan

Atsuko here.
Here is a good video introducing the streets of Kumamoto.( ˊᵕˋ*)
I have attached a video introducing Kawashiri, but there are also videos introducing Kumamoto Castle, Shinmachi and Furumachi. It is good to know not only the interesting buildings but also the history of how they were built.
Please come to the place of ''あんたがたどこさ''= Senba.
(Sembabashi and Tanuki are located in the Shinmachi Furumachi area. Both raccoon dogs and shrimps (shrimps are in the second verse of the song) are there.)
Kumamoto Rekimachi 360° is a 360-degree video that allows you to experience a simulated tour of Kumamoto's history, and allows you to control your viewpoint.
http://rekimachi360.com/?lang=en
https://m.youtube.com/@user-ir1zz5dq4k
川尻歴まち まとめ ロングVer　Kawashiri Long Version
くまもとの歴史をめぐる旅に行った気分を味わう▼くまもと歴まち360公式サイトhttps://rekimachi360.com/▼ナレーション　Narration熊本市中心部の南方約8kmに位置する川尻地区。川尻の港は、中世以来貿易港として栄え、近世期に.....

Kirk here with more TSMC news:
--- start quote ---
One option the chipmaking giant is considering is bringing its chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) packaging technology to Japan, according to one of the sources who was briefed on the matter.
CoWoS is a high-precision technology that involves stacking chips on top of each other, boosting processing power while saving space and reducing power consumption.
Currently, all of TSMC's CoWoS capacity is in Taiwan.
--- end quote ---
TSMC eyes advanced chip packaging capacity in Japan, sources say
Bringing its chip-on-wafer-on-substrate packaging technology — currently all in Taiwan — to Japan is one of the options the chipmaker is considering.

Kirk here. In response to Joe's post about Charichari (the bicycle rental service), Atsuko shared this link. Thanks Atsuko! Thanks Joe!
https://charichari.bike/blog/chari-guide-2023-en
Original post by Joe:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02mJPBJ913rYKteDntQDiz4j14aha9bjCpCeP3wkvdjMEoRJCBj6cA3fobcfmBR9x9l
Guide to Charichari in English | チャリチャリ
This is a guide to Charichari in English. Please read this before using the service, then enjoy safety ride !

Kirk here with an AI translated article on the election that I tweaked slightly:
--- start translation ---
Kumamoto governor election, Kimura and Koyama compete - Effectively a ruling vs. opposition party showdown
The Kyodo News Agency conducted a telephone survey on the 15th and 16th regarding the Kumamoto prefectural governor election (voting and ballot counting on the 24th). The leading canditates are vice-governor Kei Kimura (49) [recommended by the LDP and Komeito] and former Kumamoto City mayor Masashi Koyama (58).
The prefectural organizations of the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Communist Party, and the Social Democratic Party are independently supporting Mr. Koyama, effectively making it a ruling party vs. opposition party showdown.
In terms of support by political party, Mr. Kimura has the support of 70% of those who answered they support the LDP, nearly 90% of Komeito supporters, and has penetrated nearly 50% of those who support the Japan Innovation Party. Mr. Koyama has secured nearly 80% of the supporters of the Constitutional Democratic Party and Social Democratic Party, and nearly 90% of the Communist Party supporters.
Hidenori Mori (46), president of a construction company, and Kazuhiko Miyagawa (58), a former high school teacher, are facing an uphill battle.
--- end translation ---
Personally, I'm not a fan of conservative parties -- either in Japan or in my home country (the U.S.). So, I'd far prefer to see Mr. Koyama elected, though have nothing against Mr. Kimura personally.
I understand that the LDP fat cats are paying close attention to this election as a sort of indirect referendum on their leadership after all of the recent scandals.
熊本知事選、木村・幸山両氏競る/デイリースポーツ online
共同通信社は１５、１６両日、任期満了に伴う熊本県知事選（２４日投開票）の電話調査を実施し、取材結果を加味して情勢を探った。いずれも無所属新人で前副知事の木村敬氏（４９）＝自民、公明推薦＝と、元熊本市長...

Kirk here. This item, which came to me via a Google news alert for "Kumamoto," made me smile. I imagined an intrepid explorer and his expedition party, trudging through the "unexplored regions" of Kumamoto in search of liquid gold -- honey. 😉
It seems that "unexplored" is the word used to translate the Japanese 秘境 (hikyo). Here's how ChatGPT defines hikyo:
--- start ChatGPT explanation ---
The Japanese word "秘境" (hikyō) refers to a "hidden or secret place," often implying a location that is remote, secluded, or difficult to access. These places are usually untouched or unspoiled by human activity and can be thought of as hidden gems in nature, offering pristine and often breathtaking environments. They are often sought after for their untouched beauty, mystery, and the sense of adventure they evoke in exploring unknown or little-known locales.
--- end ChatGPT explanation ---
I guess "unexplored" is sort of close. Yet, as translations go, I would put this in the "close but no cigar" category. Words like "pristine" or "isolated" might have been better. The place can't be "unexplored" because, obviously, somebody did some "exploring" in order to find the honey.
The reason I can say with confidence that "秘境" is the Japanese word that led to the "unexplored" description is that searching for information about the honey brand led me to the original Japanese-language text. Here's the URL of the Japanese:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000001.000132298.html
And here's the URL of what came to me in English:
https://ktla.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/695639095/premium-honey-enju-sourced-from-the-unexplored-regions-of-kumamoto-japan-is-available-online-for-a-limited-quantity/
Both texts explain that the honey comes from an isolated, mountainous area near Kikuchi.
I have no doubt that the honey is good but, at over 30,000 yen per little jar, I think this honey will have to remain "unexplored" -- at least by me. 😉

William If you've got a car, a tent, and a bit of cash, you could do worse than to visit Toimisaki 都井岬（といみさき） in Miyazaki Prefecture. The location is famed for its native breed of horse called "Misaki uma" 「御崎馬（みさきうま）」. They're a unique example of dwarfism, when an animal migrating to an area with minimal resources evolves to a smaller size. https://www.tabirai.net/sightseeing/tatsujin/0000480.aspx
Recently, the American television "Shogun" has featured these horses - due to their small size, they make riders appear larger. Compared with most horse breeds, they are quite docile, with even the feral types allowing people to visit closely and pet them. For a taste of ancient Japan, Toimisaki is a must-visit. (Disclaimer: I am unaware of the exact breed of the horse used in the film, but it's small size indicates that it is a Misaki uma.) The Guardian reports on the success of the series: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/mar/15/the-guide-130-shoguns-tv-mastery

Kirk here looking forward to delicious watermelons arriving in my local supermarket! :)
Watermelon Shipments Begin in Southern Japan; Grown in Greenhouse in Kumamoto’s Ueki Area
Shipments of greenhouse-grown watermelons have begun in Kumamoto’s Ueki district, one of the nation’s leading watermelon-producing areas.

Joe Tomei here. It's Friday and you know what that means! Another Funky Friday Find! This week, I'd like to introduce Kanelujah, a newly opened coffee shop. It's a short walk from the Dobutsuen mae tram station. There are two parking spaces just down the street.
It's a short walk for me, being just behind Kengun jinja, so it's become a go-to place, but they also have some baking classes and a small video theatre and I've posted the notices they have, though you'll have to check on how that works. For me, it's the coffee and baked goods!
The FFF map is here
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing
And the shops Instagram page is here
https://www.instagram.com/kanelujah/

Kirk here. The image you see is of a newspaper (Asahi) article about KDS (Kumamoto Driving School) classes in various languages for foreigners. There have been several Japanese-language media reports about such classes, most or all of which are indexed on the school's website at the following address:
https://www.k-ds.net/international_blog/international
This page has a subtitle that reads as follows: "Foreign staff support foreigners in obtaining their driver's licenses" （外国の方の免許取得を外国人スタッフがサポートします）. I'm not sure but I think I recognize one person in the picture who I've met and is a native speaker of English (apologies if my memory is incorrect).
The newspaper article talks about classes for people from Vietnam and Myanmar and says that such classes have been provided for people from at least eight countries. The article says that one of the teachers (a Japanese person, judging from the name) speaks Tagalog. The classes help people understand the meaning of various signs and to learn Japanese traffic rules. The website lists a toll-free number. The person who answers may not speak English (or at least I'm not sure about that) but, at the very least, if you ask about the "international division" (国際課; kokusaika) you should be able to find out more.
By the way, here are some previous posts about driving in Japan:
Inquiry with many responses about driving schools
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0HqmbqyV2A3JsEoZPbyfw9EYEsGNEzqU5ebcPXqNHieTKU9cZkasGhtXGK6Y8jpREl
Laws about "distracted driving" (driving while looking at your phone)
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02Mjce1sNnbMujCzowHaQc4RgYrhZDT5JH23yfFTvfN5DVqnke9JMUYKF6U9DS4eRDl