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This page is in English but, somehow, the blurb you see below came out in Japanese. At any rate, the blog talks about how "bicycles can be taken on trains of Kumamoto Electric Railway for free" and how at "Kita Kumamoto Station where I changed a train I could finally see the 'greed frog'!!", etc.
http://kumanago.jp/en/blog/2013/06/26/the-train-with-wrap-advertising-of-keroro-gunso-so-called-a-green-frog.html
Blog Kumamoto Nagomi Tourism Site
「火の国」くまもとの雄大な自然の中でゆったりのんびりくつろぎませんか。くまもとの多彩な観光地、美味しい特産品や伝統ある工芸品、イベント、キャンペーン、グルメなど盛り沢山の情報をご紹介した熊本県観光サイト・なごみ紀行です。

PR Character “KUMAMON” to Participate in “Japan Expo” for First Time | 共同通信PRワイヤー
"KUMAMON," Kumamoto Prefecture’s PR character, will participate in "the 14th Japan Expo" to be held at Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte (North Paris-Villepinte Exposition Park) in France to publicize Kumamoto. This will be KUMAMON’s first participation in Japan Expo.Japan Expo is the la...

Though this cover image is not of Kumamoto Castle, this article says that Kumamoto Castle has been ranked as number one of all of Japan's castles in a survey done by travel website TripAdvisor.
"Taking the top spot was Kumamoto Castle. Oddly enough, Kumamoto was the only member of the group traditionally referred to as “Japan’s Three Great Castles” in the top 20, as neither Osaka nor Nagoya Castle were chosen for the honor.
Visitors ranked Kumamoto highly for its watchtowers and sweeping stone foundation created by master castle designer Kato Kiyomasa. One visitor remarked that the building’s low ceilings and squeaking wooden nightingale floors, designed to alert guards to the presence of an intruder, made hum feel like he had slipped back in time to when the structure was first built, 400 years ago."
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/06/21/travelers-rank-japans-20-best-castles/
Travelers rank Japan’s 20 best castles
An often used device in explaining how crowded major Japanese cities are is to point out that the country has roughly half the population of the U.S. crammed into an area about the same size as California. But there’s another important statistic Japan also exceeds America’s most populous state in. W...

Coming this way . . .

Check out this page for more information:

http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com

I posted the following on the YahooGroups side of Kumamoto-i:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/05/national/minamata-recognition-criter\
ia-called-outrage/#.Ubxydxac1K6
Unfortunately, however, RSS Graffiti, which I've been using to forward items from YahooGroups to this page, isn't very reliable lately.
I wrote a bit about this article on Minamata disease and a parallel with the Fukushima issue on YahooGroups at the following address:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumamoto-i/message/12556
Minamata recognition criteria called outrage
The government must relax its strict criteria for officially recognizing victims of Minamata disease so more people can receive compensation, according to panelists at a symposium on the mercury-poisoning disease. ...

Here's a video about Arao's tidal flats:
http://youtu.be/0NZ_6xQk7eo
ラムサール条約登録！世界が認めた「荒尾干潟」　Internationally acknowledged "Arao Tidal Flat"
2012年、荒尾市にある「荒尾干潟」が、ラムサール条約に登録され、国際的に重要な湿地として認められました。多様な生き物がすむ「荒尾干潟」には、自然と共生する人々の姿があります。 Registered under the Ramsar Convention! Internationally acknowledged...

Good news about the natural environment -- sort of. Part of the bounce back may be due to global warming.
Kumamoto Prefecture has mudflats (or tidal flats) with mudskippers in Arao. Here's the address of an post about them:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumamoto-i/message/11812
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/30/national/mudskipper-numbers-jump-eightfold-report/#.Uaf9lpWc1K4
Mudskipper numbers jump eightfold: report
The population of mudskippers in Kyushu's Ariake Sea has increased eightfold in the first survey in 16 years, as the fish have been able to easily survive mild winters amid ...

Rainy season starts in southwestern Japan
Japanese weather officials say the rainy season has started in 3 southwestern regions.

I think this site is extremely interesting. Notice how much worse the air quality in Kyushu is than Korea -- in spite of Korea's proximity to China. Also, notice that there are many areas in China that seem to be better the Kyushu. Hmmm.

http://aqicn.org/?map

The food company is Marukin Shokuhin, the maker of a brand of natto that is quite popular here:
http://www.marukinfoods.co.jp/company/company_top.html
http://japandailypress.com/food-company-chairman-arrested-for-hiding-86-guns-1428790
Food company chairman arrested for hiding 86 guns
The chairman of a food company in Kumamoto was arrested by police after it was discovered he was hiding 86 modified guns in his possession. 73 year old Motoo Kira was arrested on Monday for conceal...

Here's a message from Kumamoto-i on YahooGroups about a bicycle for sale:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumamoto-i/message/12504
Yahoo! Groups

Kumamon featured in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/kumamon-japan-mascot-plutokun
Kumamon leads Japan's mascot craze, but don't mention Pluto-kun
They help collect taxes, promote tourism and save the environment, but Japan's mascots cannot escape controversy

Nabegataki Falls will be lit up at night until the 6th.

http://kumanago.jp/en/events/detail/430000004285.html

The text you see below may be in Japanese but fi you click on the link you should find English text talking about the rose festival that is currently underway in Minamata.
Blog Kumamoto Nagomi Tourism Site
「火の国」くまもとの雄大な自然の中でゆったりのんびりくつろぎませんか。くまもとの多彩な観光地、美味しい特産品や伝統ある工芸品、イベント、キャンペーン、グルメなど盛り沢山の情報をご紹介した熊本県観光サイト・なごみ紀行です。

Here are some picture the baked goods offered at Biggi. Click the following link for more information. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumamoto-i/message/12483

Here's one of the performances of the "Kumamoto Castle Hospitality Samurai" I just posted about:
http://youtu.be/vM1ojj8LE_w
熊本城おもてなし武将隊 甲冑ダンス～写真撮影会 2012.12.11＠天守閣前広場
本日の出陣武将方：加藤清正公、八十姫様、加藤嘉明殿、飯田覚兵衛殿、森本儀太夫殿、木村又蔵殿。 今回は左側から、とある武将の方をユルく追いかけてみました。 さて、それはどの武将様でしょうか？ （甲冑ダンス参戦、初撮影！）

Kumamoto may get more JETs in the coming years!
LDP looks to double JET Program's ranks in three years
The number of teachers hired for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program would be doubled in three years under a proposal drafted by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to boost ...

Great little India restaurant near Kumamoto Airport that offers take out as well as dining in. Run by two Indian chefs and one Japanese lady. Prices are quite reasonable. Click on the link to find a Google map:
http://asopalav.jimdo.com/プロフィール/
プロフィール - インドレストランAsopalav（アソパラウ）　本場インドの味

Next Saturday, a German bakery called Biggi will open in Obiyama (Kumamoto City). It will be run by a Japanese woman who learned her craft in Germany. Here's a Google map showing the location:

http://goo.gl/maps/mfpSF

Spring Ceramic Art Festival on the West Coast of Amakusa, 2013.04.27 - 2013.05.06:
http://kumanago.jp/en/events/detail/430000003577.html
http://kumanago.jp/thumb.php?path=./photo/430000003577/1245992766.jpg&mw=346&mh=246