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Atsuko here sharing Kumamoto city Twitter.٩(°̀ᗝ°́)و
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Alert!
On Thursday 22 June, a fire broke out in a refuse collection vehicle while it was collecting landfill waste.
The cause is under investigation, but it is believed that lighters, gas cans and other items were mixed with the landfill waste, causing the fire.
Please make sure you segregate your waste thoroughly!
Click here↓ for more information on sorting.
How to put out "specific items" such as fluorescent tubes, gas cans / spray cans, batteries, etc.
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp.e.fm.hp.transer.com/hpkiji/pub/Detail.aspx?c_id=5&id=6124
https://twitter.com/kumamotocity_/status/1671775022866923521?s=20

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:
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileDsp.aspx?c_id=5&id=48134&sub_id=1&flid=342426
The idea of merging the 5 different bus companies we have in Kumamoto into one has been discussed as one way to improve service and make busses more attractive to local residents:
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO54074270W0A100C2LX0000/
While no where near as ambitious as such a merger, improving amenities inside the buses strikes me as a step in the right direction. If more people left their cars at home and took a bus into the city it would alleviate traffic congestion, free up parking, a reduce CO2 emissions. Perhaps free wifi should be thrown in to sweeten the deal. ;)
https://www.facebook.com/kumavisit/posts/pfbid0xn5s63P77Rfv69HKbiBoxR57wf6ZTcqdcNCm5KSynPdDj1TyZfZBArN93q5VKoYhl

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:
https://www.kumamotojet.com/reiwa/the-yoka/
P.S. Please note that this publication is copyrighted:
© Tourism and International Policy Division, Kumamoto Prefecture

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.
TSMC's first factory in Japan has to contend with horrible traffic
While construction on the facility in Kumamoto Prefecture proceeds at breakneck speed, little has been done to improve conditions on the area’s roads.

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.
The article I've quoted says that Japan is likely to hit a "digital wall" in 2025 -- demand for IT specialists far exceeding supply. I remember reading an article in the Japanese-language edition of the Asahi Shimbun about companies becoming so eager to make themselves attractive to foreign programers that they have decided to conduct all meetings, etc in English. Ironically, though, when I searched for articles in English I didn't come across the same kind of content. Rather, I found general articles (not about IT) that pointed to problems working in Japan.
My student likes Japan and understands that salaries might be higher in the States but would still like to consider working here. Do any of you have any thoughts that you might share on the topic?
日本はデジタル分野の専門人材不足が深刻化する「2025年デジタルの崖」に直面する。経済産業省によると、2020年には30万人、2030年にはデジタルサービスの需要次第で45万人から80万人にまで不足が拡大するとされて…

Kirk here. Prime Minister Kishida was in Camp Kengun in Kumamoto City today to eulogize the men lost in the helicopter accident in Okinawa.
Kishida eulogizes 10 GSDF members killed in Okinawa chopper crash | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has delivered a eulogy at a funeral service for ten members of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force killed in a helicopter accident in April off Miyakojima Island in Okinawa Prefecture. He called the deaths a "major loss" for the country.

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.
P.S. Sorry for the poor quality of the video; taken with an iPhone.

Atsuko here.
Kumamoto castle tour(*ᐛ*)ᒃ✨.
https://www.facebook.com/725021167559338/posts/6429297100465021/?sfnsn=mo

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:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/kumamoto/20230526/5000019122.html
https://time.com/6286070/japan-same-sex-marriage-ruling-unconstitutional/
Courts in Japan Support Same-Sex Marriage. Why Hasn’t It Been Legalized Yet?
Observers often point to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s party as to why LGBT-specific legislation is languishing in National Diet.

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.
This article is pretty short and so only provides a small sample of information about food here in Kumamoto. Still, I think foodies out there should want to give it a quick read.
The article mentions the term "wasamon" -- lover of whatever is new. I'd like to provide a little Japanese lesson on the term for any of you who might be interested.
Etymologically, the word is made up of two parts: "wasa" and "mon." The second part, "mon" is the same as the "mon" in "Kumamon." In standard Japanese it would be "mono" (者) which means person. So, for example, "young people," which is "wakamono" (若者) in standard Japanese, is "wakamon" in Kumamoto dialect.
The first part, "wasa" stems from "wase" (早生 or 早稲) in standard Japanese. The basic meaning is "develping early" (早く成熟する). It's not as common in modern Japanese as is "mono" (者) but it's in the name of Waseda (早稲田), a famous university in Tokyo. The university was build in Waseda, a place that got its name because rice was planted and harvested earlier there than in other regions. If you're talking about rice, "wase" is written 早稲 but if you're talking about early development in general, 早生 is correct. So, Japanese discussions of the origin and meaning of the term "wasamon" usually show 早生者 as the characters, but in practice, the word is written in hiragana (わさもん).
Websites referred to in writing this post:
https://hougen-matome.org/wasamon/
https://www.jk-tokyo.tv/zatsugaku/172/
https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E6%97%A9%E7%A8%B2_%28%E3%82%8F%E3%81%9B%29/
https://www.reuters.com/plus/kumamoto-japans-culinary-castle-city
Kumamoto: Japan’s Culinary Castle City

Kirk here. Amakusa.
https://www.facebook.com/KArealexperience/posts/pfbid02hNQz5k1TxKgVNjXgFurtkMZcYz4g99QfByEKQVHWShaSLV1KPoZhZgbVcVAqBwA9l

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.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02GWjLorUQsQ4Z7iqbfcTp3MyJDjoD8769kG3KgFncGds9QRepF3s4BPVUEPmXoXwWl
All Blacks XV to play two matches in Japan
The All Blacks XV will play two matches in Japan against the Japan XV in Tokyo and the Brave Blossoms in Kumamoto this July, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Japan Rugby Football Union (JFRU) have announced today.

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.
City in Japan to pay $1 mil. to family of baby born with disabilities after malpractice - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- The city of Kumamoto is set to pay 150 million yen (roughly $1.08 million) in compensation to a family of a child who was left with severe

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:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02tLzri9oN4WFqCfUSak5rTKDU7Dfo9vGkt2qhDmjewtjfG2yhyDfz5MvLZzmpzuB3l
In a comment, I posted about a flashcard app I've been building over the past seven years or so. Though I'm not completely ready to go public with it, I'm pretty close. "Kankaku V13" is a beta version of the app I'm hoping to try to promote in earnest next year.
Note: Even though I'm using the word "promote," this project of mine is essentially the same as Kumamoto International -- completely free, no financial gain for me; I'll just be happy if other people find my app to be useful.
I'm not quite ready to go completely public with the app but, on the other hand, since it's still being developed, I'll be more than happy to respond to individual Kumamoto International readers who try it out but encounter difficulties or have questions.
Here are some links you'll need to get started:
1. Introduction to AppSheet
I built my app on the AppSheet platform, which is now part of Google. AppSheet is a so-called "no-code" platform, which made it relatively easy to put it together ("relatively" is the operative term -- it wasn't easy ;) ). My use of AppSheet also makes it possible for me to publish the app, which I call "Kankaku" as a free template. You will probably want to watch the first couple of sections of the following video in order to learn how the platform works:
https://kmasden.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-i-use-appsheet-in-my-classes.html
2. Link to a page where you can copy the Kankaku template
https://www.appsheet.com/templates?appGuidString=6d5506ec-ae1e-48d4-aecf-2873b346b67a
3. Link to a page explaining how to start using templates like Kankaku on a mobile phone
https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/.../How.../m-p/461422
4. Link to a video explaining how to set up Kankaku to study Japanese effectively
https://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~masden/2023/Introduction_to_Kankaku.mp4
In the video, I point out some ways in which Kankaku differs from Anki. Anki is a very well-know flashcard app that, like Kankaku, is based on a spaced-repetition scheduling algorithm.
Fun fact: The creator of Anki used to live in and started to develop his app right here in Kumamoto. Many years ago he used the Kumamoto International mailing list (the predecessor to this Facebook page) to promote it. You can read about Anki's connection to Kumamoto here:
--- start quote ---
Damien Elmes developed one popular program, Anki, after becoming frustrated with forgetting material while studying Japanese.
The Australian computer science graduate, who teaches English in Kumamoto, Japan, says a friend introduced him to the concepts behind the open-source program.
--- end quote ---
https://archive.vn/dFaIm#selection-819.1-821.159

Kirk here with information about opportunities to take Japanese language classes. The information came to me through "Safety and Security disaster prevention and lifestyle information newsletter" put out by the Kumamoto International Foundation. Here's the English and Japanese text in the newsletter about studying Japanese:
【The study of Japanese】
The intensive beginner's Japanese language course "Hajimete no Nihongo" will be held from 3rd July (Mon) for those who have just arrived in Kumamoto and know little or no Japanese.
If you would like to participate, please apply to the Kumamoto International Foundation.
For more information, please visit the website below.
https://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/kiji0031715/index.html
[Note from Kirk: Much of the page is in Japanese but it lists a phone number and an e-mail address, either of which you can use to inquire in English. However, the flier lists a different e-mail address -- [email protected] -- as the e-mail contact and so I think that may be most appropriate.]
【日本語学習について】
熊本に来たばっかりで、ほとんど日本語がわからない人、日本語を勉強したことがない人を対象に初級日本語集中講座「はじめてのにほんご」を７月3日（月）から開催します。
参加したい人は熊本市国際交流振興事業団へお申し込みください。
詳しい内容は下記のホームページで
https://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/list00066.html
P.S. If you have other good leads about study opportunities (classes, groups, exchanges, etc.) please post about them in a comment.

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.
Japan junior high teacher fired for sending 100s of texts to female student - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- A 53-year-old male teacher at a junior high school in this southwestern Japan city has been dismissed on disciplinary grounds for sending

Kirk here with a recent English-language news article on the murder of the young woman in Kumamoto:
Japan elevator worker found dead after woman's body discovered in building - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- A male elevator maintenance worker who oversaw a building here where the body of a woman was discovered on May 29 was found dead soon afte

Atsuko here.
My friend Sakamoto-san, one of Kumamoto International's readers, has created an easy-to-understand website to help improve littering etiquette for foreigners, which I would like to share with you.
Hope it helps.(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
3 Principles for taking out garbage
Click the image ↑ : PDF English version (931kb) downloadable

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.
TSMC considering Kumamoto as site of a second chip plant in Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
The world's largest contract chip maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, says its second plant in Japan will likely be in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, the same as the first plant.

Kirk here. This is still pretty speculative but it seems that a man who worked for an elevator inspection company with access to the building in which a young woman was found murdered last week is now dead, perhaps a suicide. "Elevator inspection" may be relevant because the body of the woman was found on the 7th floor of the building but the general public did not have access to that floor via the elevator or an internal staircase; the 7th floor was closed (karaoke business not operating) and elevator access was turned off, but an inspector may have been able to override that setting and take the elevator to the 7th floor.
Here's a link to my initial post on this case:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02NqLxXriq1W6Dq9E1o6GBuMxZ2fpeVdGFu8JJfP6igibGdJ78jm2EaPCGW9K5MPBxl
雑居ビルで布にまかれた女性遺体　エレベーター点検の男性従業員死亡【熊本】（TKUテレビ熊本） - Yahoo!ニュース
熊本市の雑居ビルで女性の遺体が見つかった殺人・死体遺棄事件で、このビルのエレベーターの点検などを行う会社の男性従業員が事件後、死亡していたことが関係者への取材で分かりました。 警察は、事件との関連