Latest news with #Kumamoto
NHK
27-05-2025
- Business
- NHK
Kumamoto shochu brewery hosts tasting event 5 years after rain disaster
A shochu brewery in southwestern Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture that was hit by record rainfall five years ago has hosted an event that allowed visitors to taste classic shochu spirits. Torrential rain hit the prefecture in July 2020 and turned the region into a disaster zone. The rainfall also damaged the production facility of the brewery in Hitoyoshi City. The tasting event, which was held at the brewery's compound on Sunday, allowed visitors to sample different shochu varieties and eat salt-grilled sweetfish. There was also a corner where visitors could enjoy tasting classic shochu, which has been matured in an earthen pot for about half a century. The pot survived the disaster unaffected. Photographs of the city at the time of the disaster were exhibited on the second floor of the building. A man in his 50s said the pictures reminded him of how the area was like five years ago. He said he recalls when he returned home in the evening at that time after temporary evacuation, the landscapes were just like those in the photographs. The brewery's president Tsutsumi Junko said her company is gradually recovering five years after the disaster. She added that she will continue with her efforts for the local community's reconstruction.
Japan Times
19-05-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
Pterosaur fossil found in Japan identified as new species
A fossilized cervical vertebra discovered back in 1996 in southwestern Japan was found to have been from a new genus and species of pterosaur, a prehistoric flying reptile. A research team made up of members from Mifune Dinosaur Museum, which has the fossil on display, and others named the new species of the extinct flying vertebrates "Nipponopterus mifunensis," or "Japan's wings from Mifune" in Latin. This is the first time that a pterosaur has been named based on a fossil found in Japan. The fossil was discovered from a geologic formation dating back 100.5 million to 66 million years during the Late Cretaceous period in the town of Mifune in Kumamoto Prefecture by the town's education board. Past research had confirmed that the fossil was of a specimen of the Azhdarchidae family, a group of long-necked pterosaurs. Due to the scarcity of available fossils that could be used as reference at the time, the exact genus and species were left unidentified. In the latest research, the team concluded that the fossil was of a new pterosaur genus and species due to several distinct features, through analysis of computed tomography scans and comparisons with about 200 species of pterosaurs. The team's finding was published in international journal Cretaceous Research in March this year. "This is an important research result showing that pterosaurs were flying in the skies near Japan," Naoki Ikegami, 57, a curator at the museum, said. "The finding has opened the door to pterosaur research in Japan," he added.
NHK
10-05-2025
- General
- NHK
Playing the right note, nine years after Kumamoto quake
A harmonica-wielding man in Kumamoto Prefecture is still soothing the hearts of his fellow residents, nine years after a devastating earthquake.
Los Angeles Times
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Sandy Ho's Funky Fresh Oysters
Oysters are a signature item for chef Sandy Ho, who regularly serves them at events and in her own home. The chef-founder of Sandita's World, a culinary company known for its wild-hued dumplings, noodles, salads and other dishes, loves to dress up her oysters with a rainbow of ingredients and textures. 'It's such a treat to have an oyster for me, and it's such a treat to offer oysters, whether it's friends coming over or at a pop-up,' she said. 'It's such a nice touch, and it elevates the experience and allows people to feel a little bit more special.' Ho can appreciate a classic mignonette of red wine and shallots, but her own version — found in her debut, self-published cookbook, 'Sandita's Cooking Notes Vol. 1' — amps up the funk with a fish-sauce base that's punctuated by spicy pops from Thai chiles, tart-sweet citrus via orange and lime, and brightening herbs, all with an earthy finish thanks to a garnish of ground peanuts. Due to the heft of flavors in this mignonette, Ho recommends using a sweeter, milder oyster, such as the Kumamoto, to let these flavors shine.
