William with a bit more re: Kumamoto water. Takamori, a town in the southeast corner of Aso caldera (inasmuch as a round caldera can have a corner) is famous for its tunnel-to-nowhere.
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William An example of a "portmanteau" - an autological word, or word which describes itself - is, well, "portmanteau," which derives from porte, imperative of porter, "to carry," and manteau, or "cloak." (Today it's more commonly known as a "carry-on.") "Labradoodle" is also a portmanteau so well-accepted that my spell autocheck allows it.
Kirk here with a Mainichi article on Yamaga's Yachiyoza. It's a traditional theatre well worth visiting.
Retro Japan: Once shuttered theater in Kumamoto Pref. returned to life by elderly locals - The Mainichi
YAMAGA, Kumamoto -- A playhouse in this southwestern Japan city once deteriorated in the Showa era (1926-1989), but was saved by elderly locals.
Carlton here. To all my fellow fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day!! May you all be well celebrated.
William Tsuboigawa (坪井川), which drains the area from the east around the south of Mt. Kimpo, is the little river that could - do a lot of damage. Its flow meandered along with Shirakawa until Kato Kiyomasa disciplined them with banks and catchment areas, which anyone who lives near Tsuboigawa knows are barely enough during heavy rain. The Tsuboigawa Greenbelt (Tsuboigawa ryokuchi, 坪井川緑地) was thus created. The area is accessible via Kumamoto Dentetsu Kitakumamoto station.
Kirk here with an English-language article about the alleged hazing at Seiseiko. As I reported in my previous post, the judge found the school innocent:
Japanese court dismisses man's claim he left school due to head-shaving 'tradition' - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- A district court here on May 30 dismissed a damages suit against the Kumamoto Prefectural Government, in which a 20-year-old plaintiff cla
Kirk here with a repost of a job offering from early April. The original post was here:
Kirk with some news that is clearly appropriate for this page: the planned expansion of Kumamoto International School.
William Another in our series of water bodies in which to dabble: "じゃぶじゃぶ池," or "splash about pond." The Hosokawa family once had a large summer house with an immense spring; the house is gone (though much of the land remains property of the clan), replaced by a wedding venue; the voluminous amounts of water flow under various gates through two streams into Lake Ezu. Of particular fun for tots is a small waterfall, on the right of the photo, where the crystalline, chill water drops to lake level. Older kids will enjoy exploring the waterways as they cut through thick vegetation. Peek over walls to admire spring-fed gardens of private houses. Lake Ezu parking is free, but the entrance from Denshadori is hard to find so scouting on foot beforehand is recommended; it fills up quickly, so arrive early with a picnic, shoes for walking in water, and a collection bucket. As there is a vast area to explore, the area is suitable for all elementary school kids, while the pond is safe for infants.
William Kumanichi reports on a lighthearted event for a rainy day: the "Love Ride" (こいのり) is a streetcar chartered by the Kengun Shopping Arcade Promotion Board which traveled between Kamikumamoto and Kengun full of some 50 lovelorn men and women in their 20s and 30s looking for matches.
William Another on our list of springs that entertain children: Hakenomiya (八景水谷), or "the ravine of eight views," was originally a teahouse founded by the third Kumamoto lord, Hosokawa Tsunatoshi, who also developed the area as a flood storage plain to regulate the flow of Tsuboi River, which serves as the moat of the castle. Three wells provide municipal drinking water. The springs adjoin a spring-themed museum, Mizunokagakukan (水の科学館), which is rather informative and also provides restrooms and free parking. Public transportation: a short walk from the Hakenomiya stop of Kumamoto Dentetsu, whose downtown station is in front of Fujisaki Shrine.
William With summer afoot, we would like to present a list of springs that entertain children and adults alike and are free.
Kirk here with a follow-up to Fiona's post about movie viewing opportunities. Fiona's post is here:
Fiona here with a couple of lesser known films currently playing in town that may be of interest to Kumamoto-i readers.
熊本ピカデリーの上映スケジュールを掲載しています。上映・公開予定作品の紹介や劇場の上映スケジュールだけでなく、映画のお得なキャンペーンやイベント情報、チケット購入方法など、知りたい情報が満載です！
Kirk here sharing a report of some progress regarding school rules in Kumamoto.
Japan pref. schools ditching hair rules, but many still regulate underwear: survey - The Mainichi
KUMAMOTO -- None of 78 public schools surveyed recently by the Kumamoto prefectural education board were demanding students submit documents proving t
Kirk with news that the rainy season is here. The article (and news video) says it's a week later than normal and a month later than last year (which was quite early). The forecast for tomorrow is good but I guess there will be a good deal of rain after that.
Kirk here with some information from Sean Benward. I have a mindfulness practice that I've enjoyed for a long time so anything related to mindfulness strikes me as a good idea. I haven't attended Sean's sessions but if I didn't have my own routine already, I think I would. (If you can't see it immediately, there's English text below the Japanese text.)
William The Japan Meteorological Agency has a useful site with life info regarding rainfall and other bits of info useful during rainy season - in English! Click on "Heavy Rain, Typhoon," then the "Extra Detail" button on the rain box. Scrolling will magnify/demagnify the area. Clicking the play button on the console will display the previous three hours of rain movement and prognosis for the next hour. Other gizmos on the tool bar are fun for weather nerds.
Japan Meteorological Agency | Nowcasts (Precipitation, Thunder, Tornados)
High-resolution Precipitation Nowcasts (HRPNs) provide short-range precipitation intensity predictions with a spatial resolution of 250 m.
Kirk here. I'm enjoying a pleasant late-afternoon breeze as I write this but it won't be long before we enter the rainy season, which overlaps with typhoon season. Those seasons bring increased risk of flooding which is the subject of this article.
Staying afloat: Japan's growing battle against climate change
Rising rainfall and frequent typhoons test the archipelago's flood defenses
