Life in Fukuoka "English"

【There's an Elephant back at the Zoo!】

Four elephants, the new stars of the zoo, have arrived at Fukuoka City Zoo and Botanical Garden from Myanmar! After a taming period of about three months, they are scheduled to be unveiled to the public around autumn.

The new arrivals include one male and three female Asian elephants. All four are in good health, with no medical issues, and are currently resting comfortably. Visitors to the zoo can check out the latest updates on the elephants through videos and photos.

And, until August 31st, the zoo is accepting name suggestions from the public for the four elephants.

In addition, right now, the popular summer event "Night at the Zoo" is being held every Saturday until September 14th. This event offers visitors a rare chance to observe the behavior of nocturnal animals and you can even watch the animals during feeding time. Don't miss the opportunity to visit Fukuoka City Zoo during this special season!

【Fukuoka City Information】

Eliminating Drunk Driving

If you are a recent resident of Fukuoka you may not know about this incident but for those of you who have been here for awhile....did you know about the drunk driving accident that occurred in Fukuoka City on August 25, 2006?

This year marks 18 years since that drunk driving accident which killed three children on the Umino-nakamichi-ohashi Bridge in the Higashi Ward.

In response to this tragedy, Fukuoka City has undertaken various initiatives to eliminate drunk driving, but it still persists.

However, drunk driving has not disappeared.

Drunk driving is a crime.
You must not drive a car, motorcycle, or bicycle after drinking alcohol.
You must not lend your vehicle to a person who has been drinking alcohol, nor should you encourage or offer alcohol to someone who intends to drive.
You must not get into a car knowing that the driver has been drinking.

Driving under the influence of alcohol lowers your attention and judgment, which can delay your ability to detect danger, lead to excessive speeding, and increase the risk of traffic accidents.

Also, if you see someone driving in the way I'm going to describe, it's possible that person is driving drunk. If you see someone driving like this, please report it to emergency services by calling 110. Signs of a drunk driver include stopping the car well before the stop line when stopping at a stop sign, not starting the car up again when the traffic light turns green, weaving or unsteady driving and repeatedly accelerating or decelerating abruptly. Each and every person needs to take action and say “I will never drink and drive, I won't let others do it and I won't turn a blind eye!”
Let's all work together to eliminate drunk driving!

The Fukuoka Prize

To continue, I have some information about the Fukuoka Prize. Every year, Fukuoka City presents the "Fukuoka Prize" to individuals who have contributed to academic research, arts, and culture in Asia, honoring their achievements. The recipients of the 34th Fukuoka  Prizes are :

Daito Manabe with the Grand Prize, an active figure in the field of media art.

Historian Sunil Amrith receiving the Academic Research Prize.

Artist Kimsooja being awarded the Arts and Culture Prize.

The award ceremony will be held on Thursday, September 26, and public lectures will take place on Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28. On Friday, September 27, the Grand Prize winner, Daito Manabe, will give his lecture. The next day, Saturday, September 28, there will be a lecture by the Academic Research Prize winner, Sunil Amrith, at noon, followed by a lecture by the Arts and Culture Prize winner, Kimsooja, in the evening.

All events are free to attend. To register, search for "Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize" or "Fukuoka Prize" and apply through the official website. The registration deadline is Thursday, September 5, for the award ceremony, and two days before each public lecture event.