Archive for 'Kumamoto' Category

JR Kyushu resuming its bullet train services

  JR Kyushu resumed all of its railroad services including the bullet trains by the April 27th for the first time in 13 days after the series of  the huge Kumamoto Earthquakes began on 14th.

Central, northern,and eastern parts of Kyushu, such as Kumamoto, Ohita, and Fukuoka were hit by series of earthquakes mainly of the one of M6.5 on April 14th and the one of M7.3 on 16th. Some parts have been  seriously damaged and temporarily more than 110,000 people evacuated(now the number is about 36,000). Toshihiko Aoyagi, president of JR Kyushu made a remark upon seeing off  the first bullet train to  complete the total resumption in which he said, “We have now successfully regained our daily landscape  again for the first time in two weeks. We hope this resumption of our railroad services  will be so helpful for rebuilding Kumamoto.”

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution recommeded as a World Heritage Site

ICOMOS, the official advisory panel of UNESCO, reccommeded some sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial revolution as a world heritage site to UNESCO on this May 4th.  (http://whc.unesco.org/)

The recommended candidate consists of 23 facilities in 8 prefecturessuch as nagasaki and Fukuoka, mainly southwestern parts in Japan in total. They all represent the rapidly developped processes of the heavy industry at the turning point of Japan from the pre-modern to the modern society about 150 years ago in the Meiji era, explains the japanese government. For example,  Gunkan jima island in Nagasaki pref. which worked as a plant island including schools, residents of factory workers and their families as if  it were an independent city on the sea 40~50 years ago is one of those symbolic facilities. Now those   places and areas are so popular and not only Japanese but  foreigners visit to know about Japanese historical and societal changes.  The candidate will be on the item list and examned at the upcoming UNESCO committee at Bon Germany Jun.28-Jul.8.

Visit Japan Travel Mart and JATA Toursim EXPO Japan 2014

Two huge international travel marts were held at Tokyo Bigsight in Tokyo. One was “Visit Japan Travel Mart 2014″(Sep.24-26)(http://www.vjtm.jp/) and the other was “JATA Toursim EXPO Japan2014″(Sep.25-28)(http://t-expo.jp/en/index.html).  

More than 310 foriegn buyers and about 390 Japanese sellers joined VJTM2014 and had passionate exchanges of information and ideas and hosted busines seccions.  Buyers from Asian countries were especially a lot and about the half of the Japanese sellers were municipalities or relating associations of such local governments.

On the other hand,  a lot of domestic and foreign sellers and buysers joined  JATA Tourism EXPO Japan 2014. Such participants were embassies, tourism bureaus, travel agents, food companies, municipalities, railroads, airlines, hotels. universities, guide associations and so forth.  The main targets were end users of travel services and a lot of  lay Japanese people visited there and the total number was 157,589.  Upon the opening of the event, an ward ceremony  of  good  services and efforts of related promotions was hosted and the Best Tourism Award was given to The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Embassy awards were for  Thailand and Mexico, the best transporatation award was for Japan Railways East, the domestic inbound award was for  the tourism department of Tokyo Metropolis, the publicity award was for a TV show of CXTV, and the chairperson special award was for Okinawa Convention Bureau. (http://t-expo.jp/en/program/cms.html)   I personally visited the two big events and collected a lot of interesting information and exchanged ideas with the participants, some of whom were my friends or those I sometimes work with. I enjoyed the delicious food provided by tourism- related restaurants and local specialities and impressed by the greatly enthusiastic atmosphere of energies of the expos as well.

Hagakure Ninja recruiting new Kunoichi(female Ninjas)

“Hagakure Ninja”, a performance group of ninja activities in a theme park “Ganso Ninjamura  Ureshino- onsen Hizen- yumekaido”(/元祖忍者村　嬉野温泉　肥前夢街道, The original Ninja village in Ureshino hotspring resort of a dream road)(http://www.hizenyumekaidou.info/) in Ureshino hotspring in Saga pref. begian to recruit for new staffers who are to work as its new members as “kunoichi”(female ninjas).

The application requirements  are ; female 13-29 years old (a student can keep her school life), a minor applicant needs her parents’ permit. A successful applicant will be trained to be a good kunoichi (so, no previous experiences as ninja activities are required) and will be a member of the first generation of “Hanagumi”(/華組。,flower group) which is to debut as a ninja girl idol group with “The Magic”, the theme song of  Hizen Yumekaido. The new group will perform in Urshino and other areas in Kyushu. The deadline of the application of  resume is the Oct.10th.

Kumamon greeting Emperor and Empress

Emperor and Empress of Japan visited Kumomaoto prefctural government office  and  Kumamon, the very popular symbol character of  Kumamoto, greeted the monarchs on Oct.28th.

The Kumamoto Governor hosted a special presesentation and ceremony for the monarchs. And Kumamon performed its special gymnastic exercise in front of the two monarchs.  They thank it very much in joy, asking it, “Are you single?” ,which elicit a good laughs from the audience. Kumamon’s popularity enable that prefecture to make a huge revenue related to tourism.

 

“Kumamon” in Tokyo advertizes the attraction of Mt. Aso in Kumamoto

Kumamon, the image character for public relations of  promoting Mt.Aso and other areas in Kumamoto Pref,  conducted special campaign in Tokyo. (http://kumamon-official.jp/)

 

Kumamon is a bear image character for “kuma” in Japanese means a bear. And Kumamoto is located on Kyushu, the southwestern part of Japan but  now is promoting attractions of Kumamoto in Tokyo putting a lot of  posters and wrapping trains for a certain term.

○Tokyo Metro Ginza Line  wrapping cars  “Kumamon U Liner”  Jan.25-Feb.8th.

○Marunouchi Line　Shinjyuku Station　Kumamon’s huge poster Jan.21-27.

○Special official website to promote Mt.Aso area Jan.17-March 31. (http://www.kininaru-k.jp/)

Kumamoto Mascot “Kuma-mon” Won First Prize

Kumamoto Prefecture’s “Kuma-mon” received a congratulatory hug from Gov. Ikuo Kabashima when the black bear mascot of the southwestern Japanese prefecture visited the prefectural government office to report he had won a popularity contest among about 350 local mascots the previous day.

A total of 3.33 million votes were cast between September and Saturday in the online contest, with Kuma-mon collecting 287,315 votes. He was followed by “Barii-san,” a bird character from the Ehime Prefecture city of Imabari with 245,238 votes, and “Nishiko-kun,” an unofficial mascot of an area surrounding JR Nishikokubunji Station in Tokyo, with 174,079 votes. Read the rest of this entry »

BAPE STORE Kumamoto

BAPE STORE Kumamoto
3-41, Kamibayashimachi, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto
096-322-6010
Mens
MAP:BAPE STORE Kumamoto

View BAPE STORE Kumamoto in a larger map

Burberry Blue Label Kumamoto Tsuruya

Burberry Blue Label Kumamoto Tsuruya
バーバリーブルーレーベル鶴屋百貨店
At Tsuruya Kumamoto store, 6-1, Tetorihon-cho, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto 096-323-0054 　
Ladies Read the rest of this entry »