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Following Kirk's lead, I thought I should share this video from the days around the earthquake(s) of 2016.
This may be of interest to anyone who has come to Kumamoto since 2016 and has not yet had the dubious pleasure of experiencing a rather large earthquake with all its scarey aftershocks.
2016 Kumamoto Quakes Revisited
To mark the 6th "anniversary" of the 2 powerful earthquakes that hit the Kumamoto area in April 2016, I have dusted off this video we made in May 2016.I have...

Kirk here. We are approaching the anniversary of the 2016 earthquakes. Here's an article about kanrenshi (earthquake-related deaths that occurred after the shaking had stopped). The majority of deaths in Kumamoto fell into this category.
Disasters can be deadly, but the aftermaths can be deadlier
Largely forgotten, more people died in the days, weeks and months after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes due to illness and depression than in the quakes themselves.

(Claire) If you didn’t come to Tamana’s Jagatani Park for the Cherry blossoms (1500 cherry trees) and can’t wait for the Iris Festival in late May/early June, then come see the Wisteria at Yamada shrine. Apparently a 1/3 of it was in bloom on the 7th April.
(They have electric bikes to hire at shin Tamana station since last week.)

William When I first came to Japan, I brought my wetsuit, which had protected me from Los Angeles' chilly seas. On my first trip back to LA, I brought it back - the warm Kuroshio current obliviates the need for wetsuits here. And, apparently, Japan (particularly Kyushu) will see some of the greatest ocean warming on Earth. (Ironically, LA's water is predicted to cool.)
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/08/headed-off-the-charts-worlds-ocean-surface-temperature-hits-record-high

Kirk here with another article about the helicopter crash in Okinawa. As I wrote earlier, the connection to Kumamoto is that the helicopter and its crew were based in this prefecture, is the home of the 8th Division (第8師団) of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Wikipedia says that its "responsibility is the defense of the Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures" but I've learned from TV reports that it is considered by military planners to be very important to the defense of the islands of Okinawa prefecture (hence, its participation in exercises there).
Here's a blurb from the article I'm sharing:
"The helicopter was stationed at a key army base in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu, Morishita said Thursday night. One of its 10 crew members is the division commander, Yuichi Sakamoto, who was just promoted to the post at the end of March."
Lifeboat and door found in search for Japanese army Black Hawk helicopter feared down in sea
The country's defense chief said the army would "do our utmost for the rescue of the 10 people who are still missing."

Kirk here. The other day I shared a news article about a settlement reached between the parents of a girl who had committed suicide and her bullies. Here's a link to that article:
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid0x296ZXHqdaBbJoiruv1TcU59fYwXaD7kMhzdhbEAAiF9nnWCmieLMZMrFwuWkhoEl
The article I'm sharing today is about a similar incident (i.e. involving bullying and a suicide) but one where the suicide occurred five years earlier (in 2013). According to the article, Kumamoto Prefecture had blackened out portions of the report so that the parents could not see the names of the students that were thought to be involved in the bullying. The parents had to take the prefecture to the Supreme Court in order to get access to an uncensored version of the report. I can understand not publishing the names of the accused students on the internet but why not show the full report to the parents? I find it hard to understand what the prefectural officials were thinking.
P.S. I'm pretty sure that the prefecture had to pay a lot of legal fees (lawyer's salaries, etc.) to resist the parents' reasonable demands. That's money supplied by everyone who pays taxes in Kumamoto -- and I'm certain not pleased to imagine my tax yen being used in that way. 😠
Japan court orders blacked-out names in bullying report to be revealed over teen's suicide
KUMAMOTO -- A high court's decision to order the Kumamoto Prefectural Government to disclose the names of students thought to have been involved in bu･･･

Kirk here. This sad national news has an important Kumamoto connection:
"Japanese media reported that the helicopter left radar scopes at approximately 1630L and that it belonged to Vice-Camp Takayubara in Kumamoto."
JGSDF Vice-Camp Takayubaru (陸上自衛隊 高遊原分屯地) is on the grounds of Kumamoto Airport.
JGSDF Commander Missing, Helicopter Crash, Okinawa
At approximately 0503 EST, reports began to emerge of a Japanese Ground Self Defense Force UH-60 Blackhawk gone missing off the coast of Miyakojima, Okinawa. Japanese media reported that the helico…

Kirk here reporting that 7.8% was high enough to put Kumamoto on top in the area of bicycle helmet use:
"Kumamoto Prefecture in the country's southeast had the highest rate of any prefecture at 7.8 percent, while Hyogo Prefecture had the lowest at 1.9 percent. The figures for Tokyo and Osaka were 5.6 and 2.4 percent respectively."
Japanese survey: only 4% wear helmets on bikes | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
On April 1, Japan introduced an ordinance encouraging all bicycle riders, regardless of age, to wear helmets. The measure goes into effect amid a growing number of accidents across the country.

Kirk here with crime news. This is a wooden statue of Pindola Bharadvaja, known as Binzuru Sonja (びんずる尊者) in Japanese. It was located in Zenkoji (a temple) in Nagano until it was stolen this morning, apparently by a man from Mifune. The statue has been recovered with the arrest of the man and, according to reports I heard, has not been harmed.
Here's a paragraph from Wikipedia about Pindola Bharadvaja:
"Pindola Bharadvaja is an Arhat in Buddhism. According to the earliest Indian Buddhist sutras, Pindola Bharadvaja was one of four Arhats asked by the Buddha to remain in the world to propagate Buddhist law. Each of the four was associated with one of the four compass directions."
The faithful are allowed to touch the statue, wearing down the surface of the wood. It is believed that touching part of the statue will heal the corresponding part on your own body.
The image was taken from this page:
https://www.zenkoji.jp/about/jin/

Johannes here from Minamiaso.
There will be a guided walk April 23, 2023 in the Kurokawa area near Tateno, where the Tokai University’s school for agriculture was located until the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016.
The tour is in Japanese and not explicitly for foreigners, but I can assist with possible language issues, since I will be present.
The area is still suffering from the aftermath of the earthquake (80% of the population has left and reconstruction is slow due to the special geological characteristics of the area) and is also the site of the Kumamoto Earthquake Museum, which will open this summer.
Participation costs ¥2000 (children ¥1000) and includes a bentō made by local residents, accident insurance and the guided tour. The maximum number of attendants is limited to 40 people. (first come, first serve)
Details of the event can be found on the Minamiaso website.
https://www.vill.minamiaso.lg.jp/kiji0032392/index.html

Kirk here with belated news (a few weeks old) about international high school trips resuming. This article is about students from Luther High School traveling to Korea.
Japanese high school students arrive in Korea on field trip : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea
Students from Luther Senior High School in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the afternoon of March 21 wave hello after arriving at Incheon International Airport.

Kirk with something about the Unzen-Amakusa National Park, which "sprawls across both Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures." To be honest, when this page came up in a search for "Kumamoto," I hesitated to share it because I thought that it was merely "near" Kumamoto. I found, though, that, as the article states, the national park actually straddles the two prefectures -- something I had missed, somehow. Most of the article is about the Nagasaki side but that is just a short ferry trip away via Kumamoto Port. I've been to the area many times and would encourage anyone who hasn't been there to check it out. :)
A Cheat Sheet to Unzen, Japan’s Oldest National Park - The AU Review
Discover the best new music, travel, film, gaming, arts, food, culture and book content on Australia's premier independent online publication. Since 2008.

Kirk here, sharing a post to the "Community" side of the page.
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/8879256522147701

Atsuko here. International gourmet event information.(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
World Gourmet FES 2023 supported
by FMK X
A gourmet food festival featuring the world's favourite cuisines from the USA, France, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica, Italy and many more.
Let's eat our way through the world's finest cuisines!
Date 1 (Sat) & 2 (Sun) April Time 9:00~17:00
Venue: Kumamoto Agricultural Park Country Park (3802-4 Sakae, Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture)
Instagram→@straights.jp

Update from Kirk: This was an April Fools post. It originally showed an image of the famous onnagata Bando Tamasaburo in a poster calling for a ban on cross-dressing. The post received a complaint. I spoke for about an hour with a Japanese LGBTQ friend of mine about whether the post was appropriate. She thought it was funny and understood what I was getting at. She also said that she thinks it's probably true that a significant number of LGBTQ folks in Japan might not enjoy the joke -- especially because one has to read a lot of text in order to fully understand the intent. So, I decided to remove the image (it's replaced now by an image from an article about the Tennessee law).
--- original text of post (slightly edited) ---
Kirk here with some news about what seems to be an international trend. As you may be aware, Republicans in Tennessee have passed "anti-drag" legislation (it was a straight party-line vote):
Tennessee Passed the Nation’s First Law Limiting Drag Shows. Here’s the Status of Anti-Drag Bills Across the U.S.
https://time.com/6260421/tennessee-limiting-drag-shows-status-of-anti-drag-bills-u-s/
Well, according to the Japanese article I'm sharing, folks in Kumamoto with similar concerns have started putting up posters decrying the gender confusion caused among children who are exposed to onnagata performances (kabuki performances where men play the parts of alluring females). Heaven forbid!
The poster reads "Protect Kumamoto's children! Men dressing up like women is just wrong!" and has a picture of famed onnagata Bando Tamasaburo wearing a Yamaga toro (paper lantern).
I'm pretty sure the report is credible for two reasons:
1) There's a picture associated with the article and I think the existence of a picture pretty much proves that it's real;
2) It's on the internet and I believe everything I find on the internet.
On the other hand, the following points do give me some pause:
1) It's on a site called "kirkmasden.com," which I've never heard of before;
2) The website doesn't look much like a typical internet news service;
3) The first line of the article says "April fools!," which does tend to make me slightly suspicious.
Happy April 1st!
これはエープリルフール（欧米の習慣で、四月一日は嘘をついてもよい日として楽しむこと）の投稿です。
熊本で「女装禁止運動」は起きていませんが、アメリカのテネシー州で「ドラァグ」（異性装）のショーなどを禁止する法律が制定されたことは事実です。また、テネシー州だけでなく、他の州でも同様の法律の制定が検討されているそうです。そのニュースを聞いて「歌舞伎の女形や宝塚などの文化はテネシー州では違法になるのか」と思い、そうした法律を揶揄するエープリルフールのFacebook投稿を準備することにしました。からかいたい相手はあくまでも女装などに神経を尖らせる心の狭い政治家などで、日本の伝統芸術としての女形や人間国宝の坂東玉三郎様などを一切揶揄しているつもりはありません。ご了承ください。
Here’s the Status of Anti-Drag Bills Across the U.S.
Tennessee became the first state to explicitly ban drag shows in public spaces

Kirk here with a little article about the completion of a new government building in Mashiki -- another step on the road to complete recovery from the 2016 quakes.
New Building for Quake-Hit Kumamoto Town Completed
Mashiki, Kumamoto Pref., March 28 (Jiji Press)--A ceremony was held Tuesday to mark the completion of a new bu…

Kirk here with an article I found to be interesting. It explains how high tech, like image processing, is being used to help sort the fallen stones so that they can be reassembled as they were before the quakes. It also explains that, though technology can help with some jobs, much of the work must be done by hand, just as it was done some 400 years ago. For that reason, estimates of how long it will take to finish all of the work have been extended:
--- start quote ---
Kumamoto city estimated the castle’s renovation expenditure at 63.4 billion yen ($482 million) shortly after the 2016 disaster. The forecast reconstruction period has already been extended and the work is expected to continue for the next three decades.
--- end quote ---
Technology helping rebuild fallen Kumamoto Castle walls | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
KUMAMOTO--Left devastated and in ruins by a spate of strong earthquakes seven years ago, iconic Kumamoto Castle is rising from the ashes.

Kirk with news of a belated settlement related to a local suicide that would probably have not occurred if it hadn't been for bullying. After five years, the bullies have all agreed to settle on terms that the parents have accepted. The article ends with links and phone numbers to help English speakers who are in crisis.
4 ex-classmates settle with parents over teen's suicide after school bullying in Japan
KUMAMOTO -- The parents of a high school student who took her own life over bullying reached court-mediated settlements on March 27 with all four form･･･

Sean here – Update – Yuuka Family Road Bike Ride Update –
Currently, we have two adults and two high schoolers.
The weather looks promising.
It would be nice to get a couple more participants.
Yuuka family multi-use trail is an easy and safe trail to ride. It is a good trail for anyone new to Kumamoto who wants (or walk or run) to ride and not worry about getting lost. There is a kilometer marker at every KM. (See posted pic)
Event: Beginners Cycling Ride
Date: Sunday, April 2nd, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM (Approximately 5 hours round trip)
Where: Yuuka 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.

Atsuko here with information about Japanese language study groups.
It is a great opportunity for young children and their parents to study and discuss Japanese together. I also hope that the children will make friends with other children there, and that they will make friends with their mothers and fathers and exchange all sorts of information with them.
Hoping you will meet someone nice.(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
The first meeting will be on the 23rd of April.
Children from kindergarten age to grade 2 and their parents/guardians can participate.
The number of participants is limited to 10 children.
Those who wish to participate must apply by 9 April.
Apply to the plaza by email or phone.
✉: [email protected]
☎: 096-359-4995