I think lots of humans would like to live longer, healthier lives. Research at Kumamoto University on naked mole-rats (not those dressed-up mole rats) may lead to important discoveries that, in turn, may help us do so (maybe ;) ). -- Kirk
Posts
Kirk here with something for sunflower fans about and event in Yanagawa:
Kirk here coming back to the Fujisakigu festival. I found a book in my university's library that presents interesting information about the festival (see cover image). On pages 78 and 79, it says that in 1982, public dissatisfaction with the involvement of yakuza in the festival (apparently, yakuza groups were shaking down folks in town by demanding "contributions" to fund their participation in the festival) and the abuse of horses. In response, a "Fujisakigu Reitasai Decorated Horse Supervisory Committee" was established and a set of rules written up and distributed. In 1983, four groups that were found to be in violation of the rules were banned from the festival the following year. Impressive! But, the author doesn't say (at least not in this part of the chapter) whether or not such enforcement of rules was continued in following years.
Kirk here with an introduction to an article titled "TSMC Kumamoto fab expected to spur Taiwanese investment in Japan." The most interesting aspect of the article to me was the graphic you see. Kumamoto is Fab 23 (fabrication plant no. 23) and will be producing chips that have transistors that are between 12 to 28 nanometers big. This is not as good as what is produced in Taiwan where 3 nm chips are already being made and 2 nm chips are in development. The size of the chips is important "because the smaller the size of a single transistor, the [more] tightly they can be packed together" thus making faster, more powerful chips:
Kirk here with a lengthy article that I highly recommend for fruit history buffs (I know you're out there ;) ). The article explores the roots of Kumamoto's banpeiyu industry in Japan's colonization of Taiwan. Currently, "Kumamoto accounts for 96% of Japan’s entire banpeiyu harvest, and the southern Kumamoto city of Yatsushiro is a particular specialist in the fruit, which is harvested in winter and has become a popular seasonal gift."
I went to Ezuko for a little walk after the rain. I was not disappointed. :) -- Kirk
Kirk here. This guy's videos are fun to watch. And, if you have any interest in using a smartphone to make entertaining videos yourself, I think you'll get some good ideas from watching them. The first half of each video is a sort of "making of" video (showing how he does it) and that's followed by the final product. All of the videos published so far show fun things to do in the Ashikita area.
South African cuisine
"This event was not just about flying from one city to another; it symbolized the strong ties between Taiwan and Japan and opened up new opportunities for travelers." -- quoted by Kirk
Kirk again with the last in my three-part series on the treatment of horses in the upcoming festival. The picture you see is from the Wikipedia page about the festival:
William Yeah - yeah, this is the guy. If I held him in a splayed hand, he'd overflow my fingertips. Funny thing is he scuttled to a spot mid-wall, as if that would make him invisible.
Kirk again. Sorry for the multiple posts in regard to the free Japanese classes. I found that Misato-machi published an announcement. If you were able to read the Japanese on the Misato-machi page you be able to find a link to the pdf of the posted I've included as an image with this.
Kirk here with a footnote to my post about free online Japanese language classes:
Kirk here with a follow-up to the "abareuma" (pissed off horse) feature of the Fujisakigu festival. As I wrote in a previous post about how horses are made to kick up their hind legs and act wild, I've come to the conclusion that "pissed-off horses" (that is, abareuma) are not an "unfortunate side effect" but, rather, a primary feature of the festival:
Kirk here. I just published a little video. Here's the link:
William The Mainichi writes about a British researcher at KU who, having lived through the quakes of 2016, has written a booklet about how to deal with earthquakes.
Online Beginner's Japanese Language Class for Foreigners
Anne Norman Shakuhachi Performance - Kumamoto-Australia Friendship Celebration
SL Aso Boy Steam Locomotive - Last Hurrah
Kirk here with a post about RKK's coverage of the Vietnamese community in Kumamoto. （日本語を読まれる方へ 最後に日本語があります。読んでいただければ幸いです。）
