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"In Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, a high school girl was strangled in May 2014. A man in his 40s who was charged with murder in the case is believed to have met the girl via an online community site."
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201504170004
Record number of minors victimized in crimes linked to online community sites - AJW by The Asahi...
A record high 1,421 minors under 18 years old fell victim to crimes related to social networking services and other online community sites in 2014, a National Police Agency report showed.

This is not about Kumamoto, but it reminds me of the "No Foreigners" issue that came up here in February. Whereas the good people of Kumamoto City's Office for the Promotion of Human Rights intervened so that the issue in Kumamoto could be resolved successfully, Japan's Ministry of Finance has failed to come to bat for the victim in this case:
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A European exchange student in his twenties who wished to rent an apartment in Kyoto could not get a rental contract because the apartment was “No Foreigners”. He asked for recourse from the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Affairs Bureau in Kyoto for discrimination against foreigners, but the Legal Affairs Bureau refused, stating, “We cannot determine that the facts constitute a violation of human rights.”
. . .
入居を希望した京都市のアパートが「外国人不可」のため、賃貸契約できなかった欧州出身の２０代の留学生が、法務省の京都地方法務局に外国人差別だとして救済措置を求めたところ、法務局は「人権侵犯の事実があったとまでは判断できない」と退けた。
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http://www.debito.org/?p=13185
debito.org » Blog Archive » Kyodo: Ryukoku U exchange student denied “No Foreigner” Kyoto...
eBooks, Books, and more from Dr. ARUDOU, Debito (click on icon): UPDATES ON TWITTER: arudoudebito DEBITO.ORG PODCASTS on iTunes, subscribe free “LIKE” US on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/debitoorghttp://www.facebook.com/handbookimmigrantshttps://www.facebook.com/JapaneseOnlyTheBookhttps://www.…

Douglas Bruce is a highly skilled videographer who lives in Kumamoto. Check out the beautiful images of sakura in this video he posted recently.
https://vimeo.com/124400986
P.S. The announcement was first published at
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/13211
Cherry Blossom - the Flower of the Samurai
The samurai, who were ready to sacrifice themselves in their prime, adopted the cherry blossom as their flower as it, at the height of its beauty, also falls to…

Here's an announcement from the Kumamoto City International Foundation:
--- start quote ---
■Ushibuka Haiya Dancing Festival
You can see more than 5,000 people dancing in the street.
Time period: Fri., 17th. ~ Sun., 19th. Apr.
Place: Ushibuka Haiya Bridge Glass Park, Ushibuka-machi shopping street, Ushibuka General Center, and so on.
Admission fee: free
Access: JR Kumamoto Station → Hondo Bus Center (about 2 hours by bus)
Hondo Bus Center → Ushibuka Port (about 1 hour by bus)
For more information: Ushibuka Haiya Planning Committee Office
(TEL: 0969-73-2111) *Japanese only
Website: http://www.city.amakusa.kumamoto.jp/
--- end quote ---
The image you see and explanation in Japanese can be found at
http://www.ushibuka-cci.or.jp/ivento-haiya.htm

In the recent election for the city council, two candidates received the exact same number of votes. The winner was decide by drawing lots.
Here's an article in English that mentions the tie:
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002078199
ttp://www.asahi.com/articles/photo/AS20150414004026.html
最後の１議席、くじ引きで決着　熊本市議選、民主現職に：朝日新聞デジタル

Here's an announcement I received in an e-mail from the Kumamoto City International Foundation:
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■Nichirin-ji Azalea Festival
More than 35,000 azaleas come into blossom at this time every year.
Time period: From Thur.,16th, to Wed.,29th, Apr.
*You can enoy night-time illumination until 21:00
Place: Nichirin-ji Park (Yamaga City)
Cost: free
Access: Kumamoto Station (boarding) → Shin-Tamana Station (get off)
*about 15 minutes by Shinkansen bullet train
Please board the Sanko bus for “Yamaga Onsen” and get off at “Yamaga bus center”.
*about a 50 minute ride
It takes about 10 minutes from Yamaga bus center by taxi.
For more information: Yamaga City Promotion of Tourism Division
(TEL: 0968-43-1579) *Japanese only
Website: http://www.yamaga-kankoh.hinokuni-net.jp/events/
--- end quote ---
The photo you see, a Google map, and a Japanese explanation can be found at
http://www.jalan.net/kankou/spt_43208ac2100125383/

This beautiful video of Takahashi Shrine was prepared by Kumamoto resident, Douglas Bruce. If you are not familiar with Takahashi Shrine, the following map shows the location:
https://goo.gl/maps/iJw8Y
https://vimeo.com/117378423
Takahashi after the rain
Most people take videos in the sunshine I thought it would be more interesting to catch this Japanese shrine just after a thunderstorm! This is also a test of my…

Here's something I received in an e-mail message from the Kumamoto City International Foundation:　
--- start quote ---
KIF Japanese Information
*Nihongo Club
Date and Time: Tuesdays from 10:00~11:30
Wednesdays from 10:00~12:00, 14:00~16:00, 18:30~20:00
Sundays form 10:00~12:00, 14:00~16:00
Let’s study necessary Japanese language for life and habits together!
Feel free to contact us if you are interested.
Target: international citizens of Kumamoto city
Expense: 100 yen (every time)
*Japanese class in Musashi-gaoka and Kengun
How about joining a Japanese language class right in your own neighborhood?
Musashi-gaoka: Tuesdays at Musashi-gaoka housing complex from 10:00a.m. to 11:30a.m.
Kengun: Tuesdays (excluding the second Tuesday of each month) at Kengun shopping arcade “Yottekanne” from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30a.m.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Multicultural Affairs Office ( 2F ) at Kumamoto City International Foundation (Kumamoto City International Center).
(TEL) 096-359-4995 (9a.m.〜8p.m.)
(e-mail）[email protected]
--- end quote ---
Tag: LearnJapanese

Kumamon is still the standard by which other yurukyara are judged.
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Few have managed to emulate Kumamon, a tubby black bear with an endearing grin whose name is an ingenious combination of the Japanese word for bear, kuma, Kumamoto, his home prefecture, and the local pronunciation of mon, or “things”.
Kumamon’s face appears on myriad local products and tourism campaigns, while companies across Japan pay the prefecture to use his likeness on everything from stationery to sweets.
--- end quote ---
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/09/character-assassination-japan-mascot-ranks-finance-ministry
Character assassination as Japan's mascot ranks are trimmed
Finance ministry asks local governments to make least cost-effective of their cuddly yuru-kyara characters redundant

Again, squeamish readers may wish to skip the gory details, but this is part of the history of this area nonetheless. For another article on the exhibition go to
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/807183916021709
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/us-prisoners-of-war-had-parts-of-their-brains-and-livers-removed-during-wwii-new-japanese-exhibit-shows-10159183.html
WWII prisoners of war used for live experiments in Japan had parts of their brains cut out
A Japanese university museum will break taboo with an exhibition on the infamous live vivisections of American POWs during the Second World War.

This site offers information on various experiences (making things, etc.) that one can have in Kumamoto. If you don't read Japanese, I recommend that you look at the Japan original articles and the English machine translations in parallel. Click on "English" at the top of the page to open up a separate window. To see the information on the experiences / courses offered, click on the pink area. If you look at both the English and Japanese in parallel, then you can print out the Japanese page and get some help (if needed) if you decide you actually want to visit a place or if the machine translation is too garbled to make sense of.
http://www.kumamoto-icb.or.jp
In subsequent posts, I'll introduce some of the experiences / courses offered that I think look particularly intriguing.
Posted by Kirk

You better hit the books, junior, if you want to be ready for that test on yurukyara next week!
". . . textbooks for many different subjects introduce yurukyara local mascots, such as Kumamon, the bear representing Kumamoto Prefecture."
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/07/national/junior-high-school-textbooks-feature-malala-other-young-stars/#.VSPcdhOUdSt
Junior high school textbooks feature Malala, other young stars | The Japan Times
Many world-renowned youthful figures in sports, art and other fields appear in newly approved Japanese junior high school textbooks, including Pakistani ed

An international conference on applied sciences, engineering and technology will be held in Kumamoto in October. For more information, click on the link below.
http://www.basharesearch.com/wcset2015.html
BRCORP - 4th WCSET 2015 (Japan)
The World Conference on Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (WCSET) is an annual conference organized by the BRCORP at various locations of the world to envisage technological exchanges among researchers from diverse disciplines of both science and engineering. The first WCSET 2012 was orga…

Kumamoto City is cited as being one of a few cities to take aggressive steps to monitor for corruption:
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Since assembly secretariats cannot properly inspect the huge volume of documents, some assemblies have installed a system in which a third party, including lawyers and certified public accountants, help with this work.
However, at the present time, only five prefectures — Hokkaido, Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo, and Fukuoka — and four cities — Saitama, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Kumamoto — utilize such systems. Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, is the only city considering such a system this fiscal year.
---- end quote ----
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002061906
Behind the Scenes / Many assembly members dipping in the till
It has repeatedly come to light that local assemblymen have been inappropriately using “political activity funds” provided by local governments. The Yomiuri Shimbun investigated the legislative assemblies of all 47 prefectures and 20 ordinance-designated cities and found that about ¥63 million had b…

I was asked about where to get natural or organic milk in Kumamoto. The only thing I could do was to introduce my favorite brand of milk, Rakuno Gyunyu. I like the flavor and the following facts about it:
* It's produced locally (note, for example, the illustration of the Aso volcano).
* The composition of the milk (percentage of fat, etc.) is not adjusted. In Japanese, the key phrase is "成分無調整" ("seibun muchosei"; composition unaltered). Because they don't do anything to adjust the fat content, etc., the average fat content changes slightly from season to season -- hence the fluctuations on the graph.
I'm not sure that Rakuno Gyunyu is the best or most natural kind of milk available in Kumamoto -- it's just what I have come to like. Do any of you have any other recommendations for people interested in natural and/or organic milk?

This may make flying in and out of Kumamoto Airport more convenient.
http://www.eturbonews.com/57142/qatar-airways-expands-codeshare-agreements-cathay-pacific-and-ja
Qatar Airways expands codeshare agreements with Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines - eTurboNews.com
DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways has announced the further expansion of its code-share agreements with both Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, enhancing ...

Here's an inquiry that was posted to the list.
In regard to visas for American citizens visiting Japan, I'm fairly sure that U.S. citizens don't need to get a visa in advance for a short trip. If you're going to stay more than three months, though, that's another matter.
Post by Kirk

"In 1945, a U.S. B-29 bomber was downed near the border between Kumamoto and Oita prefectures. Eight of the airmen were vivisected by doctors of the medical school."
The description in the article is gruesome -- not for the faint of heart. On the other hand, I think it's important for succeeding generations to learn about what happened and think about the conditions and mental processes that allow human beings do such things to other human beings.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/04/national/new-kyushu-museum-breaks-taboo-with-pow-vivisection-display/#.VSDurBOUdSs
New Kyushu museum breaks taboo with POW vivisection display | The Japan Times
A new medical history museum in Fukuoka faced the area's dark wartime past on Saturday by using its grand opening to finally address the infamous live diss

from Joe Tomei
Here's the information for the monthly PIGATE meeting.
Date and Time: Saturday, 11 April 2015 - 1:30pm - 5:00pm
Location: Kumamoto Gakuen University English Lounge
The monthly PIGATE meeting will feature two speakers
Teacher beliefs on conducting classes in English
by Ms. Nicole Gallagher (Kumamoto Prefectual Office)
and
Malala's Speech for English classes
by Ms. Fumi Ogata（Kikuyo JHS）
any questions, please contact Joe Tomei at [email protected]

This is an article about a cruise ship, loaded with high tech, that will dock in Kumamoto at some point in the future that is not specified in the article. A "smart car" drives itself, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
http://www.knoxnews.com/knoxville/life/grading-the-worlds-first-smartship-quantum-of-the-seas_63767594
Grading the world's first ‘smartship,' Quantum of the Seas
The world's first 'smartship' gets mixed reviews on dining, wifi and more.