Few plants outshine a rhododendron in full bloom and flowers of rhododendrons and azaleas are highly toxic to humans and pets mulch the plants with up to 5 inches of pine bark chips or pine needles to retain moisture don’t pile the mulch around the base and trunk of the shrub because it encourages rot Leave a few inches around the plant base free of mulch Most rhododendrons can live anywhere from 10 years to decades Avoid planting them near concrete foundations The concrete will create alkaline conditions that are harmful for the plant Their leaves will appear yellow and wilted if they are being overwatered crispy leaves signal that the plant isn't getting enough water Rhododendron North Carolina State University Extension Toolbox *The content below is correct as of the time of release but please note that it may in some cases differ from the latest information Shiseido Selected as ”Noteworthy DX Company 2025” under Digital Transformation Stock Selection 2025 Program Shiseido Announces Leadership Change in the Americas Region Shiseido Develops Next-Generation Mineral Sunscreen Technology That Provides Both High UV Protection and Transparent Finish Shiseido Announces Changes in Organizational and Management Structure for its China and Travel Retail Businesses Shiseido Selected as a ”Nadeshiko Brand” for the Fifth Consecutive Year Shiseido Awarded A Rating by CDP as Top Company for Climate Change and Water Security Categories Shiseido Succeeds in 3D Visualization of Immune Cells with the Development of Its Optical Clearing Technique Accelerating Elucidation of Skin Immune Function Shiseido Develops ”4MSK/Fluid Penetration Technology” Penetrating Brightening Effective Ingredient 4MSK into Skin Marking 30 Years of Innovation: Perfect Cover’s Complete Renewal for Seamless and Natural-Looking Coverage SHISEIDO’s iconic ULTIMUNE is a serum reborn — to slow the skin aging cycle Co-creating Future Beauty by Connecting Researchers and Consumers at “Shiseido Beauty Park” Opening on January 22 Shiseido discovers new features in Alternative autophagy through joint research with The Institute of Science Tokyo Shiseido Develops Next-Generation Microneedles That Deliver Overwhelming Skin Improvement Effects Safely And At Aesthetic Medicine Levels Shiseido elucidates cellular senescence mechanism underlying age spots through optical real-time FLIM analysis for the first time in the world Shiseido Selected for Inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index for the Fourth Consecutive Year Announcement of Organizational and Personnel Changes Shiseido Launches Online Beauty Consultation Service Using Sign Language Shiseido and Shiseido Japan Receive Highest ”Gold” Rating in PRIDE Index and Earn First Rainbow Certification Police searched the headquarters of the Dojin-kai yakuza crime syndicate in Kurume on Tuesday after arresting a senior member of the group on suspicion of recruiting people through social media to do so-called “dark part-time jobs” in which they would carry out fraud schemes please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent The search was carried out by a team of 35 officers starting at 11 a.m Police will investigate whether there was any systematic involvement on the part of the Dojin-kai Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp The new "Kurume Bougainvillea Forest" opened last month in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The large greenhouse facility spans about 2,600 square meters where bougainvillea flowers bloom. In addition to bougainvillea, there are olives and mangoes grown in the garden, as well as a café space where visitors can relax and enjoy themselves. Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages which is making it more active."Rivers broke their banks in several cities and were dangerously close to the tops in others The Kamo River running through the ancient capital of Kyoto was high but not flooded as of noon Saturday.Landslides hit several parts of Nagasaki prefecture with one sweeping away at least two houses and killing Fumiyo Mori and military personnel joined rescuers looking for them NHK said.Shinkansen bullet train service was halted along much of the line running from Tokyo to Kyushu.Heavy rains have moved into the central part of the largest main island of Honshu The JMA has warned that the front is likely to remain over the nation for about a week.Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Real estate firm continue data center expansion APAC real estate firm ESR Cayman is planning to develop a new 20MW data center in West Tokyo The company announced this week it has acquired a data center asset in Higashi Kurume The site currently comprises three office buildings within a total site area of 20,900 sqm (225,00 sq ft); the new 20MW facility is expected to commence operations in September 2025 “As the largest New Economy real estate platform in APAC ESR continues to accelerate the expansion of our digital infrastructure ecosystem across APAC We are tremendously excited to announce our latest data center project in such a prime location in Tokyo following our acquisition of a multi-phase 98MW development project in Nanko Osaka in 2021,” said Jeffrey Shen and Stuart Gibson we will continue to leverage our hyperlocal presence that provides unparalleled access to unique land sourcing zoning and power approvals as well as best-in-class development expertise to differentiate ourselves from our peers.” added: “Tokyo is the primary hub for international firms to access the Japan market Japan remains as one of the largest data center markets in the APAC region and hence a highly important strategic market for ESR.” The company said the ESR Group has a combined data center pipeline of over 1,200MW of capacity across the region highlighted: “With its proximity to existing availability zones and excellent connectivity to city-wide fiber networks the Higashi Kurume site is a preferred location for multiple DC uses The new data center will provide additional capacity to support the existing community of enterprises that plan to expand their presence in West-Central Tokyo as well as enable access for new market entrants.” Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia A Japanese man planted three banana trees in the median strip of a major road in Kurume City and watered them daily for two years before anyone noticed their existence was recently ordered to remove three banana trees he had illegally planted and cared for in the median strip of a busy city road for a couple of years It’s unclear why the man chose to plant the trees on public property but they eventually got so big that they began affecting motorists’ field of view It wasn’t difficult for authorities to identify the man responsible for the trees as he had been watering the tropical plants at least twice a day for the last two years or risk spending up to a year in jail or pay a fine of 500,000 yen ($3,350) “It’s lonely… I feel lonely without my beautiful bananas,” the man told journalists after having to remove the three banana trees The Kurume banana trees had been getting nationwide attention for weeks news crews from major news channels were on location They interviewed the man who had planted them and filmed him trying to eat one of the unripe bananas harvested from them How the unnamed banana enthusiast managed to remain off the radar of the police for so long Two of them wound up in the garden of an 80-year-old man who vowed to take good care of them and ‘Kurume’s banana man’ gave the third one to a friend as a birthday present By Margherita Pitorri Kurume kasuri is a traditional cotton textile produced in the small town of Hirokawa This treasured fabric was originally used to create beautiful indigo-dyed kimonos and the complicated technique to make it was invented more than 200 years ago Despite the introduction and the evolution of the industrial revolution weaving is still mostly done by hand and the total process requires around thirty steps Unlike the story of the precious Dhaka muslin in India, whose method of production has now been lost to history traditional products are still made with Kurume cotton its popularity has decreased in the past few years as it is considered old-fashioned and outdated — especially among younger generations the pandemic has put even more pressure on artisans who have had to reinvent themselves to make Kurume kasuri part of Japanese daily life again in order to keep their businesses Kimonissimo is a new project launched by Daniele di Santo president of Japan Italy Economic Federation based in Fukuoka The project aims to give Kurume kasuri a new life creating items that combine Italian fashion taste and the excellence of Kurume cotton carried out in partnership with local businesses And it could be the thing that saves Kurume. DdS: The project started by chance when I was visiting the village of Hirokawa at the beginning of 2020 at the peak of the first wave of covid-19 in Japan many businesses were already struggling and I became aware of the risk of losing centuries of tradition forever Hence the idea of proposing a modern use of this long-established fabric to revive its production The word “Kimonissimo” comes from the Japanese word kimono and the suffix “-issimo,” which in Italian is used to describe an object which is the highest possible level of quality The challenge is to keep the tradition intact while making it easily approachable in everyday life Our philosophy is to combine tradition and modernity adapting traditional products and techniques to the needs of potential customers in the present The social aspect is the main focus of Kimonissimo We decided to invest in such a niche sector to promote and to revamp the production of cotton fabric in Kurume Our mission statement is to invest in projects businesses and know-how that are capable of fostering society and to support local communities Kimonissimo fits perfectly within our vision not a mass-produced product but the average Japanese person has at least heard of it once it’s still something traditional — old-fashioned and not accessible for younger generations The challenge is to keep the tradition intact while making it easily approachable in everyday life — therefore boosting its demand and bringing it back into use we are targeting young businessmen through sober and elegant items We choose to use the traditional indigo color and simple patterns and then adapt that to elegant and more casual outfits the products that are having the most success right now are the ties It’s a project that leverages the non-replicable value of tradition Kimonissimo is managed by a small team inside the company [Japan Italy Economic Federation] that takes care of every aspect and we decided to start showcasing and selling online while monitoring the response and sales The products themselves are realized in collaboration with local partners but we are actively working towards opening Kimonissimo to the European market as well As Kimonissimo is part of an already well-established company in Fukuoka in the field of consulting we already had the necessary instruments and know-how to launch this new business and it has been relatively easy to find partners to create the products from scratch We had support from local Japanese institutions in regard to administrative legal and fiscal procedures as Kimonissimo ultimately aims at promoting the cultural heritage of Kurume city in the rest of Japan and abroad We think that Kimonissimo is relevant now because it is a successful example of how local and global markets can be interconnected; one doesn’t have to exclude the other and we think that this will be a central topic within advanced economies It’s also a project that leverages the non-replicable value of tradition because each country possesses a peculiar tradition and enhances it in its own way From purple sweet potatoes to wild horse sightings here’s how to make the most of Okinawa’s tropical escape Explore the best local brands shaping Tokyo’s fashion scene From vintage clothing to Hawaiian-themed goods here’s what’s worth checking out before it’s gone From buying and registering a bike to key rules of the road Collagen staples for beauty and health in Japan Our handpicked list of the best events going on this month and the untold tales of Japan’s queer community Everything you need to know before and during a natural disaster Stay up to date with Tokyo news and events Your request has been blocked by our security system due to potential security concerns Please contact us for assistance If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy The latest Japan-to-NYC restaurant import has hit Murray Hill the style of ramen commonly found in New York that uses pork bones for the rich near East 36th Street — that tonkotsu ramen is prepared specifically using the yobimodoshi method which refers to using the same soup stock every day and adding to it little by little further amplifying the richness and creaminess of the broth Chef Takafumi Hayashi has previous experience at Taiho Ramen a respected ramen shop in Kurume that has been around since the 1950s He went on to open his own restaurant called Tenpo Ramen The new NYC restaurant Tenho is a version of it You’re Invited to the Eater Young Guns Summit These include a traditional tonkotsu with chashu pork; a spicy tomato broth ramen topped with bacon and parmesan cheese; a ramen topped with ribeye steak; a spicy cod roe ramen; and a vegetarian option They’re served in a space that evokes most NYC ramen shops with casual seating for 43 and lots of wood The menu also goes beyond ramen with a list of cold and hot appetizers and two rice dishes many of which are wrapped in pork belly or bacon A “chef’s assortment” includes two beef skewers and three meat-wrapped ones for $20 expect a lengthy list of sake as well as a rotating selection of shochu and whisky including takes on classics like a gimlet made with a Kyoto-based gin and an old fashioned made with a Japanese blended whisky Tenho Ramen is now open for dinner from 5 p.m All the new restaurant openings in New York this month There are at least two ajisai (hydrangea) festivals held in Kurume City One is on the way to Kora Taisho on the mountain Korasan The other (larger) festival is held farther east The Senkoji Festival runs through June and for 300 yen per adult 2016’s Korasan Ajisai Matsuri was really nice so we decided to go again this year after the hydrangeas started blooming around town The ajisai en (hydrangea park) is on the way up the small mountain of Korasan Although not at a very high altitude the flowers here typically start blooming around a week later than down in the city Super rainy in early spring it then got warm a little early but the first half of June was cool and dry The rainy season started around the second week of June as usual but the region has seen only a few days of rain since The weather is also less hot and humid than it was last year at this time but maybe it will get ridiculously hot this summer and one of them is that the hydrangeas around Kurume are not blooming as fully as they did last year In fact the usual big bunches of flowers haven't fully bloomed in most places Plenty of insects were still out to play though At the time of visiting the Ajisai Matsuri on Korasan This isn't the kind of festival that has lots of vendors selling food – it's a park on the slopes of a mountain there are performances like taiko held on a small stage opposite the rocky main trail There's a small resting area along the trail to the park so walkers can stop for a picnic and enjoy the view There were several people walking as usual; small groups and elderly couples out getting their exercise After passing the “tree couple” (a pair of trees with branches that grew together to look like they are holding hands) the hydrangea park begins along a small path to the right of the main trail The path continues to wind its way up the hill splitting a number of times to provide ample opportunity for exploration There are several nice viewing points here as the hydrangeas are planted along the slope Tall bamboo and Japanese cedar grow in the background Be sure to explore the potential hydrangea festivals in your own part of Japan There are a handful of places around Fukuoka City including Maizuru Park near the temple ruins in the city Here in Kyushu the hydrangea bloom around June but it will be a little later in other parts of the country It sounds like the rest of Japan is getting plenty of rain this year This year the one-day festival was held Sunday June 11 is available on the street along the route to Kora Taisho There is a small parking lot near Kora Taisho although the hydrangea park is closer to the bottom of the mountain Article by 'helloalissa' at www.city-cost.com Korasan Ajisai Matsuri information site (Japanese) Senkoji Festival information site (Japanese) To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible FILE - Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto poses for portraits at the 70th edition of the Venice Film Festival held from Aug Matsumoto died of acute heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on Feb the anime creator known for ”Space Battleship Yamato” and other classics using a fantastical style and antiwar themes His manga works “Galaxy Express 999” and “Space Pirate Captain Herlock” were adapted into television anime series in the 1970s and became huge hits in and outside Japan died of acute heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on Feb and rose to fame with “Otoko Oidon,” a manga series telling the story of a poor man from southern Japan who lives in a boarding house in Tokyo and struggles to balance work and studying Many of his manga were in the “battlefield comics” genre with more than 150 stories depicting tragedy of war an elite army pilot who returned from Southeast Asia and taught his son that war should never be fought In his interview with Japan’s NHK television in 2018 Matsumoto recalled seeing his father apologize to the mothers of his subordinates for not being able to bring them back alive His father also told Matsumoto that one had to be a demon to not think an enemy has a family “War destroys your future,” Matsumoto said in the interview noting that many talented youths who might have contributed to “the civilization of mankind” were killed during war “I was told by my father that any life is born in order to live “I think we should not be wasting time fighting on the Earth.” Matsumoto received several cultural and arts awards from the Japanese government and the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from France said in a statement released on Twitter: “Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto set out on a journey to the sea of stars thinking about continuing to draw stories as a manga artist.” Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo Japan is home to many recycle and second-hand shops and one of the most famous chains – as much for its suggestive name as its ubiquity – is Hard Off Hard Off stores can be found across the country Yusuke Nagata, Hard Off Ambassador and manager of the Kurume Kokubu branch in Fukuoka found a way to combine his job with his passion for music he transforms the store into a budget music studio and performs a variety of songs using damaged instruments and other objects from the shop He’s covered hit songs by girl band AKB 48 Nagata has been doing these covers for quite a while now including at his previous store in Fukuoka’s You Me Mall Chikugo Not only does Nagata sing, play and record all of the instruments himself, he also films and edits the music videos, uploading them to the store’s YouTube channel A recent cover of X Japan’s signature tune ‘Rusty Nail’ has over 4 million views and band leader Yoshiki even reached out to Nagata on Twitter Check out the videos below to see what Nagata gets up to after hours (Anime fans will recognise this as one of the opening songs of Fullmetal Alchemist) Nagata updates the store’s YouTube channel once a month, but you can also check his personal YouTube account which is updated more regularly with new songs 4 best Japanese films and series coming to Netflix in June 2022 Survey: Tokyo is the fifth most expensive city in the world for expats Prison-themed restaurant The Lock Up Shinjuku is closing for good Kids’ tickets are half price at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea this summer Uniqlo to raise prices of autumn and winter wear by up to ¥1,000 Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan. facebook twitter pinterest instagram About us Please activate JavaScript function on your browser Photograph of the Prime Minister being presented with Kurume camellias Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report another is feared dead and several others were missing on July 10 when a stalled seasonal rain front dumped a record level of heavy rain in northern Kyushu The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special heavy rain warning covering eight municipalities in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures as of 10 a.m The agency said linear rainbands of cumulonimbus clouds have formed over Fukuoka raising the risk of heavy downpours over an extended period The land ministry said several rivers have flooded in northern Kyushu on July 10 reached a record 91.5 millimeters as of 10 a.m “We are in a completely unpredictable situation,” Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori told a meeting of the prefectural disaster response headquarters Two homes were struck by a landslide in Karatsu but she was in a state of cardio-pulminary arrest Authorities were unable to contact two men living there workers are trying to rescue residents from homes damaged by a landslide But they could not reach at least one person a man was found dead on a path between rice paddies He was apparently swept away after he got out of his half-submerged car a man in his 70s was found in a small truck in a waterway eight municipalities issued the highest-level evacuation alert covering 415,000 residents as of 11 a.m The same evacuation alert was issued for about 12,500 residents of Nakatsu Bullet train services were suspended on certain sections on the Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines in the morning of July 10 Heavy rain is also expected in the Chugoku as the seasonal rain front remains through July 11 More heavy rain in the forecast to drench flooded Kumamoto JMA warns more heavy rain in store for eastern Torrential rain to continue through July 12; death toll in Kyushu hits 62 Global warming caused Kyushu’s record-breaking rain Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Certified Open tracks some of the smaller restaurants that open in Las Vegas. See a new restaurant that deserves some love? Email vegas@eater.com Monta ChayaAddress: 9310 S HendersonPhone: 702-331-5151Status: Opened on Monday The ramen craze continues in Las Vegas. Koraku Ramen, Shoku Ramen-ya from the owners of Bachi Burger and Fukumimi Ramen are just some of the new entries in the market the godfather of Japanese noodles in Las Vegas opening Monta Chaya yesterday at Eastern and Serene The Kurume-style tonkotsu ramen house uses a broth made from pork bones along with a soy sauce imported from Japan Connoisseurs consider Kurume ramen the original tonkotsu ramen The 1,343-square-foot space is open daily from 11:30 a.m Fukuoka Prefecture--A court here ordered the former head of a facility providing support for people with disabilities to pay compensation to a young woman who herself has an intellectual disability for sexual abuse she suffered while working there The woman in her 20s filed a civil lawsuit after prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges against the head of the facility The Kurume branch of the Fukuoka District Court on Oct 7 ordered the man and the company that operated the facility to pay a total of 3.3 million yen ($22,700) in compensation Presiding Judge Takeshi Tachikawa said the man sexually abused the woman knowing full well she had limited ability to express consent The man acknowledged fondling the woman’s breasts and lower body between October and December 2017 while they were together in a car The ruling also surmised that similar acts occurred in a hotel room saying he must have realized he had crossed the boundary between what is legal and illegal It also said the company operating the facility bore responsibility as it had employed the man The man argued in court that he was only responding to advances made by the woman saying the woman clearly had no affection for him nor any desire to be treated that way The woman’s mother submitted a complaint to the Kurume Police Station in December 2017 about the sexual abuse her daughter suffered Police referred the case to prosecutors as one of suspected forced indecency But local prosecutors decided in March 2020 not to proceed with an indictment The woman filed a civil lawsuit that October The local government where the woman lives certified that she was a victim of sexual abuse The Kurume city government ordered the operating company to take steps to prevent a recurrence “I believe my daughter will be very happy to hear about today’s result.” She explained that her daughter was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the incident and continues to visit a medical facility for counseling “This will not completely cure her,” the mother said “But I want to tell her that this victory in court means she was not wrong and that she should go on living with greater confidence.” The woman now works at another facility making and delivering box lunches but still finds it impossible to have any contact with men and works in a separate room when any are present The woman is unable to sleep by herself at night and is haunted by bad dreams Her parents said it is difficult for those with disabilities to speak out and suggested there may be a large number of similar cases that have gone unnoticed According to a Fukuoka organization providing support to victims of sexual violence about 20 percent of the consultations it received in-person were from people with developmental disorders or intellectual disabilities said there were likely even more people with disabilities who have experienced similar ordeals but have fallen under the radar because they were not diagnosed as having such diabilities “Not only is it difficult for sexual damage to come to light but it is also difficult for those with disabilities to explain their situation to people they do not know,” Ura said “So the hurdle for judicial procedures after all that is prohibitively high.” But the latest case suggests that greater consideration is being given to those with disabilities The court decided to allow the woman to answer questions through a video linkup from a different room out of consideration for her situation While she had difficulty verbalizing her answers the woman made hand signs expressing a positive response or nodded when she was asked if the man touched her in the hotel room and if she disliked what occurred She also used a stuffed doll to point out which parts of her body he touched The court ruled that the woman was sufficiently able to express the facts coupled with the man's admission to the Kurume city government about his actions led to recognition that sexual abuse had indeed taken place “The detailed manner in which the court accepted the woman’s expressions will open up a new course for future cases.” But there is still a long way to go before criminal charges can be brought in such cases as critics say the conditions for determining a sexual crime are too harsh is now discussing a possible review of laws so perpetrators of sexual crimes can be punished more severely we also want to make further efforts to share with police and the judicial system the knowledge and experience cultivated by those working with the disabled so that perpetrators are held responsible for the severity of their acts and sexual violence can be eliminated,” said Hiromi Nakano who heads the Tokyo-based Shiawase Namida (Tears for happiness) a nonprofit organization working to heighten awareness to eliminate sexual violence Law sought for sexual predators who target disabled people Worker accused of sexual abuses at children’s group home Ex-SDF member goes public about being sexually harassed Defense Ministry apologizes to ex-SDF member for sexual assault GSDF sexual abuse case to be reconsidered by prosecutors Entire SDF faces harassment probe following assault claim Today's print edition Home Delivery In late May at Torikai Elementary School in Kurume was attending a math lesson in a classroom I enjoy mathematics the most,” he said with a gentle smile.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); pages of double-digit additions he'd written were filled with red circles indicating that the answers were correct In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division NAIROBI: Japan’s Kurume City has pulled out of hosting Kenya’s pre-Olympics training camp over COVID-19 concerns Kenya’s Olympics committee said on Wednesday becoming the latest location to cancel plans to host overseas squads The tournament is due to start in less than eight weeks but the pandemic has disrupted preparations with more than 100 municipalities scrapping plans to host teams from abroad Olympics Kenya said that Kurume City officials communicated the cancellation on Tuesday saying infections had spread rapidly there since mid-April creating a critical situation Facilities for training camps were now vaccination venues the Kenyan statement quoted Kurume authorities as saying There was no immediate confirmation from Japan Kenya had signed an agreement for a 12-day stay Its qualified athletes – with the exception of middle and long distance athletes and those from the swimming team – were scheduled to travel to Kurume on July 7 “Kenya is therefore making alternative arrangements for the team to prepare adequately and in consideration of the period of stay guidelines from the organisers,” said Francis Mutuku secretary general of National Olympic Committee of Kenya Mutuku told Reuters that Team Kenya athletes will continue their training locally “Each of the teams will fly out 5 days before start of their competition,” he said in a WhatsApp message Tournament organisers have insisted the Games will be held safely though most Japanese want the event cancelled or postponed again Fukuoka was named the world's seventh most-livable city by Monocle magazine this year for its eco- and business friendly initiatives — but its status as a ramen mecca couldn't have hurt thanks in part to local ramen giants Ippudo and Ichiran Both of these mega-chains make Hakata-style ramen: tonkotsu broth cooked at a rolling boil and served with thin Thanks largely to the success of Ippudo and Ichiran this basic style — named for the Hakata neighborhood where it was born — has become synonymous with tonkotsu ramen itself but other local styles still shine in its shadow While the smell of pork-bone broth being made is not exactly mouthwatering, it contains a promise of lip-smacking results. A short walk from Hakata Station, the acrid stench of boiling bones can be detected long before Hakata Issou is in sight. Open since 2012, Hakata Issou (www.hakata-issou.com) has made its mark on Fukuoka with what it dubs "Neo-Hakata" ramen The rich and slightly sour broth is handmade resulting in a delicate froth that fans call "tonkotsu cappuccino." Each bowl is topped with locally sourced roast pork nori and wood ear mushrooms.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The ramen world is full of apocryphal tales dates to 1953 when a fish factory relocated to Fukuoka's Nagahama district Its workers wanted a quick meal with no fuss and so an enterprising ramen chef obliged by cutting ultra-thin noodles that could cook in an instant Die-hard Nagahama ramen fans order their noodles kona-otoshi: dipped in boiling water only long enough to remove the excess flour before being dropped into a bowl of steaming tonkotsu broth This article was published more than 5 years ago Rebecca Marino of Canada hits a forehand in her match against Caroline Dolehide at Melbourne Park on Jan Marino returned to full-time play last season after taking a five-year break from the sport.Graham Denholm/Getty Images Canada’s Rebecca Marino defeated Japanese qualifier Yuki Naito 6-4 7-6 (0) on Sunday to win the ITF Kurume title on the World Tennis Tour The fourth seed from Vancouver needed one hour Marino dropped only one set in the US$60,000 tournament She will move into the top 150 of the WTA Tour world rankings on Monday her highest position since starting her comeback last year Marino has spent most of the last two months playing lower-level ITF tournaments in Japan 6-2 decision to Ukraine’s Daria Snigur last month in Kashiwa in her only other final appearance this season Marino returned to full-time play last season after taking a five-year break from the sport Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions is relocating its production facilities back to Japan in seeking to win customers with a “made-in-Japan” brand “What is important for business is brand values,” said Shiseido President Masahiko Uotani “We are confident we should run our production bases in Japan.” Three plants were set up over the course of three years doubling the corporation’s factories in Japan Shiseido is looking to bolster its exports from Japan to various areas around the world as fewer foreign visitors can travel to Japan to buy their products Shiseido unveiled its Fukuoka Kurume Factory to reporters on May 26 which started operations in April in Kurume The facility can make 140 million units of skincare products from its core Elixir line and other lines annually Products manufactured there are sent out not only to Japanese consumers but also to those in China and other Asian nations from nearby Hakata Port Profits linked to the plant are expected to rise due to the recent drop in the yen Shiseido in December 2019 opened its Nasu Factory in Otawara Tochigi Prefecture--its first new facility in Japan in 36 years The Osaka Ibaraki Factory was next created in Ibaraki before the latest Fukuoka Kurume Factory opened There are now six domestic production facilities The investments put into the facilities totaled 140 billion yen ($1.1 billion) Almost all flagship skincare products from the company’s major lines Shiseido's products are available in 120 countries and regions Plans to erect new plants were proposed around 2015 when Tokyo saw a massive influx of visitors from overseas who bought Japan-made goods in bulk Shiseido’s sales topped a record 1 trillion yen in 2017 and it failed to keep up with the growing demand A succession of products went out of stock placing the enterprise under pressure to boost its manufacturing capabilities The novel coronavirus pandemic brought an end to the boom shortly after the Nasu Factory began operating sending Shiseido into the red as it logged a net loss of 11.6 billion yen for the business year ending in December 2020 decided to continue forging ahead with its factory installation project as initially planned as it believes making products in Japan constitutes its “brand value.” The company's emphasis on safety and the quality of cosmetics applied directly to the skin is considered as being of particular significance Products made in Japan are enjoying a far better reputation and popularity all over the globe after many foreign visitors to the country tried them The move to domestic production is in marked contrast to Shiseido’s former policy of transferring production abilities abroad Domestic plants were halved to three between the 2000s and 2010s A Vietnamese counterpart was introduced in 2010 to create cheaper products targeting customers in other Asian nations Finding that the reform did not work to improve its profitability with a net loss of 14.6 billion yen reported for the then fiscal year ending in March 2013 Shiseido appointed Uotani as president in 2014 to reconstruct the corporation Uotani set the goal of making Shiseido a “global brand” and started weeding out low-profitability sections That made clear Shiseido’s stance of focusing on mid- to high-priced skin care products in which the company has specialized expertise Although relocating factories to Japan entails a higher currency exchange fluctuation risk and expensive delivery costs Uotani stressed that he has no intention to hesitate the basic course of action (of having domestic production) will not change,” he said (This article was written by Takuro Chiba and Kanako Tanaka.) Japanese businessmen brighten makeup industry amid pandemic Companies (and government) spending big to produce chips Face masks fuel competition in anti-wrinkle cosmetics market FOCUS: Japan’s unorthodox household goods champion rides a pandemic boom By Sora Yamanouchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer FUKUOKA — A Fukuoka-based company that facilitates business tie-ups between Japan and Italy is shining a light on Kurume Kasuri — a traditional cotton fabric produced in the prefecture — by using it for face masks a consulting company led by Italian national Daniele Di Santo markets the goods in Japan and abroad under its Kimonissimo brand The firm aims to sell easy-to-use-items while following traditional uses of the fabric which has an enduring association with the prefecture’s Chikugo area The company uses fabrics made by weaving firm Sakata Orimono in Hirokawa in the prefecture Kurume Kasuri has long been used to make women’s clothes and souvenirs worked with others to produce designs and products that are useful in everyday life Out of respect to the local culture that nurtured the craft the entire production process takes place in the prefecture The firm sold its first products online in the spring of 2021 the United States and other major Asian countries The company currently offers about 20 different designs Ties come in regular and narrow types to fit various occasions Some of the firm’s masks and handkerchiefs use fabrics that have antibacterial and deodorizing qualities “We’d been thinking about our products purely from a maker’s perspective,” said Kazuo Sakata we’re learning about the many ways [the fabric] can be used.” worked as a newspaper reporter covering politics and economics after being dispatched at the request of an Italian political party in 2010 to help small and midsize Japanese companies expand their businesses in Italy The company eventually located to Kyushu after building up a large client base there Di Santo’s relationship with Kurume Kasuri started in 2020 as the novel coronavirus was spreading worldwide He decided to make and send masks to business partners and acquaintances in Italy After selecting Kurume Kasuri as the material he created the masks and sent them as gifts Kurume Kasuri features attractively blurred patterns created by a technique known as “kukuri.” The cotton fabric has a comfortable feel and Di Santo was impressed that craftspeople used looms made more than 100 years ago became increasingly fascinated with Kurume Kasuri through factory visits and meeting craftspeople He thought the locally produced material was stylish and began considering making products using the fabric to allow people outside Japan to appreciate its value most of Di Santo Corp.’s orders originate from Japan Di Santo says he intends to travel overseas to promote Kurume Kasuri when coronavirus infections subside The company also has a number of new products in the pipeline including pocket squares and suit-matching stoles With fewer people buying traditional products Japan and Italy are both faced with the problem of how to protect and hand down their traditions and manufacturing techniques to subsequent generations we convey the history and tradition of Kurume Kasuri so young people think it’s cool to wear the fabric,” Di Santo said AD I worked as a salesman for a certain Japanese auto maker I didn’t want to work for someone else forever You had something of an entrepreneurial spirit… My brother chose to become a public servant so I had a strong sense of having to protect the family business “You’ll be the one to take over the business.” I think a lot of people would just say “No!” if they were asked to take over their family’s traditional business and helping out was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid I loved riding with my dad in the car making deliveries could you tell me a bit about the appeal of Kurume Kasuri The most difficult thing to do is to get the pattern on the warp and the pattern on the weft to match up One bolt (40cm x 12 meters) takes about two months to complete A simple explanation of the steps involved would be that we take the white threads and tie them with yarn It must be hard to convey the level of skill required when you’re out in the marketplace This is our third year working with the project we had all these pipe dreams and we just couldn’t narrow down what we really wanted to do participating companies got thinned out through a process of natural selection until we were left with just the companies who were serious about making a new kind of kurume kasuri So the number of participating companies in your JAPAN BRAND project changed For example, there’s a shop in Yokohama called Rourou and one in Harajuku’s La Foret shopping complex called Ninita where people are actually selling clothes The way they stand on the sales floor listening to the real voices of clients is something us textile manufacturers can never do They have access to the fresh ideas that people in the market want while people like us on the manufacturing end could never come up with those ideas on our own That is how we’ve been able to make our products more and more cosmopolitan over the years We met those retail-based people at trade shows I think those relationships are very important we would have never amounted to anything more than a big fish in a very little pond Kurume Kasuri is a traditional craft with more than two hundred years of history Shinpu Kurume Kasuri is the name of our project which is meant to act as the natural successor to this traditional craft shining new light on it and bring brand recognition to the craft “Shinpu,” which means both “new wind” and “new style” was chosen to represent the young successors and the new wind that they bring to the business We have come to believe that just making a good product is not enough to succeed in this day and age We’ve got to maintain tradition while also incorporating modern elements The number of local participating companies has been dropping every year the density of the project has gotten thicker and the collective consciousness has increased The remaining four companies are all headed by young people Their youth gives them the ability to absorb new things easily The encounters with people at commercial exhibitions have been a tremendously inspiring experience Kurume Kasuri itself came from one young woman’s inspiration over two hundred years ago Many people over the years have been loyal users of the cloth We’re hoping that our young entrepreneurs can take this traditional craft and make it into something with added value something with design and style that can match the modern age and take flight We know that creating a brand doesn’t happen overnight We’ve got to keep our goals in mind at all times and work diligently if we want to succeed we are ready and willing to put in the steady effort required to help our region’s traditional craft