Posts

Click on the link to see more information about becoming a MONbassador. In regard to qualifications, the flier gives the impression that one must "have a close relationship with Asia, such as coming from Asia, living in Asia, doing Asia-related work, or being good at languages spoken in Asia." However, I spoke with the person running the program (Ms. Taira) and was assured that they are merely looking for people with the potential to use social media in a way that might help "provide information to Asia or overseas including Asia by using social media etc." So, if you already do or are interested in posting information in English about Kumamoto to some kind of social media, you are qualified.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=forums&srcid=MTUzNDE3Njc5NzQxNDI5NjgxMzgBMDY4NjMyMjIyMzMyMzQ3MjA3MDkBMlJjVzlBWHVNODRKATQBAXYy

"The Advertisement Division of the Kumamoto Prefectural Government is looking for people to help Kumamon promote Kumamoto. They've begun a new program to recruit MONbassadors. A MONbassador acts like a bridge between Kumamoto and Asia by providing information about Kumamoto's attractions on Facebook, blogs, homepages, and other social media."
For details click on the link.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/kumamoto-jet/kW3QQ_X3PMQ/2RcW9AXuM84J
Google Groups

For more information about this worth cause, see:

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages/12741

Kumamon promotes Kyushu (and Kumamoto) in New York.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/11/prweb11355446.htm
Japan Promotes New Tourism Highlight in Kyushu
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 22, 2013 -- While Tokyo and Kyoto are noteworthy destinations for the majority of US travelers, the Japan National Tourism Organization in New York has introduced Kyushu as the next must-see destination. As the cultural crossroads of East Asia, and as the first settleme...

This is about an AIDS-related discovery at Kumamoto University. The report says that they have discovered how a molecule called "GANP" helps an enzyme destroy the virus. They are hopeful that this discovery will lead to more effective treatments. I have not seen anything on the web in English about the discovery at this point.
http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2081618.html
「熊本大学研究グループ エイズ治療につながる発見」TBS　News i
　熊本大学の研究グループが、エイズウイルスの感染力を失わせる酵素がどのようにウイルスの中に入るかを解明しました。エイズの治療法につながる画期的な発見です。

This is my favorite bread shop in Kumamoto.

A conference for international students will be held in Kumamoto during the Fair Trade Conference in late March. This blog post is long, but seems to be missing some details about how to participate, etc. The poster mentions inviting students from Western countries (where fair trade has a bit more history) to come and give presentations so I imagine that English will be the lingua franca. I'll try to follow up when I get more information.
https://readyfor.jp/projects/fairtrade-kumamoto-student
アジア初開催！フェアトレードタウン国際会議に海外の学生を！ - READYFOR?
「アジアのフェアトレード学生運動はここから始まる。」 皆様、はじめまして。 国際学生フォーラム副実行委員長で長崎外国語大学外国語学部の藤田勇樹と申します。私たちは2014年3月28日～30日に熊本で開催される「第8回フェアトレードタウン国際会議」という、これまでヨーロッパのみで開催されてきたフェアトレードの国際会議がアジアで、しかも熊本市で開催されるのを大きなチャンス...

Here's a post from Reno about a local musician. Thanks Reno!
In a Japanese Shoebox: Branden Kirchmeyer's Apartment Acoustic
Move to southern Japan, become an English teacher, fire up the laptop and a USB mic, and then record & engineer your music in a shoebox apartment. That little slice of DIY life belongs to Branden Kirchmeyer, a son of Buffalo, New York. Here’s the tech, the music, and a bit of the story behind it all...

We've been discussing the new bicycle laws on the e-mail version of Kumamoto International. Personally, I was surprised to learn that the fine limit for riding a bicycle while drunk is the same as that for driving a car (1,000,000 yen) -- even though cars clearly pose a greater danger to others.
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/topics/12735
Yahoo Groups

Here's an article about a home for old dogs in Kikuchi, Kumamoto. If your pet develops serious health problems and you are unable to provide proper care at home, this might be a humane alternative.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201312130005
When the senior home beckons for man's best friend - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
It’s not just elderly people who require nursing care facilities. Dogs need them, too.

The Minamata story continues to evolve. I'm not sure if there's a direct connection but recently the nation's appeals committee overturned a decision not to certify a man in Kumamoto named SHIMODA Yoshio. This is part of a series of developments that have reinforced the claim that the certification criteria are excessively stringent. This positive trend may have helped the victims in Niigata decide to sue.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/131211/uncertified-minamata-disease-sufferers-niigata-file-da
Uncertified Minamata disease sufferers in Niigata file damages suit
A group of 22 unrecognized Minamata disease sufferers filed a damages suit Wednesday with the Niigata District Court, demanding the state and Showa Denko K.K., which caused the mercury-poisoning disease in the central Japan prefecture of Niigata, pay 8.8 million yen in compensation per plaintiff, or...

Inquiry from the Kumamoto-i mailing list: Does anyone know a good English-speaking back doctor?
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/topics/12738
Yahoo Groups

This news article also contains an aerial photo of Kikuchi (in Kumamoto) after a bombing earlier in 1945.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201312100036
Aerial videos uncovered of U.S. raids on Nagasaki before atomic bombing - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
USA, Oita Prefecture--A civic group here discovered and released aerial footage of U.S. fighters conducting air raids on Nagasaki before the Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing of the southern port city.

Kumamoto has recently had to say goodbye to a native son who became a major baseball hero in Japan:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/11/26/baseball/kawakami-introduced-kanri-yakyu-to-game/
Kawakami was Japanese baseball's first Zen master
First in a three-part series Most foreign fans of baseball in Japan may not know the na

Thanks to Reno for another bit of Kumamon news.
Fernandes - Full-fledged "Kumamon" electric guitars
Badass Kumamon electric guitars!A Japanese guitar manufacture, Fernandes, is going to release the Kumamon designed electric guitars on December 20. 2 models (ZO-3 KUMAMON CUSTOM and ZO-3 KUMAMON STD) will be available.Kumamon is a Yurukyara mascot character born in Kumamoto prefecture, located in th...

Students at a local university had some trouble answering questions about astronomy.
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/12/10/freshman-facepalms-college-students-struggle-to-answer-basic-astronomy-questions/
Freshman facepalms: Japanese college students struggle to answer basic astronomy questions
While the Japanese education system is often highly praised by people in the West, many Japanese folks aren't so keen on it these days. Yutori kyouiku, or "pressure-free education system," a phrase used to describe what many see as an education system whose standards are too lax, has skyrocketed in…

In Minamata, mercury poisoning was a regional issue. This article is about mercury poisoning on global scale. As the title indicates, it describes how global warming can exacerbate mercury contamination.
http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2013/12/04/global-climate-change-can-make-fish-consumption-more-dangerous/
Global climate change can make fish consumption more dangerous
Hundreds of thousands of babies are born in the U.S each year with enough mercury in their blood to impair healthy brain development. As they grow, these children’s capacity to see, hear, move, feel, learn and respond can be severely compromised. Why does this happen? Mostly because a portion of mer...

Here's a blog post with a very nicely edited video of Yabusame (horseback archery) in Kumamoto.
http://gdjapan.blogspot.jp/2013/12/yabusame-at-suizenji-park.html
Danielle and Graham in Japan: Yabusame at Suizenji Park

A news clip I saw on TV said that Japan is now the third country (after the U.S. and Germany) to have a bonobo research facility. The research is being done here in Kumamoto but, unfortunately, they are not open to visitors -- unless you happen to be a bonobo. : )
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201312060041
Researchers learning about ‘peace’ through bonobo study - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
UKI, Kumamoto Prefecture--An animal research facility is studying the peaceful nature of bonobos to find clues about how human societies survived.

Another reason to stay in Kumamoto . . .
http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/105723.php
Tokyo costliest Asian city for expats
Tokyo is the most expensive city in Asia for expatriates, despite a sharply weaker yen, a survey showed Thursday. Beijing was second, jumping up the ranking from fifth place last year.