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Here's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/126226639
Just south of Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan, on the shores of the Ariake Sea, is the small village of Sumiyoshi. The Ariake Sea has a mud covered bottom and at low tide…

Immediately after the huge eruption on Kuchinoerabu Island, the claim that "Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso" doesn't ring true.
"There is some concern that Mount Fuji is showing signs of eruption in the near future, but as things stand, Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso, in Aso Kujū national park on the southern island of Kyushu. It has one of the largest calderas in the world, offering myriad viewpoints over its twisted, pitted landscape."
On the other hand, with a qualifier such as "one of the most," I think the statement is eminently defensible. I saw a local news broadcast recently in which an expert pointed out that the volcano is likely to become more dangerous in the rainy season (June to early July).
By the way, here's a link to a news article about the eruption in Kuchinoerabu Island, in Kagoshima Prefecture:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/29/national/volcano-erupts-isle-kagoshima-prompting-evacuation-order/#.VWkvumCyu0w
Posted by Kirk
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/27/top-10-active-volcanoes
Top 10 active volcanoes to see up close
If you’re looking for a trip to light up your holiday, these volcanoes all have well-established roads, cable cars and trails up them – and predictable levels of activity

Unfortunately, Kumamoto seems to be the home of the poorest region in Japan. The Kuma area is beautiful but I guess the natural beauty of the area doesn't necessarily help people earn money.
"The Gini coefficient for them rose from 0.083 to 0.088, and the difference in the average income between the highest ranking, Minato Ward in Tokyo, and the poorest, Kuma village in Kumamoto Prefecture, jumped from 4.7-fold to 6.5-fold."
I think that the average age of the residents is a factor here. When young people leave a rural area in order to move to an urban area, it leaves a higher proportion of elderly people, who tend to have very modest incomes. If you click on the following link, you'll find a chart comparing the age distribution in Kuma Village with that of Japan as a whole (the graph on the left side of the page). The graph shows that the age distribution in Kuma Village is heavily skewed to right (the elderly).
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:Demography43513.svg
Here's a map showing the location of Kuma Village:
https://goo.gl/maps/2JnvD
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/05/24/commentary/japan-commentary/piketty-boom-fading-too-fast/#.VWMexVmqqko
Posted by Kirk
Piketty boom fading too fast | The Japan Times
Income inequality is high in Japan, and under the Abe administration it appears to be getting worse.

"The companies inked a collaboration agreement in December 2013, under which they will jointly investigate whether there is geothermal potential for the construction of a plant in Minamiaso village. On Thursday, Mitsubishi and Kyushu Electric were given the green light by the local evaluating committee, after submitting a proposal on January 14 this year."
http://renewables.seenews.com/news/mitsubishi-kyushu-electric-get-nod-for-geothermal-investigation-in-japan-477640
Mitsubishi, Kyushu Electric get nod for geothermal investigation in Japan - SeeNews Renewables
May 22 (SeeNews) - Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp (TYO:8058) and domestic utility Kyushu Electric Power Co Inc (TYO:9508) were given clearance to proceed with surface investigation for a planned geothermal plant in Kumamoto prefecture.The companies inked a collaboration agreement in December 2013, un…

Here's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/126708855
Koi nobori
In Japan, May 5th, once known as the "Boys' Festival" and now known as "Children's Day", is the time of year when many families display "Koi nobori" outside their…

Another essay for Kurokawa Onsen fans:
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/onsen-hop-9-genryunoyado-hozantei/
Onsen-hop # 9 `Genryunoyado Hozantei`
Another Friday afternoon,another outdoor onsen ;-) .....this week I chose to pop back to visit one I had noticed towards the end of my hike around Kurokawa earl

Walking and bathing . . . sounds like a relaxing way to spend a weekend. :)
http://kurokawa-onsen.com/walking-around-the-kurokawa-onsen-area/
Walking around the Kurokawa Onsen area
If you are not that keen on onsen-hopping (or perhaps want to get some exercise in between those long soaks in the bath) and are looking for something else to d

Kumamon at the Cannes Film Festival
http://www.france24.com/en/20150522-cannes-film-festival-japan-asuna-android-kumamon-fuchiko
Culture - Robots, teddies and tiny drink buddies: It’s Japan in Cannes!
A trip to the Japanese pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival offers a welcome break from the packed screenings and red carpet circus. Here are just a few treats from the land of cuteness.

On April 15, NHK's local Kumaroku (クマロク！) news show included a story about Sozankyo (蘇山郷), a ryokan in the Uchinomaki area of Aso. It has succeeded in getting lots of foreign business. One key to its success has been its presence on Booking.com
http://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/sozankyo.en-gb.html
where it has earned an extremely high rating. You can see notes about some of the scenes in the show if you click on the images shown below.

It has been eight years since the start of the so-called "baby hatch" in Kumamoto. It is the only such facility in Japan. Here's a paragraph from the Wikipedia "Baby hatch" page:
"In Japan, abandoning a baby is normally punished with up to five years in prison. In 2006 officials at Jikei Hospital applied to Kumamoto Prefecture government, Kumamoto city and other offices before opening a baby hatch were told that it would not count as abandonment, as the baby is under the hospital's protection. However, the Japanese ministry of health, labour and welfare would not comment on the issue, apart from saying that there was no precedent."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_hatch
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/21/national/social-issues/11-babies-left-hospitals-baby-hatch-fiscal-2014/#.VV55gGCyty4
11 babies left in hospital's 'baby hatch' in fiscal 2014 | The Japan Times
The number of unwanted babies dropped off at Jikei Hospital's so-called baby hatch reached 11 in fiscal 2014 — topping 10 for the first time in four years,

The photo shows a confection called "Chosen ame" or literally "Korean sweet." The name derives from the carrying of this food into Korea as one the provisions for Kato Kiyomasa's troops at the end of the 16th century. It does not spoil easily and as such was an appropriate food for traveling troops. Despite the rather problematic origin of the name, the confection itself is one that I can recommend without reservation. As a matter of fact, I am writing this today because, after sharing some with my students, I got requests for information about where to buy it. The following url has a Google map that shows the location of the store. Enjoy!
https://plus.google.com/107820237593090316375/about
Posted by Kirk

http://www.okashi-net.com/mall/sonodaya/
朝鮮飴 柿球肥のお取り寄せ 老舗園田屋：熊本県熊本｜和菓子モール
園田屋の元祖「朝鮮飴」は、餅米と水飴、砂糖を使い季節の変化に応じて仕上げた、一家相伝の製法を４００余年守り続ける元祖朝鮮飴で御座います。熊本の代表銘菓「朝鮮飴」を始め、「柿球肥(かきぎゅうひ)」など伝統の和菓子を老舗園田屋よりお届け致します。

Radio controlled Kumamon . . .
http://www.rccaraction.com/blog/2015/05/13/why-is-there-a-bear-driving-this-dune-buggy/
WHY IS THERE A BEAR DRIVING THIS DUNE BUGGY?
The answer, of course, is "because Japan." The jet-black bear is Kumamon, the official mascot of Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, says Wikipedia. He's Japan's favorite regional mascot, and thus worthy ...

Here's another video by long-time Kumamoto International participant and videographer Douglas Bruce. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/117777202
Fujisaki Shrine Festival, Kumamoto
All around Japan, festivals are held throughout the year. Some have very old roots and traditions. Others can have appeared quite recently. This festival is one…

"Mascot world domination"? Today Kumamoto, tomorrow the world! :)
Here's the address of another article on the same topic:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/05/11/entertainment-news/mascot-bear-kumanon-bound-cannes-filmfest/
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/07/japanese-bear-cannes-mascot-world-domination-kumamon-film
Japanese bear to take on Cannes in bid for mascot world domination
Kumamon, which is attending festival to promote its own movies, has come along way since being created in 2010 to mark a new bullet train service in Kumamoto

There has been relatively little news in English-language media about the Minamata disease issue recently. This, however, is not because of lack of new developments. The number of plaintiffs in a new lawsuit that started two years ago are growing (now over 1,000), a new lawsuit is likely to be filed in the fall, and the national government continues to refuse to adjust it's certification criteria. I hope to be able to provide updates in the future.
Posted by Kirk
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002126942
ITN / Tamaki Ozaki / Photographer records life after Minamata disease
KITAKYUSHU — Photographer Tamaki Ozaki has been taking underwater photos in Minamata Bay, Kumamoto Prefecture, for 20 years, saying she wants people to know more about the beauty of the sea with its colorful diversity.

Joe Tomei here, this just came through on the mailing list and since it may be time sensitive, I'm posting it here. Please contact the person listed as these are all the details I have.
=========
Hi everyone!
Seiha English Network, Kumamoto Branch is currently offering 1 Full-time and 1 Part-time English teaching positions for young learners 0-15 years old.
Highly competitive salary and transportation allowance will be provided. Trainings and Workshops are provided for continuous skills improvement.
Requirements:
1. Bachelors Degree, preferably related to English or teaching
2. Valid working visa (if applicable)
3. Teaching experience/certificates/licenses, preferred
4. Willingness to undergo training and has genuine interest in teaching English to kids
5. Drivers License preferred
Interested applicants may submit his/her resume (with a recent photo) to:
Ms. Kayoko Nagata (Kumamoto Block Manager)
Seiha English Network
4F Sunrise Building,
1-11 Kengunhon Machi, Higashi Ku
Kumamoto 862-0910
email address: [email protected]
telephone no: 0963-69-8814
Best Regards,
Mary Ann Sato
FT Leader/Trainer

This lecture will be held in Japanese, which may make it inaccessible to a significant proportion of the readers of this page, but I decided to share it here because the topic is germane to "Kumamoto International."
On the 6th of June, at 3 PM Mr. Hiroshi Isaki, head of the Kyushu division of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) will talk about current developments in aid to Cambodia. The location is this 9th floor of Parea (within the new wing of the Tsuruya Department Store).
Posted by Kirk
[くまもと国際協力連合会]6/6（土）15：00～講演会のご案内 | 大学コンソーシアム熊本
[くまもと国際協力連合会]6/6（土）15：00～講演会のご案内 投稿日:2015年5月12日 作成者: 大学コンソーシアム熊本 こんにちは。大学コンソーシアム熊本事務局です。 くまもと国際協力連合会より講演会のご案内です。 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　平成２７年５月9日 　　　一般社団法人 　　　大学コンソーシアム熊本 　　　　　　　会長　谷口　　功　様 くまもと国際協力連合会 会長　藤本吉幸 くまもと国際協力連合会講演会の開催について（依頼） 風薫る５月、青葉が目に染みる季節となりました。貴会におかれましてはますますご清栄…

SHISEI DAYORI May issue
Re: Tax info for Salaried workers
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/topics/topics_detail.asp?PageID=5&ID=7809&pg=1&sort=0&LC=e
Kumamoto International Foundation
The City will send decision notifications for collection of special residence tax amount to be levied for the year of 2015 (for both employers and employees) to employers in the middle of May. Employers must give to each employee, the decision notification intended for employee by May 31 without ope…

The picture is not of actual food but plastic, model food, for which Japan is famous. There's a place in Kumamoto City where you and your friends can try your hands at making fake food. The picture is actually a screenshot of the YouTube video on the site, which shows some high school students learning about food forgery. Here's a link to the English page:
http://www.kumamoto-icb.or.jp.e.mh.hp.transer.com/map/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=13&id=197&pg=1&mst=26
This English page is a machine translation of the original Japanese page:
http://www.kumamoto-icb.or.jp/map/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=13&id=197&pg=1&mst=26
This information comes from a site that introduces various things you can experience in Kumamoto. I wrote a bit about this site in an earlier post:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/insights/?section=navPosts

SHISEI DAYORI May issue
Re: Vaccinations of Measles and Rubella
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/topics/topics_detail.asp?PageID=5&ID=7806&pg=1&sort=0&LC=e
Kumamoto International Foundation