Posts

Kirk here with an article about a sightseeing trolley train（トロッコ列車）in Minami Aso:
Sightseeing trolley train starts running in Kumamoto | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
A trolley train is offering passengers a leisurely ride and majestic views of the mountains of Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

Fiona here, passing along an opportunity for English teachers who wish to become Cambridge English testing examiners. The training takes place at the International Centre on April 1st and 2nd, and requires registration and relevant experience.

Kirk here. The opening of the new airport terminal was yesterday. Please see the NHK video (in English) for details.
By the way, this is my first time to view Kumamon in the context of airline travel. He's pretty wide. I wonder if they make him pay for two seats? ;)
New terminal building opens at Kumamoto Airport | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
A new terminal building has opened at Kumamoto Airport on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu.

Kirk here. Le Thi Thuy Linh has been found innocent, reversing the Kumamoto judgment. :) For background see this post:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0G16ByzPssrQkTibLYjthwrxC7KyuLoBtGQ64hsLnkfn4wP68UZyf4b8c1G8cWDA8l
ベトナム人元技能実習生に逆転無罪判決 死産児遺棄の罪 最高裁 | NHK
【NHK】3年前、熊本県芦北町で死産した双子の赤ちゃんを自宅に遺棄したとして、死体遺棄の罪に問われたベトナム人の元技能実習生の裁判…

Kirk here. Tomorrow is a big day in the case of Le Thi Thuy Linh, who has been convicted (wrongfully convicted in my opinion and the opinion of many) of abandoning the bodies of stillborn twins she gave birth to while alone at home.
This case is one of several cases that have come to be viewed as indicative of the extent to which the human rights of non-citizens are or are not protected in Japan. For an article on that aspect of the case, see the following:
EDITORIAL: Human rights of foreign residents need protection in Constitution
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14614807
Newborn Abandonment Case Highlights Fears Among Foreign Trainees
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/crime-courts/20230322-98963/
--- start quote ---
More than 90,000 signatures were submitted to the court by Japanese supporters and trainees demanding an acquittal, on the grounds that if Linh’s appeal is rejected, other women in similar circumstances may be charged with crimes.
--- end quote ---
Newborn Abandonment Case Highlights Fears Among Foreign Trainees
The Supreme Court will hand down a decision Friday on the appeal of a former Vietnamese trainee convicted of abandoning the corpses of stillborn twins she gave birth to in Kumamoto Prefecture in 2020.

Kirk here with a share from Kumamoto Japan Tourism about Okoshiki Kaigan -- arguably Kumamoto's best spot to photograph a beautiful sunset.
The post recommends days to get a good view. Ideally, low tide should come at about sunset. That's what reveals that beautiful pattern you see in the photo. But, of course, there are other factors to consider -- the weather, your own schedule, etc. So, you might want to look up the tide times yourself and decide weather or not to go. You can do that here:
https://tide.chowari.jp/43/432113/20456/
In 2016, a friend of mine who is an outstanding photographer came and we went to Okoshiki Beach to see and photograph the sunset. As I recall, the conditions weren't ideal but the tide was fairly low when the sun set so we got some good shots. You can see a post about that day here.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0GjTnCvK8ZpefC9ZCnFbUCWkCuoby9WuTWjbwPWQVF5dvJfAzSeNt4JYGMPiqgeWCl
https://www.facebook.com/kumamoto.en/posts/pfbid02MiyeYyDWF1sY3k7U3fxcj4dZAsyErsRjE95tvmSnSv1NN9iLKjJAyBVzMdDGdoVEl

Kirk here with a follow-up to Sean's post about today's World Baseball Classic final between Japan and the U.S. Murakami came through again to tie the score 1-1 with a solo home run after the U.S. had taken the lead. Final score: Japan 3, U.S.A. 2.
Munetaka Murakami CRUSH a solo homer to help Japan tie game against USA
Munetaka Murakami's solo homer in the second inning helped Japan get back into the ball game against Team USA in the WBC Final.

Sean here -
Looking forward to an interesting and exciting next couple of hours. Shouting out to all the people who made living here so amazing.
Go Team friendship!

Kirk here with a link to a paper just published in Scientific Reports:
--- start quote ---
Mount Aso in southern Japan showed frequent volcanic activity during 2016, accompanied by significant earthquake activities with tens of thousands of aftershocks (Kumamoto sequence). Here we investigate the influence of earthquake/volcanic activity on the future productivity of nearby geothermal power plants to determine whether the activity is detrimental or beneficial to energy exploitation.
-- end quote ---
Pretty technical reading but it might be just the thing to help you settle down for a good night's sleep. :)
Citation: Gunatilake, T. Dynamics between earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and geothermal energy exploitation in Japan. Sci Rep 13, 4625 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31627-3

Kirk here with an English-language article about how Kumamoto's Murakami-sama saved the day:
Baseball: Murakami lifts Japan into WBC final vs. U.S.
Munetaka Murakami hit a walk-off two-run double in the ninth inning as Japan beat Mexico 6-5 Monday in their World Baseball Classic semifinal to book a spot in March 21's final against the defending champion United States.

Kirk here reporting that Kumamoto's Murakami-sama came through to drive in the winning home runs in today's game against Mexico. Murakami hadn't been doing as well as expected in the World Baseball Classic but he came through when it really mattered. Tomorrow Japan plays the U.S.
【侍ジャパン】村神様が決めた！劇的サヨナラ勝ちで３大会ぶり決勝進出！スター軍団米国との頂上決戦へ（スポーツ報知） - Yahoo!ニュース
◆ＷＢＣ２０２３　▽準決勝　日本―メキシコ（２０日、米フロリダ州マイアミ・ローンデポパーク） 　侍ジャパンの村上宗隆内野手（ヤクルト）が９回、劇的な逆転サヨナラ二塁打を放ちメキシコに勝利。優勝した

Kirk with an update on a trip to visit a shochu factory in Hitoyoshi that Atsuko posted toward the end of last month:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02FYYmt7FspDAPXiHDC5YbcuU3DJwK7fruxaGZEr7PSjWNnmg6fCDuzXLrpjgE49Ssl
RKK covered the trip. If you participated, there's a good chance that you're in the video. :)
「球磨焼酎はおいしいですか？」「オイシイデス！」ALTの外国人たちを招いて蔵めぐり　 | 熊本のニュース｜RKK熊本放送
球磨焼酎の魅力を世界に広めてもらおうと、18日 熊本在住の外国人を招き、球磨焼酎の蔵めぐりが行われました。これは熊本国税局が企画したもので、参加したのはアメリカやイギリスなど7か国から外国語の指導助手と…

Atsuko here with information about
Sake Event.
Kumamoto's "New Sake" gathers at Amu Plaza!
I enjoyed it yesterday. All the drinks are delicious, and Kawabe fills your cup with lots of sake. For tsumami, I recommend the Chikuwa tempura with cheese and Karashirenkon.(ﾉ≧ڡ≦)☆
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
The "Sake Festival" event is held at Amu Plaza Kumamoto, where you can taste Kumamoto's freshly brewed sake at its most delicious time.
Kumamoto New Sake Festival 2023
March 17 (Fri.) 16:00 - 21:00 / March 18 (Sat.) & 19 (Sun.) 12:00 - 21:00
Amu Hiroba (JR Kumamoto Station Shirakawa-guchi Station Square)
Participating Sake Breweries 】
KAMEMAN SAKE Brewery, Kawazu Sake Brewery, Kumamoto Brewing Institute, Zuiyou, Chiyonosono Sake Brewery, Tsuijun Sake Brewery, Bishonen, Yamamura Sake Brewery
Tickets ] 1,200 yen per ticket/ 3 cups of Sake (tax included)
　A large tatami room with tatami mats made of rushes from Kumamoto Prefecture will be available under the roof of Amu Hiroba!
　You can enjoy new sake on the tatami.

https://www.jrkumamotocity.com/en/amu/news/632

Sean here - Spring is a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors.
With that in mind, here is an invitation for anyone to join me for a bike ride.
Event: Beginners Cycling Ride
Date: Sunday, April 2nd, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM (Approximately 5 hours round trip)
Where: Yukka Family Road
Meeting place: Kami Kumamoto Eki.
Minimum 3 participants
Fee: Positive energy.
Contact: Sean Benward
イベント：初心者サイクリングライド
日程：2023年4月2日（日）
時間：10:00出発（往復約5時間の予定）
場所：ゆうかファミリーロード
集合場所：上熊本駅
催行人数：3名以上
参加費：ポジティブなエネルギー
連絡先：ショーン・ベンワード
これは、サイクリングに興味のある全ての初心者への招待状です。
特にスポーツとしてサイクリングに挑戦する機会があまりない10 代の若者に、ぜひ挑戦してもらいたくて企画しました。
彼らの何人かがもしかしたら将来、私と同じように情熱的なサイクリストになってくれるかも知れないと期待しています。
サイクリングは、高齢者でもできる数少ないスポーツの 1 つで、生涯の冒険として楽しめます。
ゆうかファミリーロードは初心者にもおすすめのコースです。
熊本から山鹿までの34kmのコースで、ウォーキング、ランニング、サイクリングなど多目的に使用できます。
ほとんどが平坦な田舎道で、農場、庭園、川があり、車が通らないので安全です。
目的地までの距離が1kmごとに表示されているので、移動距離を簡単に測ることができます。
道中、きっと桜も咲いていることでしょう。
もちろん、上級者も含めどなたでも参加可能ですが、ペースは一番遅いライダーに合わせますのでご注意ください。誰も置き去りにしません。
経験豊富なライダーの方は、世話役として参加してくれると嬉しいです。
This is an invitation to any beginner with an interest in cycling.
I would encourage teenagers as there are few opportunities for them to try cycling as a sport.
My hope would be to inspire some of them to join the ranks of us who are passionate cyclists. One of the few sports you can do at an old age, making it a lifelong adventure.
Yuuka Family Road is great for beginners.
It is a 34k multi-use walk, run, and cycling path from Kumamoto to Yamaga.
It is a mostly flat, country path with farms, gardens, and rivers. And NO CARS.
I am certain that there would be some cherry blossoms along the way as well.
It is easy to follow as there are signs at every kilometer telling you how you went and how far to go to your destination.
Of course, everyone is invited, including advanced riders, but keep in mind the pace is as fast as the slowest rider. No one left behind.
Depending on how many participate, a few extra experienced riders would be helpful as wranglers.
Please message me here if you are interested or have questions.

Kirk here with a follow-up to my previous post about the festival in progress downtown. I just posted about the cultural events (traditional performances, etc.) but this is about street performers. On TV, I saw a little bit of the chair stacking guy you see on the left. It looked pretty amazing. This image is from the following webpage:
https://kumamotopics.com/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%99%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88/performers-caravan-2023-hanabatahiroba-2/
There is, naturally, information about this on the Hanabata Hiroba website, but pages on that website are not Facebook ready (images don't show up automatically). Sigh . . . :(
https://hanabatahiroba.jp/event-information/675/

Kirk here. This is an event that started today (Saturday) and ends tomorrow. Here's a TV report from RKK:
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/385265?display=1
The venue is Hanabata Hiroba (downtown, near the castle). I looked for information in English but couldn't find any. The following Hanabata Hiroba website doesn't have any links to English. How are tourists supposed to know that there's something to see?
https://hanabatahiroba.jp/event-information/679/
「地元なのに初めて見た」熊本城に熊本のまつりが集結　各地の伝統芸能を披露 | 熊本のニュース｜RKK熊本放送
熊本の祭りを楽しめるイベントが18日と19日、熊本市で開かれています。熊本市の花畑広場で始まったさくらまつりのステージでは、県内5つの伝統芸能などが披露されています。国指定重要有形民俗文化財 宇土市の雨乞…

Kirk here with advance notice about a festival coming up in Ushibuka -- the Ushiubka Haiya Festival. The dates (April 14, 15, and 16) are displayed at the top of the poster. For an explanation in English, please see the following:
https://ushibuka.site/english/event_all.html
https://kumamoto.guide/events/detail/6731
第50回牛深ハイヤ祭り | イベント
天草の春の一大イベントである「第51回牛深ハイヤ祭り」が３日間にわたって開催されます。牛深ハイヤ節のリズムにのって老若男女が中心街を練り歩くハイヤ総踊り。※新型コロナウイルス感染症の感染状況により、内容....

Kirk here with a very substantial article (1,400 words) from the Asahi Shimbun on the impact (mostly positive) of TSMC's arrival in Kumamoto. Here are some of the topics addressed in the article:
* economic ripple effect (bonanza for prefecture)
* housing issues (land prices rising)
* educational issues (how to meet needs of children, etc.)
Kumamoto enjoys ‘bubble’ as it prepares for arrival of TSMC | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
KUMAMOTO--With the grandeur of Mount Aso in the background, around 20 cranes were erecting what will be a fortress-like building on a 21-hectare site in Kikuyo town, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Kirk here reporting that another high-tech factory is planned for Kumamoto -- this one in Kikuchi. By the way, "Mitsubishi Electric" is "三菱電機"（みつびしでんき）in Japanese (in case you want to talk about this with your Japanese friends).
Mitsubishi Electric to build 100 bil. yen chip factory in Kumamoto Pref. - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said Tuesday it will invest 100 billion yen ($745 million) to build a new chip factory in the southwestern

Kirk with a Japanese-language video news report of the Hifuri-shinji (fire-swinging ceremony) at Aso Jinja. Some non-Japanese participants are interviewed. Anyone you know?
再建進む阿蘇神社　火振り神事美しく（ＫＫＴ熊本県民テレビ） - Yahoo!ニュース
熊本地震からの再建が進む阿蘇神社で、伝統の「火振り神事」が行なわれた。 午後７時ごろご神体が阿蘇神社の参道に到着すると、氏子たちが火をつけたカヤの束を振り回して出迎えた。 勇壮な火振り神事は、神の婚