Posts

There's been a little discussion on the Kumamoto-i mailing list about how to get or transfer a driver's license.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12801
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12802
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12803
If you search the Kumamoto-i archives, you can find more information about this topic.

Several items have been put up for sale on the Kumamoto-i mailing list:
BenQ 20 inch Widescreen Monitor G2025HD: 5,000 yen
BenQ 24 inch Widescreen Monitor G2420HD: 9,000 yen
6 Drawer Dresser: 2,000 yen
Air conditioner: 13,000 yen
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12799
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12800

This is not specific to Kumamoto but may be of interest to those of you with an interest in long-term residency.
http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2014031100229
Japan to Ease Permanent Residency Requirements for Experts - JIJI PRESS

This just came to me, but the content is now a couple of weeks old.
"On Wednesday officials in Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan issued a health warning to residents after a dramatic rise in air pollution levels."
http://rt.com/news/chinese-smog-nuclear-winter-008/
Scientists liken Chinese smog to ‘nuclear winter’
Air pollution in parts of China is now so extreme it could lead to conditions similar to a “nuclear winter,” scientists say. The smog that covers the country has become so thick it is impeding photosynthesis, potentially disrupting China’s food supply.

Today is the third anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The shots you see are from a TV program that aired on January 26th. In it, the people of Namiemachi in Fukushima look to Minamata, Kumamoto for inspiration about how their community might recover after the environmental disaster. In the case on Minamata, the city has embraced environmentalism, reducing and recycling trash, planting trees, growing crops without pesticides, etc. The late SUGIMOTO Eiko played an important role in moving Minamata in this positive direction and now her son Hajime is continuing that work. The story of Minamata is more than a tragedy -- there are also many inspiring stories of people responding positively to the challenges they confronted.

Good idea!
Yahoo! Japan - Your search of "3.11" generates a donation

A report I saw on NHK this morning said that there are 396 evacuees who are currently living in Kumamoto. I hope that the coming year brings significant improvements in their circumstances.
http://japandailypress.com/267000-remain-evacuees-as-earthquake-tsunami-disasters-3rd-anniversary-approaches-1045530/
267,000 remain evacuees as earthquake-tsunami disasters’ 3rd anniversary approaches - The Japan...
Three years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster that rocked the country's northeast region and caused the world's biggest nuclear crisis,

Kumamon goods sales up 50% in 2013
Sales of products featuring Kumamoto Prefecture's popular Kumamon black bear mascot in 2013 rose around 50 percent from the previous year to at least 44.95 billion yen, the prefectural government said Monday.

This is basically a good presentation of the issue. I don't agree, though, with the following paragraph:
"The ministry will not reconsider the results of victim recognition examinations made in the past. This is inevitable when taking into account the possibility that sending past relief measures back to square one would cause more confusion. Yet many of those victims may understandably harbor a sense of unfairness."
I don't think the ministry / Japanese government should be let off so easily. The reason they have made it difficult to get certified is to avoid paying the victims what they are due. The "confusion" we've seen so far is the result of this policy -- something that the courts have belatedly confirmed. I think that giving victims the recognition they deserve would do more good that any "confusion" it might cause.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001105619
Will new Minamata disease recognition criteria put an end to confusion? - The Japan News
Confusion over official recognition of people as sufferers of Minamata disease still continues today. We hope the situation will improve, even if only a little, as the Environment Ministry has recently demonstrated a more flexible stance in recognizing victims.

What: Hifuri shinji (a religious ritual, spinning bales of burning hay)
Where: Aso Shrine
When: March 14, between 6 and 8 PM
http://kumanago.jp/event/?mode=detail&id=430000001603
3月中旬、阿蘇神社で行われる阿蘇地方の五穀豊穣を祈る田作り祭。農業神が姫神をめとる「御前迎え」の儀式で、御神体…

Would any of you be interested in helping to build the page by posting as "Kumamoto International"? If so you would not get any assignments from me (unless you asked for a suggestion) but you could use the page to put out information of your choosing as long as it's related to Kumamoto or expat life in general. Please send a message to the page if you are interested.

Reminder KGU Green Phil tomorrow at 2! https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/10203497015375027

Just a reminder, the KGU Green Phil concert is tomorrow (Sunday) at 2. I'll be playing that metal hosepipe and my daughter is singing on the piece entitled 花は咲く. Please say hello if you come!
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/10203497015375027

A Kumamon scandal? No way!
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/03/07/our-lives/barely-a-bear-kumamon-could-be-the-next-faker-to-shock-japan/
Barely-a-bear Kumamon could be the next faker to shock Japan
Japan's 'deaf composer,' Mamoru Samuragochi, has turned out to be an imposter. Wow, who's next? Well, I'll tell you. For years, I've suspected there's something different about Kumamon the bear. ...

Finally, the government has taken steps to respond more meaningfully to the Supreme Court's decision repudiating the government's long-standing position that multiple symptoms are necessary for certification as a Minamata disease patient.
By the way, I referred to this landmark decision yesterday in relation to the appointment of the new chief of the Supreme Court:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/10153868743935655
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/140307/ministry-changes-guidelines-recognizing-minamata-disea
Ministry changes guidelines in recognizing Minamata disease victims
The Environment Ministry notified local governments concerned Friday that it has changed guidelines to recognize people as victims of the Minamata mercury-poisoning disease, one of Japan's worst illnesses linked to industrial pollution.

Here's something for the Kumamon fans out there.
If you click on the link to the article, you'll find a YouTube video of Kumamon learning to ride the motorcycle.
"Kumamoto is also home to one of Honda’s motorcycle factories, which led to the production of a three-part video series about Kumamon riding a Honda Monkey bike."
http://blog.motorcycle.com/2014/03/06/funnies/bear-riding-monkey-yep-bear-riding-monkey/
Bear Riding a Monkey? Yep, Bear Riding a Monkey - Motorcycle.com News
Kumamon, a popular bear mascot in Japan, learns to ride a Honda Monkey motorcycle. Why? Because Japan.

We got an inquiry about mountain biking in Kumamoto:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/606689336071169
This has been a topic of discussion on the Kumamoto-i mailing list. Here's one relevant thread:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/topics/10850
You can search the archive yourself to find more information. I know there's more posts in there about biking in general and I think there's also more information about mountain biking.
By the way, the information in the Kumamoto-i thread took me to the following page:
http://en.wikiloc.com/trails/outdoor/japan/kumamoto
It introduces some biking trails as well as hiking trails.

The readership of this page has been growing quite quickly recently. Thank you for your support. If you know someone who you think might appreciate having access to information like this in English, please introduce the page to them. The time it take to post information is the same, regardless of how many readers there are so the more people seem to be utilizing the information, the happier I am.

The article points out that the new Supreme Court chief "confirmed a deceased woman in Kumamoto Prefecture as a Minamata disease victim, rejecting an appeal by the prefectural government" as presiding justice at the top court. This decision has helped many victims seeking redress to do so more easily. As those of you who have been following the Minamata disease issue know, the Supreme Court decision has become a huge turning point in the recent history of Minamata Disease.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001095197
Govt to appoint Terada as Supreme Court chief - The Japan News
The government will appoint Supreme Court Justice Itsuro Terada as the next chief justice of the nation’s top court, government officials said Thursday.

I just posted some information about this celebration from Kumamon's site but, to be honest, this Japan Times article says it better. For details, though, it may still be a good idea to refer to the link I included in my previous post.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/03/06/events/happy-birthday-to-kumamon-japans-favorite-regional-bear/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-birthday-to-kumamon-japans-favorite-regional-bear
Happy birthday to Kumamon, Japan's favorite regional bear
You don't have to be from Kumamoto Prefecture to know Kumamon — a cute red-cheeked black bear who was officially introduced as the region's yurukyara (mascot character) in 2010. Since ...