Fedoras afield

[The Shoe]

Back from the dam, we went out for a sushi dinner.

The next morning, it was seafood again as we went out for breakfast.

A bit of sightseeing…

Some fishhead wearing my hat.

Later we caught up with an old friend who I worked with about 27 or 28 years ago, and who recently moved back to Japan from the US. Great times (and more great food) were had.

These grotesque looking things are called kame no te (turtle hands) because of their appearance. They are actually Japanese goose barnacles, and are related to crabs and shrimps. They taste much better than they look.

 

[Who?]

For the most part, they do their best to avoid attacks by being sensible, using sprays and attaching bells to their clothes or backpacks. When attacks do happen, people tend to get somewhat mauled and bitten, but usually not killed. Occasionally you hear stories of people fighting them off, like the man in his seventies a couple of years ago, who punched a bear in its face, and only suffered minor injuries.

So there is no community effort to hunt down the offending bear.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

In the area where I live, and also in Toyama, it’s the Asian Black, known here as tsuki no waguma, literally the moon bear, because of the white crescent moon shape on its chest.
Up north in Hokkaido, there are Ezo higuma, a variety of brown bear, that can grow pretty big and be pretty scary. “By some estimates there are around 3,000 brown bears in Japan, all of them in Hokkaido. This is about four times the number of grizzly bears found in the continental United States.”
I’m just reading that the worst attack was in 1915, when one bear killed some people, the returned the next day during pre-funeral rituals to attack again, resulting in a total of seven dead and three injured.

Wow, those Ezo higuma sound like they also enjoy eating bells and pepper spray - and maybe a Datsun or two!

But the information about grizzly numbers in the lower 48 isn't accurate. It's true that grizzlies only live in four of the continental US states, but Montana itself has some 2000 grizzlies. It looks like there are actually about 3000 of our brown friends roaming Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington - so about the same number as reported in Hokkaido.

Congratulations on a wonderful outing. This area of Japan looks amazing. Plus you've got me wanting sushi now - I would LOVE to try those turtle hands!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

In the area where I live, and also in Toyama, it’s the Asian Black, known here as tsuki no waguma, literally the moon bear, because of the white crescent moon shape on its chest.
Up north in Hokkaido, there are Ezo higuma, a variety of brown bear, that can grow pretty big and be pretty scary. “By some estimates there are around 3,000 brown bears in Japan, all of them in Hokkaido. This is about four times the number of grizzly bears found in the continental United States.”
I’m just reading that the worst attack was in 1915, when one bear killed some people, the returned the next day during pre-funeral rituals to attack again, resulting in a total of seven dead and three injured.

Alaska is part of the continental United States. Alaska alone has around 30,000 grizzly bears and other states have them to. The grizzly bear is the state animal of California, but we drove them to extinction here long ago.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Alaska is part of the continental United States. Alaska alone has around 30,000 grizzly bears and other states have them too. The grizzly bear is the state animal of California, but we drove them to extinction here long ago.

Many people use the term “continental US” to refer to the lower 48 only and I must assume the quotation Shoe provided is doing the same - otherwise the information cited is WAY off (as you say, since Alaska has a massive number of grizzlies).

In my response, I followed the logic of the original citation and common (though incorrect) practice.

 

[Frunobulax]

Many people use the term “continental US” to refer to the lower 48 only and I must assume the quotation Shoe provided is doing the same - otherwise the information cited is WAY off (as you say, since Alaska has a massive number of grizzlies).

In my response, I followed the logic of the original citation and common (though incorrect) practice.

Alaska is part of the continental United States. Alaska alone has around 30,000 grizzly bears and other states have them to. The grizzly bear is the state animal of California, but we drove them to extinction here long ago.

Alaska is OCONUS, outside the continental US. CONUS is the lower 48 only (plus DC).

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Alaska is OCONUS, outside the continental US. CONUS is the lower 48 only (plus DC).

That’s a specific term used for specific purposes. I’m much more familiar with the term “contiguous US” to refer to the 48 states and DC. OCONUS is not, in my world, a common designation.
A more commonplace use of continental US applies to US territory on the North American continent…sort of intuitive that continental US means the parts of the US on our continent.

From USGS (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-constitutes-united-states-what-are-official-definitions)

On May 14, 1959, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names issued the following definitions, which defined the ContinentalUnited States as "the 49 States on the North American Continent and the District of Columbia..." The BGN reaffirmed these definitions on May 13, 1999.

Or if you prefer:

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_United_States

 

[Bamaboots]

Yeah, right.

 

[Frunobulax]

That’s a specific term used for specific purposes. I’m much more familiar with the term “contiguous US” to refer to the 48 states and DC. OCONUS os not, in my world, a common designation.
A more commonplace use of continental US applies to US territory on the North American continent…sort of intuitive that continental US means the parts of the US on our continent.

From USGS (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-constitutes-united-states-what-are-official-definitions)

On May 14, 1959, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names issued the following definitions, which defined the ContinentalUnited States as "the 49 States on the North American Continent and the District of Columbia..." The BGN reaffirmed these definitions on May 13, 1999.

Or if you prefer:

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_United_States

There are a whole lot of people in the Pentagon with a different opinion.

I'll alert the generals.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Alaska is OCONUS, outside the continental US. CONUS is the lower 48 only (plus DC).

Having spent most of my childhood and a large part of my adult life in and around military communities (both US Army and US Navy on three continents), it has been my experience that the military uses the term “Continental United States” to refer to the lower 48 (including DC but possibly not Puerto Rico or Caribbean territories, though that’s debatable). However, that is unofficial and I don’t have a single memory of anyone even using the term in any official communication.

However, I have seen CONUS used officially, and it would not surprise me if your average service member or dependent (possibly even generals) believes “CONUS” stands for “Continental US.” It does not - it stands for “Contiguous US.”

Just my experience.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Having spent most of my childhood and a large part of my adult life in and around military communities (both US Army and US Navy on three continents), it has been my experience that the military uses the term “Continental United States” to refer to the lower 48 (including DC but possibly not Puerto Rico or Caribbean territories, though that’s debatable). However, that is unofficial and I don’t have a single memory of anyone even using the term in any official communication.

However, I have seen CONUS used officially, and it would not surprise me if your average service member or dependent (possibly even generals) believes “CONUS” stands for “Continental US.” It does not - it stands for “Contiguous US.”

Just my experience.

Although looking more deeply, apparently some US Military sources do claim the term CONUS does officially stand for “Continental US” and that that designation is ONLY for the parts of the country between Mexico and Canada. Wiktionary even includes a quotation:

“The Joint Publication 1 (JP 1), Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States, 25 March 2013 Incorporating Change 1,12 July 2017, indicates on page GL-6, the definition of continental United States to be:

• United States territory, including the adjacent territorial waters, located within North America between Canada and Mexico. Also called CONUS. (Approved for incorporation into JP 1-02 with JP 1 as the source JP.)”

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/CONUS

 

[deadlyhandsome]

There are a whole lot of people in the Pentagon with a different opinion.

I'll alert the generals.

Like I said, a very specific and relatively small group that use OCONUS to refer to the territory outside the contiguous US. It’s a specialty term and not how it is used in its far more common usages; in both legal and everyday uses.

My profession has all sorts of jargon and job specific nomenclature that does not jive with the words common usages. For instance, I’ve gotten into several arguments with people who insist that the two wheel tracks on a US Forest Service “Road” is in fact a highway. It’s not how the word Highway is normally used, but in the legal definition within the scope of my actions it meets the codified definition of a highway. I’d hold off on notifying the generals.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Although looking more deeply, apparently some US Military sources do claim the term CONUS does officially stand for “Continental US” and that that designation is ONLY for the parts of the country between Mexico and Canada. Wiktionary even includes a quotation:

“The Joint Publication 1 (JP 1), Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States, 25 March 2013 Incorporating Change 1,12 July 2017, indicates on page GL-6, the definition of continental United States to be:

• United States territory, including the adjacent territorial waters, located within North America between Canada and Mexico. Also called CONUS. (Approved for incorporation into JP 1-02 with JP 1 as the source JP.)”

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/CONUS

I concede that CONUS or Continental United States may refer to what we also know as the contiguous US for military purposes.

I think that for most other purposes continental US refers to the parts of the US that are on the North American Continent. I don’t know why the military had to break with convention and come up with their own definition, but I’m also not surprised that they did so. As a government employee, I know all too well how we like our acronyms and jargon that is counterintuitive and unique to “us.”

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

I concede that CONUS or Continental United States may refer to what we also know as the contiguous US for military purposes.

I think that for most other purposes continental US refers to the parts of the US that are on the North American Continent. I don’t know why the military had to break with convention and come up with their own definition, but I’m also not surprised that they did so. As a government employee, I know all too well how we like our acronyms, and jargon that is counterintuitive and unique to “us.”

I vividly remember seeing the term CONUS on my orders oversees, something like "Prior to leaving CONUS, member will report in to BUPERS via telephone" (or some such, I do not remember the specifics). The military uses the acronym a lot and I have always known it to mean lower 48. I don't know if I ever saw the term OCONUS in official use but I'm sure I saw it even if only in "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I vividly remember seeing the term CONUS on my orders oversees, something like "Prior to leaving CONUS, member will report in to BUPERS via telephone" (or some such, I do not remember the specifics). The military uses the acronym a lot and I have always known it to mean lower 48. I don't know if I ever saw the term OCONUS in official use but I'm sure I saw it even if only in "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper.

What do you think the odds are that Gary @The Shoe, a New Zealand school teacher living in Japan, was using terminology specific to the US military?

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

What do you think the odds are that Gary @The Shoe, a New Zealand school teacher living in Japan, was using terminology specific to the US military?

I believe Gary was quoting another source (since his comment has it in quotation marks). But the use of "Contintental US" as the lower 48 is not strictly military anyway, I cited it as an example of one authority using it that way.

Gary's source was either very very incorrect (rather than just a little incorrect or outdated) or used "Continental US" as the lower 48.

Because if it intended to include Alaska in its count, then it was WAY off, no?

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Back from the dam, we went out for a sushi dinner.
View attachment 539035
The next morning, it was seafood again as we went out for breakfast.
View attachment 539026
A bit of sightseeing…
View attachment 539027
Some fishhead wearing my hat.
View attachment 539028
Later we caught up with an old friend who I worked with about 27 or 28 years ago, and who recently moved back to Japan from the US. Great times (and more great food) were had.
View attachment 539029 View attachment 539030 View attachment 539031 View attachment 539032 View attachment 539033
These grotesque looking things are called kame no te (turtle hands) because of their appearance. They are actually Japanese goose barnacles, and are related to crabs and shrimps. They taste much better than they look. View attachment 539034

Gary your adventures have some pic of the most interesting foods. The fish, shrimp and sushi look delicious. I have never seen turtle hands before. I am definitely ready for a snack.

Thanks for sharing, Eric -

 

[The Shoe]

The moral of the story is that I should check my information before posting a quote from a random website. It would appear that the population of Ezo browns is difficult to pin down, but, according to a Japan Times article from May, bear experts estimate 11,700 and increasing. The population was estimated at 5,700 in 1990.
They are hunted to control the population, with more than 1,000 being exterminated in 2021 alone. And yes, culprits of bear attacks are hunted down, however, this is getting more and more difficult. From the Japan Times article:

Hokkaido’s bear population is also growing at exactly the same time as its human population is aging and shrinking. This is particularly concerning due to the current system in place for dealing with bear attacks and bear sightings in populated areas.
In Japan, the government relies on experienced local hunters to hunt down bears. Due to strict regulations, getting a gun license in Japan is much more difficult and time-consuming than in most of the rest of the world.
But a recent joint survey by the Hokkaido Shimbun and the Hokkaido Hunters Association showed that Hokkaido hunters are aging and falling and number. That means there are fewer hunters with the experience needed to track and kill bears even as hunters’ groups find themselves getting more calls for help from local governments after bear sightings.

Maybe there’s a job opportunity for any of you keen hunters.

 

[The Shoe]

I always thought CONUS was the Confounded US!

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

The moral of the story is that I should check my information before posting a quote from a random website. It would appear that the population of Ezo browns is difficult to pin down, but, according to a Japan Times article from May, bear experts estimate 11,700 and increasing. The population was estimated at 5,700 in 1990.
They are hunted to control the population, with more than 1,000 being exterminated in 2021 alone. And yes, culprits of bear attacks are hunted down, however, this is getting more and more difficult. From the Japan Times article:

Hokkaido’s bear population is also growing at exactly the same time as its human population is aging and shrinking. This is particularly concerning due to the current system in place for dealing with bear attacks and bear sightings in populated areas.
In Japan, the government relies on experienced local hunters to hunt down bears. Due to strict regulations, getting a gun license in Japan is much more difficult and time-consuming than in most of the rest of the world.
But a recent joint survey by the Hokkaido Shimbun and the Hokkaido Hunters Association showed that Hokkaido hunters are aging and falling and number. That means there are fewer hunters with the experience needed to track and kill bears even as hunters’ groups find themselves getting more calls for help from local governments after bear sightings.

Maybe there’s a job opportunity for any of you keen hunters.

Oh wow, Hokkaido sounds wild. Have you visited?

A dear friend is from Hokkaido. Her father’s family were fishermen but originally from a clan of disgraced samurai who were sent to the island centuries ago. Perhaps the government will look to implement something similar to increase the human population.

She once told me her father could not swim. I asked, “Wasn’t he a fisherman?” She said if you fall out of the boat in Hokkaido, the water temperature will kill you. Brrr!