Kirk here reporting that Kumamoto Airport is the 7th most punctual airport in the world! Here's the list:
Posts
Kirk here with something for those of you who read Spanish. I searched but couldn't find an equivalent article onf the Nippon.com site in English. Here's a DeepL translation of part of the article:
Kirk here with an English report on a "hugging and kissing" incident. Actually, I learned about this yesterday and considered posting about it then tbut decided against it because I didn't feel I could be sure about what the fuss was about. The RKK report I saw on TV made me wonder if the young couple got in trouble for mild expressions of affection. But, when I looked at other reports on the web, I got the impression that the behavior was considerable more "over the top" than that. The "multiple tips from outside sources" mentioned in the article may be related to a video that was recorded from outside of the building (though a window) mentioned in this Japanese-language report:
Spring is on the way, time to enjoy the plum blossoms that suddenly seem to be blooming everywhere. Two excellent spots to stroll and view are in Nishi-ku: Taniozaki Bairin Kouen (谷尾崎梅林公園)、and in Shimasaki 百梅園 （島崎4丁目10-6). They both have parking areas , but the one in Taniozaki also has an "Umegaya Mochi "stand (heated up on the grill while you wait , a kind of thin manju filled with ....of course....sweet bean paste). It also features the famous武蔵ゆかりの座禅石 (Musashi Yukari no Zazen Ishi - the rock on which Masashi sat in Zen seiza and meditated) . The parking lot fills up quickly . Hyakubaien 's parking lot is up a narrow steep curved entrance and has space for about 5 cars. The blossoms should be great this weekend, and if you like mejiro (the tiny greenish birds with the distinctive white ring around each eye. Both can be reached by bus, with a bit of a walk from the bus stop to Hyakubaien .
Kirk here reminding you that today is cat day:
Kirk here sharing this nice post to the community side of the page by Hiromi Chida (Thanks Hiromi!):
Kirk here. On the recently started Kumamoto International Discord server, we got a question about where one might learn to drive, preferably with someone who speaks English or Tagalog. In my case, I was able to transfer my U.S. license here in Kumamoto, so I know about that, but I've never taken driving lessons here. Is there a school or qualified teacher that gives lessons in English? If not, do any of you have any recommendations regarding kind, patient teachers and/or schools?
William Many of you participated in the Kumamoto Marathon. Most likely finished, while a few may have ended up on the "bus of shame."
Kirk here with a share from the "community" side of this page:
Kirk here sharing a link to the 2022 Fall YOKA:
Kirk here. If anyone would like to join the Kumamoto International Discord server, here's a link that I think should be permanent (that's my intent anyway):
Kirk here with bad news about English education in Japan in general and Kumamoto in particular. The graph you see here is from the following article and indicates that Japan's rank among other nations in which English is not an official language has dropped precipitously:
Kurokawa Onsen Illumination Event
Sean here-
Kirk here reporting that cherry blossoms in Kumamoto are likely to come about three days earlier than usual -- just over a month away.
Marathon
Hi Atsuko here.
Kirk here. Any Discord users out there? I've made a Discord server called "Kumamoto International" and am using Zapier to automatically share posts from this page there. The problem is that I'm completely new to Discord and don't know how to share information about the server with those who might be interested. Is just telling people the name ("Kumamoto International") enough?
William Plum blossom season has arrived. I prefer the more compact, fragrant plum to the cherry. A wonderful place to view them is to the south-west of Ninomaru, a place few visit (which makes it that much more attractive) called 野鳥園 (Yachō-en - "wild bird garden.") and 南側梅園 (Minamigawa baien - southern plum garden). There, horticulturalists have planted trees which provide succor to birds throughout the four seasons. An expansive plum garden exists there, along with with a forest of moss-encrusted, bird food laden trees. This weekend, when the plums are in full bloom, is the time to visit. Take the stairs next to the museum down and turn left - the gardens are between the baseball stadium and Ninomaru.
Kirk here reporting that Kumamoto City has shelved its proposal to include foreign nationals in the category of 市民 (shimin; "people of the city" or "citizens") because of the significant backlash they received. They acknowledge that much of the criticism was based on the misunderstanding that doing so would grant voting privileges to foreigners (which it would not do).
