Donald Wins Phoenix Cup

Luke Donald shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to defend his title at the Dunlop Phoenix and earn his first victory of the year. 

Heading into the final round with a two-stroke lead, Donald had seven birdies and two bogeys at the par-71 Phoenix Country Club to finish at 14-under 270 in this most prestigious event on the Japan Tour. 

Hyung-sung Kim of South Korea finished second at 8 under after a final-round 70. Shingo Katayama shot a 65 to finish third, one stroke behind Kim. 

Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Japan's Shunsuke Sonoda tied for fourth.

Man Hijacks Bus In Miyazaki

A 45-year-old man who allegedly hijacked a bus because he wanted to visit his parents was arrested in Miyazaki Prefecture, police said Monday, after he let the driver go to the toilet.

The local bus was traveling from Miyazaki airport to Miyakonojo just before 10 p.m. Sunday, when Seiichi Sato threatened the driver and passengers with a pair of scissors, Jiji press reported.

“We received an emergency call at 10 p.m. from one of the passengers who said the bus had been hijacked,” a spokesman for Miyazaki police told AFP.

Media reports suggested the bus made a number of stops to let passengers off, before pulling over at a convenience store some time before midnight.

After a stand-off that lasted more than an hour, officers swooped when Sato let the driver off the bus, ostensibly to go to the toilet, media reported.

Sato told police he had hijacked the bus “to see my foster parents in Ebino city”, Fuji Television reported.

No one on the bus was injured, police said.

$3,000 Will Buy A Pair of Miyazaki Mangoes

A brand-name pair of mangoes from Miyazaki Prefecture fetch ¥300,000 ($3,000)  at the local central wholesale market on Tachibana Dori, setting an all time record for the Miyazaki grown fruit .

Mangoes sold under the Taiyo no Tamago (Egg of the Sun) label are selected under strict criteria including weight (each must weigh more than 350 grams) and sugar content, which must be high, according to the Miyazaki Agricultural Economic Federation.

Among the 231 two-mango cases auctioned on the day, the highest priced pair was to be airlifted for sale at a department store in Fukuoka, Kyushu’s largest city.

“Producers had a hard time because of the low temperature this year, but we are happy that the mangoes fetched high prices,” said Yasukazu Matsuda, a member of a local fruit growers association.

Miyazaki Agricultural Newsletter 

Miyazaki Looks To Improve Agricultural Techniques

From The Daily Yomiuri, May 9, 2012

Many trial-and-error projects are being undertaken to balance agriculture with the restoration and preservation of the environment throughout the country. These projects have not become widespread enough to rehabilitate the agriculture industry throughout the nation as a whole, but they present many opportunities for regions to develop unique practices. This ranges from traditional agricultural methods to innovative ones.

In Shiiba, Miyazaki Prefecture, slash-and-burn farming is still used.

This involves burning bushes and weeds before sowing the seeds of buckwheat and Japanese millet into a field. The flames kill pests and the ashes provide the soil with nutrients.

Shiiba is in the central part of the Kyushu mountain range. Slash-and-burn farming, which is no longer used in other regions, remains popular in this village because Shiiba has many bushes and limited arable land. The practice has been passed down from generation to generation.

In 2010, Masaru Shiiba, who runs the minshuku inn "Yakihata" in the village, began offering a course for visitors to learn about this method of farming. It includes lessons on how to burn fields and thresh foxtail and Japanese millet. Students can learn to make soba noodles using buckwheat harvested from the village.

About 300 people have completed the course. "Some people said they think this method of farming destroys the environment, but it actually helps reinvigorate forests and promote regrowth," Shiiba, 59, said. "For years, people in this village have performed [this method of farming]. Recently, we have been using it as a tool to invite people from outside as part of efforts to revitalize the village."

Organic farming and forest preservation activities are widespread in Aya, Miyazaki Prefecture, which is home to huge evergreen broad-leaved forests. The town has only experienced a slight drop in its population, from 7,700 in 1970 to 7,200 today. This is because it attracts many people from big cities around Japan who support the concept of environmental preservation.

In 1966, the town became more independent when it disagreed with a central government project to log the forests. While the project was supported by some residents, particularly those involved in the timber industry, then Aya Mayor Minoru Goda developed a policy to protect the forests, and warned that if the logging went ahead, "The town's assets would be lost."

In the following year, the town launched its "one-tsubo [3.3 square meters] vegetable garden campaign," which promotes a self-sufficient lifestyle through organic farming. The town distributed vegetable seeds to residents for free.

In 1988, the town created an ordinance to promote "natural ecosystem agriculture." Under the ordinance, which was the nation's first of the kind, the town certifies the safety of vegetables at three levels based on how farms are managed and their chemical fertilizer use.

The town said 387 farms were certified in fiscal 2010. As people have become more health-conscious, there are many cases in which farmers are directly signing contracts with consumers and retailers.

In the Katsunuma district in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, which is well known for its grapes, there is an attempt to increase the profitability of agriculture while giving consideration to the environment.

Shikisai, an agricultural production corporation that grows tomatoes in the district, sells vegetables that are not normally offered by most wholesalers.

It is said that nearly 40 percent of fresh produce do not meet supermarket standards in terms of size, shape, color and taste. Shikisai sells this produce as a "substandard product" in different packaging than what is used for normal produce.

At a shop along a national highway where many tourists visit by car and bus, substandard produce sells well because it is cheaper than regular produce.

"As the number of public work projects is declining, I'd like to support the regional economy through agriculture," said Shikisai President Noboru Yamazaki, who previously worked in the construction industry.

Shikisai's projects breathe new life into the agriculture industry. One such environmentally friendly project is the creation of a system that uses geothermal heat to adjust the ground-level temperature of greenhouses so it remains at a level ideal for the growth of vegetables.

Kyushu Electric Problem

While this reactor is in Saga Prefecture, any major problems would affect Miyazaki Prefecture, especially the northern areas around Nobeoka and Takachiho.

From the Asahi News website:

What if someone asked you for advice and then ignored it? And what if that person then pretended that they had listened to your advice?

Such behavior would be enough to infuriate anyone. It would imply that the person was only asking your advice in the first place to associate your name with their actions. It could only be called rude and disrespectful.

I am referring to the final report released by Kyushu Electric Power Co. concerning the "staged e-mail messages" about Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture. The company ignored the results of the investigation by a third-party panel and did not acknowledge Saga Governor Yasushi Furakawa's active role in the scandal. The panel's assessment was that his remark had "a crucial impact."

Kyushu Electric President Toshio Manabe, who has also retracted his promise to resign, said: "I cannot falsely accuse someone who is innocent." The comment is tantamount to saying: "In order to promptly restart the nuclear reactors, I cannot criticize the head of the local government with jurisdiction over them." The panel chairman, lawyer Nobuo Gohara, whose name was used, was indignant and called the report "phony." Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano also expressed his displeasure, saying: "What nerve!"

Be that as it may, users cannot simply unplug all electrical appliances in their homes saying: "We won't buy electricity from such a company anymore." The self-righteous attitude seen in the report stems from the company's regional monopoly.

The accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant caused the public to cast a more severe eye on electric power companies. The right thing to do for a public-interest corporation is to repent and make a fresh start. Nurturing a cozy relationship with local governments which have jurisdiction over nuclear power plants is nothing but anachronistic. I find it hard to believe that the power company still wants to maintain the "murky relationship" criticized by the panel.

Having seen the proud faces of the senior Kyushu Electric officials, I want to ask whether they understand the crisis they are in. The company cannot oppose the ministry under whose jurisdiction it operates. Apparently, Edano's angry comment moved the company to consider rewriting the report. For better or worse, Kyushu Electric is "Kyushu's TEPCO."

In light of the weight it carries in the local community, perhaps the malady is even more deeply rooted.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 16

Bird Flu Detected In Miyazaki

From  UPI:

MIYAZAKI, Japan, Jan. 23 (UPI)

The slaughter of more than 10,000 chickens was ordered Saturday on a Japanese farm after avian influenza was detected in six birds, officials said.

The prefectural government in Miyazaki also imposed a 6-mile quarantine area around the farm where the infected birds were found, The Mainichi Daily News reported. That means no eggs or birds can be transferred within the area until the restrictions are lifted.

Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu is one of Japan's major centers for poultry production with almost 20 million birds in the prefecture. There are 46 farms in the quarantine area with 1.5 million birds.

In 2007, almost 200,000 birds were killed on three farms in the area.

Authorities said that by Friday afternoon, 36 dead birds had been reported at the Mori Furanjo Omagari Nojo farm. Tests were done on seven and the H5N1 virus was detected in six.

Another Thank You

I wish to thank Mr. Ichiro Sakita (崎田一郎さん) at the Saitobaru Burial Mounds Museum today for his time to answer questions about the Hayato/ Kumaso/ Yamato, and the historical periods in Miyazaki.

This man went above expectations.  He provided books, videoes, and academic journals.  Thank you so much, ありがとうございます、崎田さん.

Lost Decade to the Present

New Miyazaki Governor Shunji Kono

After 1993, Miyazaki saw a severe down turn in its biggest industry, tourism.  Looking for alternatives the prefecture turned to exploiting its natural resources.

Sand from the coast and silt from river beds were dredged and hauled away to be shipped across Japan for concrete and cement.  Granite from mountains was quarried and shipped across Japan as well.  The mountains also boasted native cedar and pine forests, which were cut down for timber.

This had a disastrous effect.  The typhoons of 2003 and 2005 caused enormous rock and mudslides from the mountains.  Stretches of national and prefecture highways in Miyazaki were closed off for up to a week.  The cause was that the deforestation was so severe there was no natural defense against the heavy rains.  Coastal areas flooded due to the silt and sand excavations.  Reconstruction projects more than cost what economic advantage had been won by selling off Miyazaki’s natural resources.

To prevent future occurrences what were once pristine forests on mountain sides were now concreted over to prevent future mud slides.  Entire stretches of Miyazaki coast line were fitted with concrete barricades.

Agriculture became the choice industry.  Cattle and hog farms quickly increased and the Miyazaki Beef and Pork industry was born anew.  This caused many problems.  The cattle and pigs were so crammed into pins that the effluence caused problems for the water quality in some areas.  Citizen groups demanded the prefecture set limits.  While this was done, it merely moved the problem from one area to another.  The Hoof and Mouth Disease outbreak in the spring of 2010 stood to show that no real reasonable solution had been worked out.  The Tokyo government took little action with the prefecture to set goals, guidelines, or limits.

With the aging population and young people moving out of Miyazaki, the family farms across the prefecture began to become a serious problem.  About 1000 farms in the prefecture have been listed as “abandoned” after the elderly passed away and the relatives sold the property to real estate companies.  These farms are in areas so remote that even paved roads are a luxury.  There is little hope any buyer would buy these properties, even JA, the Japanese Agricultural Ministry arm that runs Japan’s corporate farms.

Political scandal also rocked the prefecture during this time.  Former Governor Tadahiro Ando was elected in 2003 to clean up the political system.  Instead in 2006 he was found to have received kick backs in construction bids.

In 2007, Hideo Higashikokubaru was elected governor, and quickly put Miyazaki back on track to recovery.  His focus was first on Miyazaki’s agriculture.  He traveled around Japan and other nations to promote Miyazaki’s variety of agriculture.  Later, he would also push Miyazaki as a travel destination, especially for golf and other athletics like marathon running.  While Higashikokubaru’s policies were welcome by many in Miyazaki, others criticized him for being too one dimensional.  They pointed to his lack of involvement in the Showa Shell Clean Energy project in Saito, and the Miyazaki Electronic Development in Shintomi.

The 2007 closing of the Seagaia Ocean Dome in Miyazaki City was also pointed to as unnecessary if Higashikokubaru would have acted sooner after taking office to save the facility.  Higashikokubaru responded it was the responsibility of Miyazaki City, the Marriot group and Phoenix developers to save the Ocean Dome and not the prefectural government.

During this time a number of mergers occurred in the prefecture.  Takaoka, Kiyotake, Ikime, Tano, and Sadowara merged with Miyazaki City.  Takajo, Takazaki, Yamada, and Yamanokuchi merged with Miyakonojo.  Higashiusuki District was abolished and all towns formed into Misato.  Kitaura and Kitakata were merged with Nobeoka.  Togo was merged with Hyuga.  Kitago and Nango were merged with Nichinan.  Nojiri was merged with Kobayashi.  These mergers were the result of population flight from the small towns into the larger cities and out of the prefecture, and the decline in birthrate as well.  This also caused a number of school and hospital closings in the rural areas.

By 2009, Miyazaki had the distinction of being among the poorest of Japan’s prefectures.  The prefectural government has requested help from Tokyo but the aid has either been declined or having little effect on the economic problems Miyazaki has been facing.  This led to a strong defection from the Liberal Democratic Party in the prefecture and into an Independent and opposition parties like the Democratic Party of Japan, The Social Democratic Party, and the Buddhist affiliated party Happiness Realization.

In 2010, Higashikokubaru announced he would not seek a second term as governor and concentrate on national office instead or perhaps running for the governorship of Tokyo.  In December 2010, former Asst. Governor Shunji Kono, an Independent (backed by the LDP, DPJ, and New Komeito) won the gubernatorial election and will replace Higashikokubaru in Januray 2011.

Kono has been praised by the business community and agricultural community for having a balanced view on how to revitalize all of Miyazaki’s industries.  Kono believes there will have to be another reinvention of Miyazaki to accomplish this.

New Reasearch on the Kumaso, Hayato



Kumaso Exhibit, Saitobaru Burial Mound Museum, Saito



“The Kumaso were a group of Japanese people who lived in southern Kyushu from the beginning of recorded Japanese history until sometime in the Nara period.”

“Evidence points to them speaking the Austronesian language.”

“The Nihonshoki says that the 12th Emperor Keiko and his son Prince Yamatotakeru both conducted military missions in order to subjugate them. It also says that the 14th Emperor Chuai (husband of Empress Jingu) fought against Kumaso in the northern Kyushu because they had revolted against Yamato court by allying with Silla kingdom on Korean peninsula. They had been assimilated during Nara period and ceased to revolt.”

The above three quotes are typical misunderstandings of the Kumaso and the Hayato.  The first quote is wrong is because the Kumaso and Hayato lived in Kyushu long before recorded history.  They are the indigenous people of Kyushu.  The second quote is wrong because there is absolutely no evidence that the Kumaso or Hayato spoke an Austronesian language.  How could people indigenous to Kyushu speak a language common to Borneo, Polynesia, and native Philippines?  They didn’t because the Kumaso and Hayato were native to Kyushu.

The third quote is from a writing from the 8^th Century CE that was handed down from oral stories and put into writing with much embellishment along the way.  Taking the “Nihonshoki” as historical evidence is like modern Greeks trying to take their mythology as historical fact.  A further fact is that it was a Yamato invasion of Kyushu to further their empire that brought the Kumaso and Hayato under control.

Genetic testing has shown that there was little difference between the Kumaso, Hayato, and Yamato.  What all these quotes miss is that the Japanese archipelago, barring Hokkaido, developed at the same pace, had contact with each other, had contact with Sinic people after 1000 BCE, and emerged in civilizational patterns at the same times.  If anything it was merely cultural differences.  How is that?

Well, consider the Saxons and Celts.  They lived on the same archipelago and the patterns of civilization ran the same.  Their languages were fairly understandable to each other.  The difference came with the Roman and Norman invasions.  In this example the difference is that there was no foreign invasion of Japan, but the Yamato who were genetically linked to the Kumaso and Hayato invaded Kyushu to expand their empire.

A trip today to the Saitobaru Burial Mounds Museum confirms this.  In this museum is an extensive library on anthropology, archaeology, and history.  What one finds is that what commonly thought as history has been slowly debunked.

From Dr. Ryu Otani’s book “The Kumaso” we find:

There is absolutely no evidence, genetically, to show the Kumaso or Hayato were separate in lineage or language from the rest of Shikoku or Honshu.  They were simply the indigenous people of Kyushu.  Both the Kumaso and Hayato inhabited areas all over the island of Kyushu.  If anything it was a mere difference in culture one would expect by a separation of islands, much like the evolutionary process in the Galapagos.  The Kumaso were generally highlanders and the Hayato were generally lowland dwelling people.  Kumaso and Hayato were brothers of the Yamato. (54)

As to the Austronesian language, Mark Hudson in his book “Ruins of Identity” explains:

I have argued that it is difficult to see any evidence of population movements from Austronesia speaking areas into the Japanese islands in late prehistory. (197)

In fact, like the rest of the Japanese archipelago Kyushu was influenced by Sinic civilization.  Hiromichi Hongo, an anthropologist, explains in his book “Kumaso, Hayato History”:

Archaeology and testing show a definite link to Hayato and Kumaso being influenced at the same times as the rest of Japan’s archipelago by the Sinic people of China and Korea.  The Bronze and Iron Ages arrived at the same times and the development from hunting to agricultural societies follows the same time frame.  This refutes earlier postulations from no evidence, aside from myths, that Japanese civilization spread from south to north.  It also shows the Hayato and Kumaso were genetically linked to the rest of Japan, barring the Ainu of Hokkaido who are actually the sole people of Japan that are genetically different from the rest of the Japanese people. (92)

The same conclusion was reached by geneticists who conducted tests on Kumaso, Hayato, Yamato, and Ainu remains.  This is what was reported in the “Japanese Journal of Genetics”:

Genetic testing on Yamato, Kumaso, Hayato, and Ainu remains found the following results.  Yamato, Hayato, and Kumaso were genetically related.  The Ainu, however, were genetically more related to Siberian people of the time, and distant from other people of the Japanese islands.  The people of Okinawa are also distant genetically from the Kumaso, Hayato, and Yamato.  This disproves previous postulations of south to north migration of the Hayato and Kumaso.  Barring the people of Okinawa and the Ainu, the people of Japan are genetically identical. (15+)

The conclusion then is obvious, the Kumaso and Hayato were genetically related to the Yamato and shared common ancestry.  Mythical books cannot prove historical facts.  The Ainu and Okinawa people are not genetically related to the rest of Japan, and the Japanese government has recognized this fact.  It is time for the rest of the world to stop believing bad science and start reporting what Japanese geneticists, archaeologists, and anthropologists have found.  Wikipedia and others are so misleading in their articles on the Kumaso and Hayato.  I offer this:

Wikipedia the Kumaso

Wikipedia the Hayato

Another site on false Kumaso information

There is absolutely no evidence to prove a Malay/Polynesian ancestry to the Hayato and Kumaso.  There is plenty of evidence to show they were native to Japan and genetically related to the rest of Japan, barring the Ainu and the Ryuku people of Okinawa.  The Ainu and Ryuku are the sole people not genetically related the rest of Japan.

Sources:

Hongo, Hiromichi. “Kumaso, Hayato History”, Yoshigawa Museum. 2004 ed

Hudson, Mark. “Ruins of Identity”, University of Hawaii. 1999

Japanese Journal of Genetics volume 27 issue3, spring 2010.  “Hayato, Kumaso, and Yamato”

Otani, Ryu. “The Kumaso”, Tokyo University. 2006

Higashikokubaru May Run For Tokyo Governor

From the Mainichi Newspaper

 

Current Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru may run in the Tokyo gubernatorial race next spring, according to sources close to the 53-year-old governor.

Higashikokubaru had already announced his decision that he won't run for Miyazaki governor after his first term ends in January, but had not yet disclosed any details about his future plans.

He is already said to be telling those close to him about his determination to address the decentralization of power from central to local governments, saying, "Tokyo is the biggest local jurisdiction in Japan."

When Higashikokubaru announced in September that he would not be running for Miyazaki governor, he revealed that he had come up against the limitations of local government during his dealings with the central government over the handling of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock -- which severely damaged the prefecture. Moreover, at a press conference on Nov. 16, when asked about his plans after his term in Miyazaki ends, he hinted for the first time the possibility of running for Tokyo governor.

"Becoming a legislator or a governor of a metropolitan area is definitely a consideration," he said.

If he would run it is uncertain he would face four term incumbent Shintaro Ishihara who is expected to run for a fifth term as Tokyo governor.

 

Many questions linger as to Higashikokubaru's credentials and experience to lead Japan's largest prefecture, muchless his experience in politics being a comedian turned politician just three years ago. Some see this as opportunism and not serious desire to serve the public through political office.

Kono Elected New Miyazaki Governor

From the Japan Times

MIYAZAKI

Former Miyazaki Vice Gov. Shunji Kono has defeated his three opponents and will succeed Hideo Higashikokubaru as governor of Miyazaki Prefecture.

Kono, 46, who has said he would continue Higashikokubaru's policies, gained considerable support for the election, including from agricultural cooperatives.

Higashikokubaru has decided to step down after only one term in office. He plans to seek office in national politics to "give greater help to Miyazaki than I could as governor".

Kono ran as an independent but was supported by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the main opposition force, the Liberal Democratic Party, as well as New Komeito.

Kono ran against strawberry farm operator Daizen Miyamoto, 39, and former prefectural official Shoichi Chuman, 64, both independents, and Tadakatsu Tsushima, 65, of the Japanese Communist Party.

Miyazaki Governor Won't Seek Re-election



Miyazaki Governor Higashikokubaru



MIYAZAKI -- Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru has announced he will not seek re-election in the prefecture's December gubernatorial race as his term of office expires, hinting at his intention to make the leap to national politics.

"I've come to the conclusion that I won't run in the election. There is still a mountain of issues left, including the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, but I feel like I've reached the limit of what I can do as governor," Higashikokubaru, 53, told the prefectural assembly's plenary session on Sept. 29.

After the plenary session, the governor said at a press conference, "I want to take action to change the form of the nation. I will gradually think what to do in order to return political powers from Kasumigaseki (a district in Tokyo known as the headquarters of the central bureaucracy) to the people of the country."

According to sources close to the governor, Higashikokubaru has been considering establishing a new party with himself serving as party leader ahead of the next House of Representatives election, or standing for the Tokyo governor election slated for next spring. The Higashikokubaru prefectural administration will come to an end after his first four-year term of office.

After announcing his decision not to run in the Miyazaki governor race at the plenary session, Higashikokubaru also said that the nature of the central governance system must be changed. Regarding the upcoming gubernatorial election in Miyazaki, he told reporters, "I won't pick my successor. I want a person who can take over what I've been doing to be selected."

Higashikokubaru, a former comedian, was first elected as Miyazaki governor in the 2007 election after the previous governor was arrested over collusive bidding at the initiative of government agencies. Capitalizing on his name recognition, Higashikokubaru, as new governor, successfully boosted sales of local products, and received broad attention when he reformed the prefecture's bidding system for public works. After a July survey conducted by a local newspaper found that some 90 percent of the residents of Miyazaki Prefecture support Higashikokubaru, he was considered a certainty to be re-elected if he ran again for governor.

However, the charismatic governor made headlines when he expressed his intention to switch to national politics after he became frustrated with the financial and authority gaps between the central and prefectural governments. Before the House of Representatives election in summer last year, Higashikokubaru, who was asked to run on the Liberal Democratic Party ticket, said, "Are you ready to fight in the election while having me as a candidate for the next president of your party?"

Earlier this year, the governor clashed with the central government over the responsibility for security measures following the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic.

From the Mainichi Newspaper