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William More about water - this time, not where it comes from but where goes. Mark Twain is purported to have said regarding the American West, "Whisky is for drinking; water is for fighting over." As an Angeleno, I understand this.
Even in water-rich Japan, when it comes to irrigation, all must be assured their fair share. Herein comes the "Enkei Bunsui" (円形分水, or cylindrical diversion). This device serves two purposes: to slow water flow by forcing a stream to surge upward into a basin; and to create a visually calculable division of water.
Several of these devices remain in Japan. Google 円形分水 for photos. One is in Yabe, to divert a stream's flow into three, two divisions into the uplands and one through Tsujunkyo, which in turn irrigates the plateau to the south. No visit to Tsujunkyo is complete without a visit to this ingenious device. I've never jumped into it, but I suppose it would not be particularly dangerous.
Photo: ①Waterflow on the left is the incoming stream, which is forced upward to slow the flow and then divided. ②A map showing diversion through Tsujunkyo to the Shiroito Plateau. ③Water flushed from Tsujunkyo to remove sediment from its center.

William Having acquired an interest in western China cultures, I took a month off from my junior year abroad program in Beijing and travelled almost to the border of Afghanistan. (I didn't ask permission as I knew what the answer would be; that I did my homework and mailed it to my school daily likely spared me expulsion.) Much of the trip was by steam locomotive (SL), so I grew used to their sounds. First arriving in Kumamoto, to my surprise, I often heard something I could have sworn was an SL - in 1990s Japan!
Turns out it was: JNR 8620-type steam locomotive No. 58654. Built at the Hitachi Factory in Kasado, Yamaguchi in 1922, the train has had a long history in Kyushu, mostly in Kumamoto. It was almost scrapped several times and spent the period from '75 to '88 at a museum in Hitoyoshi, when it was transported to Kokura to be completely restored and put back into service. Known colloquially depending on its route - "Aso Boy" or, currently, "SL Hitoyoshi" - the 58654 is the oldest SL in Japan that has a vehicle registration and can be operated on commercial routes.
Kumanichi reports that SL Hitoyoshi made an appearance at Kumamoto Station alongside Kumamon, dressed in an accurate fascimile of the station master's uniform, to mark the opening of "Kumamon Station," which is part of a plan to increase chances to interact with the chubby bear. Every Sunday, Kumamon appears onstage at the Metro Bookstore on the 6th floor of the station building, dressed in his station master duds.
Youtube video about the venerable 58654 with stunning Aso scenery and the Kumanichi article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkAaoVMiLE0
https://kumanichi.com/articles/744637

Fiona here, sharing a post about a recently published manga adaptation of The Tale of Genji. It's written by Kumamoto resident Séan Michael Wilson, who has a long list of books to his name. Find out more here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Michael_Wilson

William "May you be born in interesting times," the purported Chinese curse has it. As the tragedy in Ukraine continues to unfold, Russia has severely limited its natural gas exports to Europe, which has responded both by limiting consumption and sourcing gas from other locations.
Notoriously resource-poor (except for water) Japan ranks 73rd globally for gas reserves, 59th for gas production, and 5th for gas consumption. (That does not mean Japan is energy prolific: its GDP is 3rd and its population 11th.)
Several simple steps can and should be taken now to help conserve gas, such as taking cold or lukewarm showers (easy in summer!), line-drying laundry, washing dishes in cold water, and going easy on the aircon. Remember, most electricity is generated by gas. Not only will a few moments consideration about gas economy save you money, it will help Japan build its reserves for the coming winter.
True facts about natural gas and Japan can be found in this very readable article: https://www.worldometers.info/gas/japan-natural-gas/ Interestingly, the stats show that, while gas consumption has quadrupled since 1980, it has plateaued and even dropped slightly over the last decade.

Atsuko here with lots sunflowers again.
William had recommended a trip to Shimabara by ferry before, and if you take the ferry from Kumamoto Port, please enjoy this sunflower field as well.
Take the East Bypass straight to Kumamoto Port, just past the Aqua Dome.
There are two kinds of sunflowers planted, and the smaller one will be in full bloom soon (this weekend?). They are all facing east, and the mountain in the background is Unzen.
Have a nice summer vacation!(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡

Kirk here with some information that indicates that we've "dodged the bullet," so to speak, in regard to the typhoon. My go-to website for typhoon information, TropicalStormRisk.com, says that it is in our vicinity but now only a tropical depression, not even a tropical storm. It is projected to bring us some rain as it passes by but the winds may not even be strong enough to rattle our windows.
P.S. I like TropicalStormRisk.com because, in addition to showing the projected path, it shows the level or projected level at each point.

William Ever wonder how cockroaches know that you're looking at them? Ignore them and they'll scurry about all willy-nilly; cast even a sideways glance in their direction and they'll freeze like a boy with his hand down his girlfriend's shirt when her dad walks in.
I was thinking about this (cockroaches, not the shirt thing) as, recently, while I was enjoying a night read in my reading chair, a cockroach scurried; I glanced at him (let's stick with male pronouns for cockroaches - why not?); he froze; and immediately, a spider pounced.
The spider ignored me and went ahead with his spidy stuff. The next day, all I found was a single cockroach leg glued by some thread to the doorframe. Grisly.
So I went to my handy spidy reference website and think I found the culprit: Lycosidae, or wolf spider (コモリグモ - do NOT Google it). Yeah: That's the guy whose done it.
The point: Do not kill the spiders in your house. They are your friends. They will keep your home pest-free. There are almost no poisonous spiders in Japan, so not only won't they harm you, they can't.
Disclaimer: My paternal grandfather was a famous entomologist. Google "William J Baerg" for more info. ("J" has no meaning; he actually had no middle name, but when he first published, he thought a "J" made him sound more authoritarian.)
https://www.insects.jp/konbunkumokisida.htm

Kirk here was some news that is not really surprising but, nonetheless, unwelcome -- a state of medical emergency has been declared in Kumamoto City and the Hinokuni Festival has been canceled. The chief medical concern is that hospital beds are filling up. I may be able to post later with proper statistics but I think RKK reported that over 80% of hospital beds are now occupied.
＜速報＞火の国まつり、一転中止へ　熊本市、きょう「医療非常事態宣言」　新型コロナ（熊本日日新聞） - Yahoo!ニュース
　熊本市は29日、新型コロナウイルス流行「第7波」に伴う感染急拡大と医療提供体制の逼迫（ひっぱく）を受け、市独自の「医療非常事態宣言」を同日発令する方針を固めた。宣言の発令は1月24日～3月27日に

Carlton. Today while cycling in downtown Kumamoto running errands I passed through the assisted bathing district and came across this new or refurbished establishment covered in colorful advertising promising free guidance to many of the attractions in the area.
In addition to all that attention-getting promotion material I couldn’t help but notice the big sign on the left with what appeared to be an up front job offer.

William Typhoon update: not particularly large and will pass quite south of us, but it should bring some welcome breezes and a bit of rain.

William The season - it has started. (Not many realize that typhoons make a "doink, doink" sound as they move across the map.) We'll keep you up to date.

Kirk here with some information about Noriaki Tsuchimoto a film director known for his work on Minamata. Today I learned that significant archives regarding his work are in the U.S. First, though, I'd like to put that information in context by introducing his work.
Here's a link to "Minamata: The Victims and Their World" (水俣 患者さんとその世界), perhaps his best know film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB57D7ZL-GY
The movie doesn't have subtitles, unfortunately, but you can watch the whole film on YouTube.
Here's an English Wikipedia page about the film:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata:_The_Victims_and_Their_World
I was prompted to post today by the following announcement on H-Japan, a mailing list for Japan specialists. I'm posting it mainly because I think it's interesting that the archives are in the U.S. -- but, who knows, perhaps someone reading this will be in a position to apply for the grant:
--- quote begins here ---
Noriaki Tsuchimoto Research Grants
by Aaron Gerow
NORIAKI TSUCHIMOTO RESEARCH GRANTS

土本典昭研究助成金

The Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University invites applications for grants to support research utilizing the Noriaki Tsuchimoto Papers housed in Manuscripts and Archives in the Yale University Library. The collection is currently comprised of 83 boxes containing materials related to the filmmaking and other activities of the Japanese documentary filmmaker Noriaki Tsuchimoto (1928-2008), who is most famous for recording the struggles over the Minamata mercury poisoning incident and other environmental hazards.

The Council will offer up to four (4) grants in FY 2022-2023 to support research utilizing the collection at the level of up to $1200 for researchers traveling from North America and $2200 for those coming from outside North America. Grant funds will be disbursed in the form of reimbursement for travel, lodging, meals, reproductions, and related research expenses. The competition is open to scholars in all parts of the world and from any discipline, but topics that make extensive use of the collection will be prioritized. The application deadline is Wednesday, August 31, 2022. The grant must be used by Wednesday, August 30, 2023. An additional four grants will be available in the 2023-2024 academic year, with the call for applications being posted by July 2023.

For more information, please consult the CEAS website:

https://ceas.yale.edu/academics/fellowships-grants/noriaki-tsuchimoto-research-grant

Aaron Gerow
Alfred W. Griswold Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures and Film and Media Studies
Chair, East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University
320 York Street, Room 108
PO Box 208201
New Haven, CT 06520-8201
USA
Phone: 1-203-432-7082
Fax: 1-203-432-6729
e-mail: [email protected]
Minamata: The Victims and Their World

William The cloth edging on tatami is called "heri" (畳の縁). It's etiquette not to step on heri when walking on tatami to prevent wear, but sitting on it is fine.
Our friend Victoria Yoshimura noticed that the heri on the benches at Kumamoto Airport have a familiar logo.
Update: Those interested in Kumamon-themed igusa products can contact the Yatsushiro Igusa Kyokai: https://igusa-tatami.jp/news/6079/ Fun fact! - Yatsushiro produces 90% of Japan's igusa.

William Amazon has announced that it will build a distribution center in Minami-ku, Kumamoto in September, enabling next-day delivery. It will be a 2077 square meter, 3-story building employing "hundreds of people, including drivers." On the other hand, the article also notes, "Part of the delivery business is outsourced directly to the driver as sole proprietor... under a system called "Amazon Flex," where the driver works at his convenience," which sounds ominous.
アマゾン、熊本市に配送拠点　9月開設　700万点以上の商品、県内翌日配送が可能に｜熊本日日新聞社
　インターネット通販大手アマゾンジャパン（東京）は26日、熊本市内に配送拠点「熊本南デリバリーステーション（DS、仮称）」を9月に開設する計画を明らかにした。2022年中に14都県の18カ所に設ける拠点の一つ。県内で.....

William The popular animation "One Piece" has nothing to do with Kumamoto save that its creator, Oda Eiichiro https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiichiro_Oda, was born here and has been giving back by donating sculptures of his characters to draw tourists. Recently, a sculpture of his character "Jinbei" was erected at Sumiyoshi Kaigan Park (住吉海岸公園) in Uto City.
The park is adjacent to Ariake Sea, which has some of the most expansive mudflats in the world and is famous for the Nagabeta Seabed Road (Nagabetakaisyouro, 長部田海床路), also known as "The Road Leading to the Sea" (Umi e to tsudzuku michi, 海へと続く道). The 1km road, immensely popular with photographers, was completed in 1973 to allow fishermen to access the sea at low tide. The road disappears completely at high tide, and at night the lights of 24 utility poles illuminate the surface of the water like something out of Ghibli. The producer of a shochu commercial which helped popularize the road noted, "The road that appears and vanishes: it overlaps with the fragility of life."
Kumanichi has the details: https://kumanichi.com/articles/737593

Sakurajima 5 minutes ago courtesy of the live cam focused on it. Going to be pretty dusty around there for a few days at least.

William Kumamoto Castle is hosting an event called "Summer Evening Cool Opening," during which the grounds are open 4 hours longer than usual until 9 pm, and is scheduled for Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and 15 days of Obon until the end of August for a total of 20 days. LED lights operate at night when the park is open, including outdoor tour passages and surrounding stone walls and turrets. Kumanichi reports questions raised over electricity use during a time when all are asked to conserve.
A city official said, "It's a difficult point, but it's been established as a summer event to enjoy Kumamoto Castle during a cool time, and we decided that it was within the permissible range." A night visit sounds fun.
熊本城・夏の恒例行事　節電中に夜間開園いいの？　熊本市「需給に影響せず」「逼迫なら中止も」｜熊本日日新聞社
　電力需給の逼迫［ひっぱく］を懸念して政府が夏の節電を要請する中、熊本城の夜間開園を疑問視する声が熊本日日新聞社に寄せられた。「不要不急の施設は営業時間を短縮し、行政が率先して節電に取り組むべきだ」（...

Kirk here with an update on who in Kagoshima needs to evacuate. In short, it would seem that Level 5 (calling for all persons to evacuate) only applies to people on the island of Sakurajima, not to Kagoshima City or other nearby areas. The purple you see in the image indicates Level 5. I'm sharing a screenshot of the Japanese page because on the English page (see following image), the colors of the warning symbols are obscured by the overly large English text. What's more, zooming doesn't help; the English text is configured to display on top of the symbols at all zoom levels. An additional problem, is that it's not exactly easy to switch to Japanese to see how that looks; there's not toggle or link to the original Japanese. This is another example of the assumption that anyone who might begin by looking at an English-language page couldn't possibly have any use for the Japanese-language page.
https://www.jma.go.jp/bosai/#lang=en&pattern=earthquake_volcano&area_type=class20s&area_code=4620100

Kirk here. Sakurajima (Kagoshima Prefecture) has erupted and people are being told to evacuate. Quite a few English-language articles are available on the internet but I'm sharing this Japanese page from NHK because the video on the page provides the clearest view of the eruption that I have seen so far.
桜島で爆発的な噴火 噴火警戒レベル５「避難」に引き上げ | NHK
【NHK】鹿児島県の桜島で24日午後8時5分ごろ、爆発的な噴火が起きて、噴石が火口から2.5キロ付近まで飛びました。気象庁は、桜島…

William Otachimisaki (御立岬公園), just south of Yatsushiro, is a popular beach. However, it is artificial, short, and usually crowded. Venture a bit further south to Ashikita, though, and you'll find a string of beaches that offer many delights: Shirasuna (白砂ビーチ), Ashikita Marine Park (芦北マリンパークビーチ, AMP), and Tsurugahama (鶴ヶ浜海水浴場).
Shirasuna is a small, natural cove (thus least-visited) with good snorkeling and a gazebo. It is separated from AMP by a short peninnsula tipped by a fake windmill which offers a scenic walk to AMP either over the hill or on a narrow path along its edge.
AMP is popular with the volleyball gang, with several courts and public restrooms. There is also a small jetty to stabilize the sand (the beach is artificial) which terminates in quite deep water so is safe and very fun to leap from. Shirasuna and AMP share a common parking lot which costs Y500 if anyone is around to collect it.
A maintenance road connects AMP with Tsurugahama, which is the longest and most crowded of the three. It is popular with parents as its roadside parking is close by; thus, it has many concessions with icees and hot dogs.
A note about camping: I have camped several times (alone aside from my dog and in my small tent) on AMP and have had no problem. There are no signs (or at least were not last time I was there) which prohibit camping. Official cars have passed by my site without stopping to comment. But please observe etiquitte: No open fires (eschew the barbeque; bring a gas stove - even a konro will do - and gas or electric lantern), no fireworks, and leave your site cleaner than you found it.
A link to the tourism site: http://ashikita-kankou.com/
Photos: Shirasuna, Ashikita Marine Park ( - note the jetty for jumping), and Tsurugahama. Remember, you can park once and walk through all three in about an hour.