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A new video of people in Kumamoto dancing to Pharrell Williams' "Happy" has come out. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/zyo77vqg3R0
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015 in Chuo-ku,Kumamoto,Japan

I'm sharing this to give more people a chance to see it.

Kumamon has a new exercise video. If you are a student of the Kumamoto dialect, you will probably enjoy the many examples of Kumamoto-ben that are used in the video. :) On the other hand, I couldn't help but wince at the pronunciation of English words and the English-like pronunciation of Japanese words. :(
http://youtu.be/Cv0tojTQZRk
くまモンのダイエット決行のために、 熊本県が独自開発したエクササイズ！くまモン４Uメソッド公開！ http://kumamoto-red.com/

To read a brief article about the current exhibition (‘The Power of a Pencil: Susumu Kinoshita and Yoshio Yoshimura’) go to
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/12/04/arts/openings-outside-tokyo/the-power-of-a-pencil-susumu-kinoshita-and-yoshio-yoshimura/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-power-of-a-pencil-susumu-kinoshita-and-yoshio-yoshimura
http://www.camk.or.jp/english/
Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

The castle earlier today.
Source: https://twitter.com/kuu___yan/status/550426027835412481/photo/1

This will be the last in my short series on posts that got big responses in 2014. The image is of a post about an article that featured a particularly caustic quote from Lafcadio Hearn: Kumamoto is "a prison in the bottom of hell." As one person commented "summers without air conditioning will do that to a person."
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/703739003032868
Another post that got a big response was the announcement of jobs at Kumamoto University:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/715806401826128
There are more posts that I might write about but I think I'll stop here.
In 2015, I hope to do a better job of integrating this page with Kumamoto-i (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages). A good deal of information has been exchanged there (especially buy-and-sell). If you are unfamiliar with it, please take a look.
I hope you all have a happy new year!
Lafcadio Hearn: 'Japanese Thru and Tru'
A small cage was opened at Lafcadio Hearn's funeral, setting birds into the air, the soul of the deceased presumably taking flight with them. His coffin was draped in chrysanthemums ...

In the past few days, I've been reviewing posts and/or topics that got big responses in 2014. One topic of concern was the approach of various storms. The single post that got the biggest response (3,192 views) on this topic was this article about evacuations in Kumamoto:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/668014056605363
I don't have the number of views but I got far more comments than ever before on this page in response to the following post about whether or not I was "crying wolf" by offering so much information about the storms (thanks for the support that many of you gave me):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/photos/a.129499733790134.25925.123734781033296/669479479792154/
When disasters hit, social networks morph from infotainment to venues for the exchange of vital information. This page and the Kumamoto-i mailing list are not exceptions but let's hope that infotainment will suffice in 2015!
Finally, here are links to my previous review posts:
Popular 2014 Kumamoto-related videos:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/757458467660921
Aso eruption and other Aso-related news in 2014:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/755105377896230
Evacuation of 87,000 people due to threat of flooding in Japan - media
Evacuation of 87,000 people was announced in Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan because of the risk of flooding, said Monday the NHK TV company. The evacuation of the entire population of Amak

The article is related to Kumamoto in that it describes the work of a researcher at Kumamoto University.
http://news.yahoo.com/fish-eye-sheds-light-colour-vision-094536300.html
Fish eye sheds light on colour vision
A fish eye from a primitive time when Earth was but one single continent, has yielded evidence of colour vision dating back at least 300 million years, researchers said Tuesday.

A few days ago I posted about the popularity of posts about Mt Aso on this page in 2014:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/755105377896230
Today I'd like to continue my little series on "posts that got big responses in 2014" with a some popular videos.
The video that got the biggest response (over 8,000 views) was this one by World Order, which features the group dancing in various well-know spots in Kyushu (including Kumamoto):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/746425042097597
If you want to see it, though, you need to follow the links to the YouKu (Chinese YouTube) link. You may find that, depending on the time of day, it doesn't always work. If you are a World Order fan, you can download the video to watch at your leisure without streaming problems.
Here are some related posts:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/745928382147263
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/747102235363211
The second most popular video was this one about sending shock waves through vegetables at Kumadai to turn the insides into juice (the video is better than my explanation):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/695977457142356
Third in terms of views (about 1,000) but my own personal favorite is "HAPPY 'MOKKOSU KUMAMOTO.'" "Mokkosu" is Kumamoto dialect for "stubborn." "Mokkosu" is frequently referred to as a cultural characteristic (Higo mokkosu) and I think it is used here as a indication of local pride. At any rate, it's a really fun video in which people dance to Pharrell Williams' "Happy":
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/651307614942674
Posted by Kirk
海外（中国）向け九州PR動画公開開始！ 　
観光庁とJATA（日本旅行業協会）のタイアップによるWORLD ORDERを起用した、海外（中国）向け動画の公開が始まりました。今回は、九州の３県（福岡県・大分県・熊本県）が紹介されています。※　HPは中国語です。

Some former Kumamoto JETs to become shop keepers in Tokyo's English Village? Is it really necessary to have classroom experience to sell stuff in English? I wonder if salaries will be high enough to attract former JETs to become shopkeepers and custodians in a theme park.
"All store staff will be foreigners, including staff from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and those who have lived in Japan on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program."
http://news.asiaone.com/news/education/tokyo-english-village-offer-language-immersion
Tokyo 'English village' to offer language immersion
The Tokyo metropolitan government announced Thursday a plan to establish "English village" facilities for primary, middle and high school students to experience life through communication entirely in English, in a waterfront area where athletic facilities and the Olympic Village will be concentrated…

Fortunately, as far as I know, there are no longer any 女人禁制 (nyonin kinsei -- no women allowed) sites in Kumamoto. Previously, however, there was such a cave
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/site/arinomama/fujin.html
and the paper craft for which Yamaga is famous once banned female participation:
http://www.yamaga-kankoh.hinokuni-net.jp/specials/summer/
4 Things women are banned from doing in Japan 【Women in Japan Series】
Women have been prohibited from doing certain things (entering places, using facilities, etc.) for as long as civilization has existed. Restrictions are still common, albeit usually in religious contexts only. While religions themselves evolve and change with the times and bans are lifted, it doesn'…

"The strange crossover is thanks to the Evangelion Exhibit, which is making a stop at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art starting February 28, 2015." For details and additional links, see the article.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2014-12-24/kumamon-suits-up-as-an-evangelion-for-new-collaboration/.82601
Kumamon Suits Up As an Evangelion For New Collaboration
Kumamon, the bear mascot from Kumamoto prefecture, has dressed up as Himura Kenshin several times before, but now he's transforming into Evangelion Unit-01....

We have a full schedule of presentations, but we can still accept some poster presentations for the upcoming forum. The extended deadline is 11 January. Details here
http://nankyujalt.blogspot.jp/2014/08/call-for-papers-sojo-university-english.html
and registration form is here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_67ADXKkVqiO_CcMnjkpQlZUEu6dukzG7_pZ_mBDuak/viewform

This might be a good time to patronize some of the fine establishments in the Aso area.
"According to Kumamoto Prefecture, there were a total of 1,000 cancellations at facilities in the Aso and southern Aso areas between Nov. 25 and Dec. 11. Some facilities saw a 20 to 30 percent drop in visitors over the same period in 2013."
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201412240066
Mount Aso eruption impacting tourism despite efforts to tout safety, view - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
ASO, Kumamoto Prefecture--Although the continuing eruption of Mount Aso is hurting tourism, including the cancellation of accommodations in the surrounding area, local businesses are trying to lure visitors back, even promoting the view of the smoking mountain.

This footage of Mt. Aso's continuing eruption is referred to in the following statement:
"An aerial observation on Dec. 23 from an Asahi Shimbun helicopter showed the diameter of the vent, formed at the bottom of the crater and through which magma and rock fragments erupted, having expanded by 30 meters since the eruption to measure about 50 meters."
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201412240066
http://youtu.be/zDFR0VTPxlo
阿蘇山噴火から１カ月、観光に打撃 キャンセル相次ぐ
２１年ぶりの本格的なマグマ噴火が始まって１２月２５日で１カ月になる阿蘇山中岳。 【記事はこちら】http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASGDQ6VTQGDQTIPE02C.html ※朝日新聞社の動画の改ざんや、許可なく商用・営利目的で利用することを禁じます。

As we approach the end of 2014, I'd like to review some of the issues that got big responses on this page. When I say "big responses," I'm referring to "numbers reached" that Facebook provides in its "Insights" (statistics on page use and views). The biggest response of all was to the following link from Newsweek.com, an article about Mount Aso's eruption.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/740949815978453
This post "reached" (whatever that means) 10,272 people. A typical post of mine only reaches about 100 or so, even though close to a thousand people have "liked" this page. Many people chose to share this, causing it to go viral.
Actually, just about anything I posted about the volcano got much bigger responses that other posts, so it's pretty clear that people were interested.
Even before the eruption, people showed interest in Mount Aso and its environs. The following post about UNESCO's decision to designate the Aso area as a Global Geopark got over 1,200 views.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/704847666255335
Finally, this post from April about a visit to the volcano got almost 2000 views:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/627031194036983
Although we were able to get close enough to look down into the volcano, the pool inside had already dried up. In retrospect, I think that was an indication of the increased activity that led to the recent eruption.
(Posted by Kirk)
Mount Aso, One of World's Largest Volcanoes, Erupts in Japan
So far, no injuries have been reported, though dozens of flights in the area have been canceled.

'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.