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A news article about this incident begins as follows:
"Security cameras in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture captured the incredible moment an elderly Japanese man lay down on train tracks – and seconds later, was run over by a fast-moving train. Amazingly, the man somehow survived unhurt."
http://globalnews.ca/news/2130375/watch-elderly-man-survives-being-run-over-by-a-train/
This occurred as a crossing in Suizenji, not far from Suizenji Station. Here's a link to a map showing the exact location:
https://goo.gl/FST39l
https://youtu.be/8XjKEukQiks
Footage shows man lay down on tracks moments before train passes over
A 83-year-old man in Japan is probably thanking his lucky stars after he survived a horrifying moment on a set of train tracks unscathed. Security camera foo...

The typhoon is now quite close. At this point, it looks like the situation will not be too serious east of the Amakusa area; it's only a little windy in Kumamoto City. Early this morning, Amakusa City residents received a "prepare to evacuate" warning but no new evacuation statements have been issued since then. The announcements are in Japanese and can be found here:
http://www.anshin.pref.kumamoto.jp/osirase/view.cgi?log_id=385
Various ferries in the Amakusa area have been canceled.
The map you see shows a "warning" issued for Amakusa and "advisories" for the rest of Kumamoto:
http://www.bousai.pref.kumamoto.jp/GmnDsp.exe?M100

Here's the probability of tropical storm winds in the next 12 hours. The rain may be more dangerous in some places than the wind. In either case, try to stay informed and be safe.
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com

Here's another typhoon update. The first image indicates that Kumamoto has a less than 50% chance of experiencing tropical storm winds, but I think it's clear that we will feel the effects of the storm to some extent. The second image indicates when the storm will be closest to Kumamoto. Unfortunately, the times are UTC, which is nine hours behind local time in Japan. In a nutshell, it looks like the storm will be closest to Kumamoto by about Sunday afternoon or Sunday evening.
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/1512.html

We are likely to experience a stormy weekend. The typhoon will not be extremely powerful when it arrives but it now seems likely to hit us from the worst possible angle. When a typhoon comes from the east, eastern Kyushu and the Aso mountains buffer the winds for us. When one comes from the west through Amakusa as this one will, we tend to have stronger winds. Take care!
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com

We are not likely to be hit very hard, but a typhoon is headed in our direction. Generally speaking, the winds are stronger for us when the storm approaches from the west, as this one will. According to the current prediction, however, the worst of the storm is likely to miss Kumamoto. Even if the winds are not extremely severe, we may get a lot of rain. Please do your best to follow developments.
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com

I have posted recently about the history of Minamata disease and recent developments in the news:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/862037967202970
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/863032493770184
This article is about Minamata disease as it manifested in Niigata Prefecture. The expression "Niigata Minamata disease" is, when you think about it, a little strange. It's akin to an expression like "California Boston disease" in that Niigata and Minamata are completely different place names. After "Minamata disease" came to be understood to mean "mercury poisoning resulting from the consumption of contaminated fish," however, the term was reused when a similar tragedy occurred in Niigata Prefecture.
There are many similarities between what occurred in Kumamoto's Minamata and in Niigata: corporate disregard for public safety, failure to alert the public to dangers, discrimination, refusal to formally recognize suffering, etc. For more information, see the following articles.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/13/national/history/mercury-rising-niigata-struggles-bury-minamata-ghosts/#.VaGxKHiyty4
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/1832430/minamata-sufferers-japan-keep-their-fight-compensation-50-years
http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/50-years-niigata-minamata-sufferers-still-seeking-relief
50 years on, Niigata Minamata sufferers still seeking relief
After half a century, the tragedy appears to be far from settled. -Japan News/ANN

On July 18, 2015, fair trade towns from across the globe took part in Fair Trade Live to raise awareness of fair trade among world leaders, local mayors and the media.
The video I have uploaded here is just the first 8 minutes of a longer discussion that took place in Kumamoto. I provide English summaries of key points as the discussion progresses. If you are interested in seeing more, you can either watch the entire video on line or download it to watch on another device at
http://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~masden/2015/0718/index.html
Actually, the "live" part of Fair Trade Live did not work due to technical difficulties. Nonetheless, communities around the world succeeded in raising consciousness about fair trade. I hope to post more about the issue in the near future.
-- Kirk

A student from the Solomon Islands will be speaking about the country at 2 PM on July 25th at the International Center downtown. I assume the discussion will be in Japanese. For more information, contact the International Center at the phone number or e-mail address shown.

As many of you may know, Kumamoto is the first city in Japan (and in Asia!) to be officially accredited as a "fair trade city":
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id031200.html
Tomorrow, Fair Trade Live 2015, a worldwide event, will begin in Kumamoto at 12 noon Japan time. You can view the event live at the following URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTS5Ec6nBVs
Yours truly (Kirk Masden) will assist with interpretation between Japanese and English and is hoping not to make too many embarrassing mistakes. :)
Here's another website related to the event:
http://wfto.com/events/fair-trade-live-2015-worldwide-event
http://www.fairtrade-kumamoto.com/index.php/english

Joe Tomei here, The new brochure for Muslim friendly restaurants is out, I just picked one up at Indo Shokudo and I've scanned and uploaded it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw4Z7xQAZlN1R1FGckJnNWJEWVk/view?usp=sharing

Here's color animation of the typhoon. It shows 24 hours of movement.
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/gms/smallc.html?area=0&element=2

Typhoons and hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere spin counterclockwise. Accordingly, when a typhoon passes to our east (as it is doing this time), it pulls air from the north in our direction. This probably has something to do with the cooler temperatures we are experiencing today. Conversely, when a typhoon passes to our west (as happened last week) it pulls hot air from the south in our direction. Of course, I'm sure their are other factors that have led to the difference between last week's heat and the cool temperatures we are experiencing today.
The animation comes from
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/gms/smallc.html?area=0&element=0&time=201507162130

SHISEI-DAYORI (City Info) July issue
As temperatures rise, the risk of food poisoning increases. Here's some information on how to avoid the problem.
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/topics/topics_detail.asp?PageID=5&ID=7916&pg=1&sort=0&LC=e
Kumamoto International Foundation

--- start quote ---
During his stay, Yoo visited the Manda pits of the Miike Coal Mine in Arao, which are part of the “Sites of the Meiji Industrial Revolution.” Workers brought from the Korean Peninsula when it was under Japanese rule labored in the pits.
--- end quote ---
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201507150045
Bilateral summit likely this year, says S. Korean envoy - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--South Korea’s ambassador to Japan said that a recent warming of ties between the two Asian neighbors will likely lead to a bilateral summit meeting within the year.

The typhoon will not hit us directly but we are likely to experience fairly strong winds tomorrow.
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/349_table.html

The image you see was taken in 2013 after Akio Mizoguchi won a supreme court decision to have his mother recognized posthumously as a Minamata disease patient. As the article states,
"The focal point at the Supreme Court . . . was whether the government’s criteria for recognition of Minamata disease victims, adopted in 1977, are reasonable. The criteria set tougher standards to recognize victims, requiring a combination of a sensation disorder plus separate symptoms."
The victory led, however, to a political stalemate. While the court had ruled that the 1977 criteria were too stringent, the national government said it would continue to use those criteria. This gap between the supreme court ruling and the stated position of the government led Kumamoto Governor Kabashima to decide to suspend the evaluation process until the conflict between the court and the government could be resolved. As of June, there was a backlog of 1,135 applications awaiting adjudication.
Recently, after the government has said that it would follow the 2013 supreme court ruling, Governor Kabashima announced that this adjustment in the government's position has made it possible for the evaluation of applications to resume after a hiatus of more than 2 years.
To the best of my knowledge, this newest development has not yet been reported about in English. You can find reports in Japanese, however, at the following URLs:
http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/syasetu/article/181564
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH7D4W3TH7DTLVB00X.html
-- Kirk
#Kumamoto #Minamata #disease
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/04/17/national/crime-legal/supreme-court-recognizes-woman-as-minamata-victim/
Supreme Court recognizes woman as Minamata victim | The Japan Times
The Supreme Court upholds a high court ruling that posthumously recognizes a woman as a victim of Minamata disease.

According to this report, between July 6 and 12, 172 people have been taken to hospital for heat exhaustion (熱中症) in Kumamoto alone.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/14/national/3000-taken-hospital-amid-ongoing-heat-wave/#.VaXBTHiyty4
More than 3,000 taken to hospital amid ongoing heat wave | The Japan Times
At least two elderly people died and four children were taken to the hospital Tuesday, apparently suffering from heat stroke or heat exhaustion, as the Jap

The likelihood that the typhoon will cause serious problems in Kumamoto has declined.
http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com
#Kumamoto #typhoon

SHISEI-DAYORI (City Info) July
The Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens (and the rides) will remain open until 9 PM every Saturday between July 18 and August 22. Admission fees will be the same (300 yen for adults).
http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/topics/topics_detail.asp?PageID=5&ID=7920&pg=1&sort=0&LC=e
Reference, website of the ZOO
http://www.ezooko.jp/one_html3/pub/default.aspx?c_id=22
(English page)