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'Yokai Watch' characters 'hijack' JR Kumamoto Station - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--Characters from the video game and anime franchise "Yokai Watch" have taken over JR Kumamoto Station here, with related posters, panels, stickers and other decorations spread around the facility.

Here's a report on the capybara in Aso Farm Land.
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/12/14/adorable-circular-capybara-formation-proves-they-look-cute-even-when-doing-something-nasty/
Adorable circular capybara formation proves they look cute even when doing something nasty
As someone whose eyes are closed in about 20 percent of his pictures, I’ve always thought it must be nice to be naturally photogenic. If nothing else, you must save a lot of time not having to snap a half-dozen photos in the same spot, just in case you look goofy in all but one. For example, I have…

This may be useful to people who live in Japan as well as visitors.
http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/110629.php
KDDI to offer free Wi-Fi for foreign visitors
Japanese telecom company KDDI says it will offer free Wi-Fi service to meet the needs of the increasing number of foreign visitors in Japan.

Well, the election results are in.
"JIP acting leader Yorihisa Matsuno was certain to lose in Kumamoto Constituency No. 1, with the results of the proportional representation bloc pending."
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001790536
Since the publication of this article, it has been reported in the Japanese press that Matsuno (who defected from the Democratic Party to join Osaka mayor Hashimoto's Japan Innovation Party' [Ishin no to]) got a seat in the proportional representation bloc.
With these results, Kumamoto looks even more conservative than the country as a whole. Four of the five single-seat constituencies were won by an LDP candidate and one was kept by a candidate from the ultra-conservative, anti-foreign Jisedia Party (Sonoda of Kumamoto's Constituency No. 4). For information about the anti-foreign advertising of this reactionary party, see
http://www.debito.org/?p=12904
Fortunately, in other regions of Japan, the Jisedai Party lost big. Even the party's famous leader Ishihara Shintaro, known for his long history of hateful, anti-foreign statements, lost his seat. Sonoda's seat is one of just two in the country that the party kept. Sonoda's only challenger was a candidate from the Japanese Communist Party.
By the way, in most of Japan, Communist Party candidates cannot win in single-seat constituencies but they succeeded in winning such a seat in Okinawa in this election. The Communist Party was the primary beneficiary of protests votes and gained seats in proportional representations blocs.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/14/national/politics-diplomacy/resurgent-jcp-has-night-to-remember
Nonetheless, protest voters seem to have stayed home at higher rates than LDP supporters. Though Abe's poll ratings have been split between those who support him and those who do not, he was able to maintain a clear majority in the Diet. Why? One factor was low voter turnout. The percentage of those qualified to vote who actually took the trouble to do so was just 52% -- perhaps the lowest since the end of World War II. My view is that the conservatives did a better job of mobilizing their supporters and that people who don't like the Abe administration but are also not big fans of opposition parties like the Communist Party were more likely to stay home because they didn't feel they had anyone they really wanted to vote for.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20141214/k10013964051000.html
Nationally, the LDP seems poised to change Japan's peace constitution.
Posted by Kirk.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001790447
LDP, Komeito projected to win larger majority - The Japan News
The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior ruling coalition partner Komeito looked set to win a landslide victory in Sunday’s House of Representatives election, securing substantially more than a simple majority of 238 seats, according to joint exit polls by The Yomiuri Shimbun and NTV network.

There is a major election tomorrow and, according to this article, "Yorihisa Matsuno, the party’s acting leader, trails an LDP candidate in Kumamoto Constituency No. 1."
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001784438
Survey shows LDP possibly gain 300 seats - The Japan News
The Liberal Democratic Party will possibly win 300 seats in the Dec. 14 House of Representatives election, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun’s predictions based on data including results of its nationwide poll conducted from Tuesday to Thursday.

Joe Tomei here. This came in another email list and I thought it would be worth passing on.
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Medical Insurance -- when to schedule operations
I have found out that it is very important as to when you schedule a
major medical procedure here if you are using the National Health
Insurance (NHI). I just had both knees worked on -- a 90 man procedure that cost me 16 man because I had it done at the end of the month. If I had had it done at the beginning of the month, it probably would have
cost 10 man. Why?
Each of us under the 30-70 rule pays 30% up until a cap that is
determined by our current income. Each of us on this list probably has a different cap. When the cap is reached for that month, the 30% becomes 1% for all additional charges and NHI or the Prefecture pick up the balance. NHI does this on a monthly calendar basis so it costs more if your hospitalization/treatment goes into a second calendar month.
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The other day I expressed my puzzlement at why a World Order video focusing on Kyushu was only promoted in Chinese. This article may constitute a partial explanation -- but I still think they should take advantage of the new video by promoting it in other languages as well.
http://fukuoka-now.com/news/kyushu-ups-pr-efforts-as-weak-yen-draws-more-chinese-to-kyushu/
Kyushu Ups PR Efforts As Weak Yen Draws More Chinese To Kyushu | Fukuoka Now
Your guide to the best of Fukuoka!

Here's another article related to the joint exercises between the U.S. Marines and Japan's Self-Defense Forces that are being held in Kumamoto.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/12/09/marines-japanese-students-share-culture.html
Marines, Japanese Students Share Culture
KUMAMOTO PREFECTURE, Japan – U.S. Marines participating in exercise Forest Light 15-1 visited with high school students here Dec. 5. A group of 11 Marines took time out of their bilateral training to speak with students at Kumamoto’s Kaishin and Chinzei high schools. The school visits centered ...

The osprey (the introduction of which to Okinawa was quite controversial) flew in and out of Kumamoto Airport. I saw something on TV about the governor taking a ride. (Posted by Kirk)
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/895648.shtml
You can find another article about the military maneuvers here:
http://www.marines.mil/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/3258/Article/555400/one-shot-marines-jgsdf-complete-sniper-training.aspx
On light maneuvers - Global Times
A US Marines MV-22 Osprey takes part in the joint military exercise Forest Light 15-1 with the 42nd Regiment, 8th Division, Western Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force at the Oyanohara Training Area in Yamato, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan.

World Order does Kumamoto and other spots in Kyushu.
This promotion is intended for Chinese audiences. The video has been put up on China's YouKu, not YouTube. But you don't need knowledge of Chinese to enjoy the video if you are a World Order fan:
http://welcome2japan.cn/vj2014/worldorder/index.php

These images are from the December 3rd edition of NHK's morning news program (おはよう日本). The expert from Kumamoto University is saying, based on past experience, that the eruptions are likely to continue for 4 or 5 years.

This article says that the restricted area around the Aso volcano has been extended to 1.5 km at night. During the day, the restriction remains at 1 km.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/kumamoto/news/20141204-OYTNT50288.html
阿蘇中岳の立ち入り規制　夜間は半径１．５キロに拡大
　阿蘇市などでつくる阿蘇火山防災会議協議会（会長・佐藤義興市長）は４日、阿蘇中岳第１火口の噴火を受け、臨時総会を開いた。火口から半径１キロ圏内としている立ち入り規制区域を、夜間に限って１・５キロまで拡大することを決めた。実施時期は早急に詰める。

It's cold! If you are driving into the mountains, you will probably need to have snow chains.
http://youtu.be/O8SyZwkvkeQ

US Marines and Japanese Self-Defence Forces held joint exercises in Yamato, Kumamoto.
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/149339/forest-light-brings-japan-forces-and-us-marines-together#.VIAqcYuyty4
Forest Light brings Japan forces and US Marines together
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members and U.S. Marines came together in a ceremony Dec. 1 to open up exercise Forest Light 15-1 at the Oyanohara Training Area in Yamato, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan.

Mt. Aso's activity continues. Here's a video put out by TKU on the 3rd:
http://youtu.be/4EE2GWh21fo
20141203sp 1

Here's a photo by Gonzaga Barreira that was published on the BBC site. It came with the following caption:
"Nakadake volcano in Japan erupted for the first time in 25 years, covering surrounding villages in volcanic ash. Gonzaga Barreira was in Mount Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, when he took the picture. He said: 'It's the biggest volcano in Japan and has one of the biggest calderas in the world, with a few thousand people living inside the caldera.'"
http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-30258960
Your week in pictures
News events from around the world as photographed by you.

One problem with volcanic activity is trouble that is caused by the ash. The ash can cause flights to be canceled (as has already happened) and the particles in the ash can damage car paint, etc. So, to help people cope, the Japan Meteorological Agency has started to issue predictions of areas that will be affected by the stuff. Unfortunately, I think the information is only available in Japanese:
http://www.data.jma.go.jp/svd/vois/data/tokyo/STOCK/kouhai/kouhai.html
They don't issue reports every day. I assume that the reports are only issued when the ash is expected to cause significant problems.

This article is already old but I thought I'd post it because I think many readers who have actually visited the volcano might remember the shelters shown in the picture. I wonder when the public will be allowed to visit this area again.
(Posted by Kirk)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/11/28/national/mount-aso-spews-first-magma-in-over-two-decades/#.VHt1WIuyu0w
Mount Aso spews first magma in over two decades | The Japan Times
Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture is experiencing its first magmatic eruption in 21 years, the Metrological Agency's regional headquarters in Fukuoka announ

This video from RKK contains some good moving images of what is happening at Mt. Aso.
http://youtu.be/NJ0-DQTvorE

More stunning images and one video of recent activity can be found on this page:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2852674/Volcano-south-Japan-erupts-disrupting-flights.html#v-3913822008001
Volcano in south Japan erupts, disrupting flights
TOKYO (AP) — A volcano in southern Japan blasted out chunks of magma Friday in the first such eruption in 22 years, causing flight cancellations and promptin...