Kirk here. This Kumamoto-related story was featured prominently on NHK's evening news today. Tsujunkyo will be the first arch bridge in Japan to be designated a national treasure.
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Atsuko here sharing Kumamoto city Twitter.٩(°̀ᗝ°́)و
Kirk here with a share from Kuma Visit. Though I haven't had occasion to ride a local bus recently (I'm a cyclist), I can certainly imagine how this could make buses a more attractive option for getting around in Kumamoto. I've read that bus ridership in Kumamoto is about one fourth (1/4) of what it was in 1975:
Kirk here. As their website explains, "The YOKA is an English-language newsletter published by the International Affairs Division with the help of current and former Kumamoto JETs." But, even if you aren't a JET or a former JET (as I am not), you can still enjoy the publication. The Winter 2023 (as in January-February of this year, I think) edition just came out. Enjoy it and previous editions here:
Kirk here. This isn't exactly "news" for people who live here but, indeed, traffic can be pretty bad in Kumamoto -- one reason I sold my car and have been biking as much as possible. Now, with the arrival of TSMC in Kikuyo, traffic seems to be particularly bad there.
Kirk here. I'd like to pose some questions to readers working in or knowledgable about Japan's IT (information technology, programing, etc.) sector. In a nutshell, I'd like to find out what you think about IT job prospects in Kumamoto and/or Japan and, assuming that there are jobs to be had, whether you would recommend working here. I'm prompted to pose these questions by a discussion with an American student who knows Japanese well and is preparing to become a professional programmer.
Kirk here. Prime Minister Kishida was in Camp Kengun in Kumamoto City today to eulogize the men lost in the helicopter accident in Okinawa.
Kirk here returning to the theme of "Why I love Ezuko." I think it's great to have a semi-wild place like this in the city.
Atsuko here.
Kirk here. The couple holding the banner on the right side of the photo are from Kumamoto. Before the verdict was rendered they held a press conference here. That covered in English as far as I know but here's a link to a Japan-language video:
Kirk here. This article says that "Japan, like France, is known as a culinary country. But even within Japan, Kumamoto is definitely a foodie’s city." I would agree with that. Many friends who have come to visit me in Kumamoto have been impressed with the quality of the cuisine.
Kirk here. Amakusa.
Kirk here. I posted about this a while back but now tickets are on sale. The report I saw on RKK today indicated that there are still quite a few tickets left but that parking spots are going fast. I'll try to post information about where to buy tickets, etc. in a comment to this post.
Kirk here. While surely not as common as in the U.S., it seems that there are medical malpractice lawsuits in Japan too. This case is about something that occurred at Kumamoto City Hospital (Kumamoto Shimin Byouin). This hospital was severely damaged in the 2016 earthquakes and has since been rebuilt in a new location (see picture). However, it has also been in the news over noise associated with the demolition of the old hospital. The impact of the noise on local residents has been so bad that demolition has been put on hold and not yet resumed (at least, not as far as I know). Another issue with this hospital has been failure to collect a huge amount in unpaid medical bills.
Kirk here with some information about a language learning (memorization) tool I've been working on for several years now. The app is not specific to Kumamoto but it came up in discussion about a post I made yesterday. Here's a link to that post, which was about Japanese classes in Kumamoto:
はじめてのにほんご
Kirk here. This news from a few weeks ago is about a junior high school teacher (former teacher, that is) who exhibiting some jaw-droppingly terrible behavior. The school is near the interchange between Highway 57 (Higashi Bypass) and the Kyushu Expressway.
Kirk here with a recent English-language news article on the murder of the young woman in Kumamoto:
Atsuko here.
Kirk here with important news for the local economy. You may think that the TSMC plant is old news but this would mean TWO major TSMC facilities in Kumamoto. As Sid in Toy Story put it, "Alright, double prizes!" Check out the NHK page for a video.
