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New train that can traverse different tracks starts trials in Kumamoto - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
KUMAMOTO--In development for nearly 20 years, a new type of train that can automatically vary the length between wheels on both sides with variable gauge axles depending on the width of the tracks started test runs here on April 20.

I enjoyed the view of Mt. Aso's crater yesterday. (The photo is one taken by another participant in a group trip -- I hope they don't mind my "borrowing" it.) The pool at the bottom of the crater is almost gone. The other two photos are taken from the following web page and show what the pool can look like when the there's more water in the crater:
http://andromeda.phpapps.jp/archives/1261
I learned later from a curator at the nearby Volcano Museum that the pool dries up like this when the volcano is particularly active. As you can see, a lot of steam is being released. I was also told that the reason we were able to look down into the crater today is that wind happened to be blowing in the right direction. If the winds had been blowing the steam toward the viewing area, it would have been closed off.
By the way, you may sometimes see statements about the Aso Caldera being the largest in the world. This is not correct, though it is among the largest. The green map shows the outline on the caldera, which is far, far larger than the volcano itself. Here's an accurate explanation:
"The Aso caldera, which extends 17 kilometers from east to west and 25 kilometers from north to south, is a non-explosive caldera. It is one of the largest calderas in the world, roughly equal in size to the Aira caldera. "
http://www.aso.ne.jp/~volcano/eng/html/history.html
Unfortunately, sometimes the nuance of "one of the largest in the world" (最大級) is lost and the caldera (or crater) is called "the largest in the world" (世界最大). That's the case in this entry from Eijro, an otherwise very useful Japanese - English dictionary on the web:
http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=阿蘇&ref=sa

It looks like a bird that flew to Kyushu from Korea may have carried the virus.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/04/17/national/kumamoto-bird-flu-strain-idd-as-h5n8-new-to-japan/
Kumamoto bird flu strain ID'd as H5N8, new to Japan
The avian influenza found in chickens in Kumamoto Prefecture has been identified as the H5N8 virus, the agriculture ministry said Thursday. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said it found ...

Visa-free travel to Japan may start by June
MANILA – The Philippine Ambassador to Japan on Wednesday said that Filipinos may travel to the land of the rising sun without any need for a visa by June.

Bird flu virus detected in Kumamoto, 112,000 chickens to be culled- Nikkei Asian Review
KUMAMOTO, Japan (Kyodo) -- Two chickens tested positive Sunday for a highly pathogenic avian influenza at a farm in Kumamoto Prefecture where 1,100 ch

Thanks to Hisae Sugimizu of Peru, the readership of this page has suddenly grown by 41. Hisae mentioned this page in a video she made about her new life in Kumamoto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lDcuomhomg
This page has never grown so quickly before. Thanks Hisae!
Bienvenido a Kumamoto Internacional! I hope all of Hisae's fans enjoy reading about life here in Kumamoto!

Efforts to contain the outbreak continue.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/japan-curbs-chicken-shipments-following-bird-flu-outbreak-1444659
Japan Curbs Chicken Shipments Following Bird Flu Outbreak
Nearly 112,000 chickens to be slaughtered by local authorities on 14 April.

Taragi is near Hitoyoshi, in southern Kumamoto. I hope they can get this outbreak under control quickly.
See also:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/04/13/national/outbreak-of-h5-type-bird-flu-discovered-at-two-kumamoto-farms/
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-orders-chicken-cull-contain-bird-flu-044332011.html
Japan orders chicken cull to contain bird flu
Japan slaughters 112,000 chickens after first confirmed case of bird flu in three years.

Thanks Mark! A nice article for any interested in visiting the area.
Hitoyoshi: Kyushu's 'little Kyoto'
There are 24 tunnels on the expressway between Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi, 23 more than my claustrophobic mother is comfortable with. By the time we pull off at the small city ...

Eat like the judges and lawyers of Japan at this theme restaurant in Kumamoto
Eating out at a restaurant is as common as being asked "can you use chopsticks?" But with so many restaurants vying for your patronage, how does each restaurant separate itself from the rest? We've brought you stories about them before, from the pop culture themed, Gundam Cafe, AKB48 Cafe, Square En...

This is just one example of Kumamoto's efforts to become more Muslim friendly. For more information see
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/618941594845943
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=1029453
BERNAMA - HDC Signs Agreement With Kumamoto City Of Japan At World Halal Conference 2014
Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia,Wisma BERNAMA,No 28, Jalan 1/65A,Off Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Tel : 603-2693 9933 ( General Line ) E-mel : [email protected]

If interested, please contact the poster directly.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12848
Yahoo Groups
A Business English teaching position needs to be filled in the (Nishi) Koshi area of Kumamoto City. Those interested need to be able to start in two weeks time. The client is a Japanese company whose employees need English for business trips, negotiations, work projects and so on.

This article is about the Ariake Sea. By car, it takes a long time to get from Kumamoto to Nagasaki but, as you can see from the map, they are not far apart if you travel over water. The proximity has meant that decisions made in Nagasaki can have a large impact on the whole of the Ariake Sea -- and people in Kumamoto who rely on it for their livelihood. Specifically, there is concern and controversy about the sealing off of the Isahaya Bay in 1997 in order to reclaim land for farming. The mudflats in the bay seem to have played a significant role in maintaining good water quality in the Ariake Sea before the dikes were installed and now there are claims that sealing off of the bay has resulted in serious environmental degradation.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001083636

This article is from the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka.
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140406/plus/off-to-kumamoto-to-see-japans-famed-cherry-blossoms-91446.html
Off to Kumamoto to see Japan’s famed cherry blossoms | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka
“The Sakura flower is extremely beautiful, but its splendour does not last long. A few days after blossoming, the flower starts to disintegrate, reminding us

The exoneration of former death-row inmate Iwao Hakamada has been in the news lately:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/27/295162651/sentenced-to-death-46-years-ago-japanese-man-is-now-free
For an audio podcast (and text transcript) about this case see
http://www.npr.org/2014/04/06/299708675/japan-releases-inmate-after-nearly-half-centure-on-death-row
This first person to be exonerated in this way was MENDA Sakae of Kumamoto in 1983:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakae_Menda
There has still been only a handful of such exonerations in Japan.
Sentenced To Death 46 Years Ago, Japanese Man Is Now Free
Iwao Hakamada, now 78, is thought to have been awaiting execution longer than anyone else in the world. But newly analyzed DNA evidence has led to an order that he be retried.

This article is about Kumamoto's efforts to " attract international business events, incentives and conferences."
http://www.cei.asia/Article/381990,fortress-at-heart-of-city-convention-plans.aspx
Fortress at heart of city convention plans - CEI Asia
Kumamoto Castle to be linked to new conference facility

Click the link to see an announcement about full- and part-time teaching positions at a school in Kumamoto.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12840

Kumamoto City is famous for it's groundwater. I've heard that Kumamoto City is the only major city in Japan that relies entirely on groundwater for it's supply of tap water. Human uses of water at the surface level (rice paddies, etc) play an important role in recharging the aquifer. This article describes how researchers from Kumamoto are helping people in Bangladesh learn to recharge their aquifer. Here are a couple of paragraphs:
"Kumamoto University Graduate School of Science and Technology professor of Hydrology Dr Shimada, one of the top planners of Kumamoto City's world famous groundwater management system, said these while talking to the FE. The Kumamoto City received 2013 edition of the 'Water for Life' Best Practices Award of UN-Water for its efforts in preserving groundwater resources."
"For recharging groundwater it is necessary for the rain to percolate through the ground surface and to become groundwater. In the Kumamoto area 33 per cent of water is recharged through paddy fields, 52 per cent through dry fields and grasslands, and 15 per cent through mountainous areas."
By the way, the article doesn't mention it but one practice that reduces the amount of water that is returned to the aquifer is the excessive use of asphalt and concrete in parking lots and around homes and buildings. When possible, it's a good idea to give rain water a way to seep into the ground before it get's wasted as runoff.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/03/29/25908
Rainwater harvesting, recharging aquifers a must: Dr Shimada | METRO/NEWS | Financial Express ::...
Harvesting rainwater in a larger way and recharging aquifers adequately can help Bangladesh ensure safe drinking water to city dwellers

This article is about foreign coaches in Japan's new JBL (Japan Basketball League) and mentions the situation with the Kumamoto Volters:
"On the opening day of the league, there were 10 foreign coaches overall. American Norman de Silva was let go by the Kumamoto Volters at the end of last month, being replaced by Japanese Shinji Tomiyama, who served as an assistant under De Silva after stints as a bj-league head coach with Iwate and Chiba, the latter before the team defected to the NBL before this season."
By the way, can anybody explain why it's the "Japan Basketball League" and not the "Japanese Basketball League" or the "Basketball League of Japan"? It is quite common to use "Japan" in this way in the names of organizations so I don't think it's a "mistake" but I can't explain why this is OK. One clear example is "Japan Airlines" vs. "American Airlines." Both sound fine to me but "America Airlines" sounds strange and "Japanese Airlines" sounds a bit odd too. I can't quite figure out why, though.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/04/04/basketball/foreign-coaches-making-impact-in-revamped-nbl-4/
Foreign coaches making impact in revamped NBL
While the National Basketball League of Japan is essentially the rebranded Japan Basketball League, there's one distinguishing aspect that is different from before — it's a foreign coach-filled league. Currently, ...

"Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, which produces 80 percent of igusa reeds, wants its product to be used in tatami mats for the athletes’ village and other places.
'It’s a chance to convey Japanese culture overseas. Plus, it’s good public relations for Yatsushiro,” said a city official in charge of the matter.'"
Igusa is the plant used to make tatami mats.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001147822
Local products pushed to make ‘all-Japan Olympics’ - The Japan News
Local communities around the country have launched sales campaigns in the hope that their specialties will be used in the venues of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics or in the athletes’ village.