Posts

Kirk here. Today I'm pleased to share this little article about NAKASHIMA Shin'ichiro, founder and leader of Kumustaka: "Kumusutaka-Association for Living Together with Migrants is a non-government organization to support international residents (immigrants, migrant workers, and refugees) living in Japan."

Kirk here. I've ridden on this train. Brings back memories. Not sure, though, if it would be my first choice now that it doesn't move. ;)

Michaela here - posting for the first time about an article that's now a month old but I only just saw it today. Apparently in an effort to attract wealthy international tourists to travel to remote/untapped regions (untapped by most international visitors I guess), Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has selected 11 areas across Japan, dubbing them “Model Tourism Spots”, including the Aso and Unzen regions (bundled together with Kagoshima). It seems like these 11 “Model Tourism Spots” look to receive some funding to support this, including promotion, speciality personnel and training for guides ‘aimed at foreigners’.

Kirk here. It is taking an extraordinarily long time but some of the victims of the helicopter crash have been identified.

Kirk here. The new Avatar film began showing in Kumamoto today. Here are the theaters:

Kirk here. This national news came up in my "Kumamoto" news feed because Takashi Shiraishi, chancellor of the Prefectural University of Kumamoto, is head of The International Group of Eminent Persons for a World without Nuclear Weapons. I hope the call a stronger nuclear nonproliferation regime will not fall on deaf ears.

Kirk here. "The First Slam Dunk" (animated movie) is a big deal in China. The author of the the manga, Takehiko Inoue, is originally from Kagoshima but used to be a student at Kumadai:

Kirk here. Today it was 30.9 in Yamaga, a local record for April and the highest in the country today.

Kirk here with something about Tsujunkyo:

Joe Tomei here. With my youngest daughter now at university, I've rejoined the ranks. My first post back is thanks to my oldest daughter, because a friend of hers is working for Hoshino Resort, the company which took over the downtown Parco. While the hotel, called the OMO5 Kumamoto, won't open until 25 April, we were able to stay as they train the staff and get everything up to speed.

Atsuko here.

Kirk here. I have fond memories of visiting Tsuetate many years ago. This article is making me think it might be time for another visit.

Kirk here. Today is the seventh anniversary of the start of the 2016 earthquakes.

Kirk here with a general introduction to the prefecture that came up, for some reason, in a "news" search. It mentions three famous people associated with Kumamoto: Miyamoto Musashi (swordsman); Kawakami Tetsuharu (baseball player); Ishimure Michiko (author who wrote about Minamata disease).

Kirk here. If you or someone close to you is a Japanese citizen who needs a passport, you should know that it is now possible to apply for new passports online. Here's the page on the prefecture's website that explains it in Japanese:

Kirk again with an update about the movie "Living." I got this e-mail from a friend who prefers not to post to Facebook: "I saw your post about the movie LIVING on Kumamoto-I. I just wanted to make sure you knew that the Ishiguro film is now showing at Toho Cinema in Sakuramachi downtown. I saw it day before yesterday. It was exquisite." Apparently, it won't be shown again in the TOHOs in Kumamoto until next week (not sure about other venues). Here a link (unfortunately, Japanese language only):

Kirk here with news for sumo fans:

Kirk here with something for movie fans. This little post of mine is prompted by an interview I read in the Asahi Shimbun (Japanese version) with Nobel Prize laureate Kazuo Ishiguro. Mr. Ishiguro (who was born in Nagasaki) was discussing how his love of the Kurosawa Akira film "Ikiru" led him to write the script for "Living" with Bill Nighy in the leading roll. The Japanese actor in the original film was Takashi Shimura but Mr. Ishiruro said he found himself imagining what the film might have felt like if the lead had been played by the more subdued Chishu Ryu, who made many movies with Ozu Yasujiro -- the most famous being Tokyo Story (Tokyo monogatari). Then, he said that he though of casting Bill Nighy in the lead roll -- an artist he views as a Brittish Chishu Ryu.

Kirk here with something for Crayon Shin-chan fans.

English-language event with Andrew Mitchell