Posts

Kirk here. RKK aired a report about the meeting held today between the mayor and representatives of various local foreign communities and/or nationalities. I was glad to see Kumamoto International participant Hari Devkota there, along with several other familiar faces.

Onigiri Action

William Two good pieces of news for those who enjoy transportation: The LCC Hong Kong Airlines will resume service on the Kumamoto-Hong Kong route from December, adding another, likely cheaper option to flying abroad (HK generally has cheap flights to Europe and the Americas).

Kirk here. Mercury poisoning (particularly low-level mercury poisoning) is a global problem. This couple from Minamata has some lessons about it for the world.

Team Tonakai Quiz Night Fundraiser

Kirk here with old but still very relevant news from local author Sean Micheal Wilson. In some personal correspondence with Sean, he pointed out to me that Kumamoto City has no policy to require home builders to replace trees they remove due to construction. I hadn't thought about the need to create legal incentives to plant trees until Sean pointed it out to me but his word certainly ring true. Much of my neighborhood, some of which had been cultivated land bordered by trees until very recently, is now almost all paved over. Most of the land has become plots for houses but many of the home owners have elected to cover all of their land in pavement -- no dirt, no trees. :(

蓮華院祭り

Firework Festival

Discussion with Foreign Residents: Revised Municipal Basic Ordinance Forum

Bazaar Event Supporting Jiaien

Sharing symposium announcement.

Kirk with a note on whether it's "Kinbozan" (my personal favorite) or "Kinpozan," another fairly popular reading of 金峰山. These are images of two signs that are very near Toge no chaya. People are told to say "Kinpo" when they head toward Kumamoto and then "Kinbo" when they leave. So, next time you think "Didn't that sign say something else when I came?" don't worry about your sanity; it really did.

Craftsmanship workshops (wagashi, tatami mats, flower arrangement, sushi, bread making)

Itsuki Autumn Festival (五木 紅葉祭)

Kirk here with local labor news.

Sean here – Adding to Kirk's previous post -

Kirk here.

Sean here again -

el Dia de los Muertos display

Kirk here with the following translation of an article that appeared in the Kumanichi on the 23rd.