Today Looks Like a Nice Day to Party at a Graveyard !

Okinawa's Ritual Honoring Ancestors

 

 

It's called Ushiimii in the local dialect.

According to my Okinawan dictionary, the observance is conducted by the lunar calendar.

The family visits the ancestral tomb for an annual gathering.

It takes place on any day between the 22d of the second month and the 3d of the third lunar month.

My family selected today and I'm glad.

It's a nice warm Spring day with brilliant blue skies.

It's a good time for me to relax and enjoy the company of family members, I haven't seen in awhile.

So, I decided to post an article, we did about this subject a few years ago.

This was originally published at Pocket Cultures.

And, the cameraman was RyukyuRusty.

Ancestor Worship in Okinawa, Japan

 

A gathering at the family tomb for Shimi

 

During the month of April, each year, a Sunday gathering takes place at the family tomb (Ohaka).

 The occasion, known as Shimi, resembles a family reunion and picnic combined. Throughout the month, every Sunday, the roads may appear to have more traffic and many vehicles will be seen parked alongside the roads close to family tombs.

Vegetation surrounding the Ohaka is trimmed and the grounds are cleaned up by men, usually the week prior. The family agrees on a date whereby maximum attendance is achieved. Women prepare foods for the assembly, days in advance.

My family planned Shimi for Sunday the 17th of April 2011. It rained.

 Flowers and drinks were placed at the entrance to the tomb as offerings. Incense was burned and prayers were offered. The food that was prepared and placed in front of the Ohaka, as an offering to the ancestor’s spirts, had to be removed quickly when the rain came pouring down. Everyone offered their prayers and left the tomb. That doesn’t stop Shimi.

Everything that was prepared for the event at the Ohaka was carried to the home of the eldest surviving son in the family. An altar called a Butsudan is another place in Okinawa where ancestor worship takes place. Food and drinks were placed on the altar. Incense, resembling charcoal sticks, was lighted.

Paper money, known as Uchikabi, was burned…

The family gathered around the table of foods and drinks, offered to the spirits and prayed.

One item from each type of food offered was placed along with the burned paper money for the ancestral spirits to take with them back to the spiritual world.

 Children frolic, play and swing from the rafters and adults joke, chat and banter until the eldest woman present announces it’s time to eat.
Shimi, the ancestral worship ceremony, is not a sad occasion in Okinawa. It is a time to be happy and the spirits, who are always watching, enjoy seeing the family celebrating together.

Are there any joyous celebrations for the deceased in your culture?

Photographer: Rusty Robertson

Travel Photo: Prayer in Black and White

This photo is from a rare occasion in my travels.

Before entering this sacred site, I asked if it was alright to take pictures.

The 95 year, young woman smiled and gave me permission.

Ancestor worship is practiced in Okinawa, Japan.

The woman prayed and made offerings.

She even told the ancestors that I was invited to come along and take photos.

The structure we were in was dimly lit with bright sun shining through the door and windows.

The high contrast scene just didn't suit me for color photography.

So, I converted it to black and white.

Visit my website for today's Feature Photo

More Photos from this event may be seen at Teniya Okinawa, Japan 2012

Photo of the Week: Ancestor Worship: Okinawa, Japan

This week's photo was taken by Rusty Robertson while Ryukyu Mike was busy with the family at an annual get together.  That'd be me, over there on the left, the guy who formerly had a long, white, scruffy beard.

If you haven't already seen the article, take a minute, and visit POCKET CULTURES to see the full story.

I'm right proud of my apprentice, Rusty getting his first batch of photos published.

The guy puts up with my yelling and cussing about how to shoot cameras but, last Sunday I had to act like I was worshipping so, I kept quiet and let Rusty do his thing.  I was supposed to be praying.

It'll be a little while longer before you see my smiling face on this blog.  Rusty and I are working on another project, right now.  And my face is a little sore from what happened to it today.

Standby for more photos by Ryukyu Mike and his sidekick, Rusty traveling around Okinawa, Japan with our cameras as soon as I grow some hair back.  Oh, yeah.  I almost forgot. Rusty shot that pile of fur, too!


Visit mt Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

What's An Eisa Dance?

Living in Okinawa for over half my life I sometimes forget that things I may see everyday and take for granted would be news to folks back on the other side of the world.   Eisa Dancing?

It's something that has its roots in Buddhist Culture and has to do with Ancestor Worship, old time religious ceremonies, stuff Priests and Priestesses would do at funerals.

There ain't no sense in me trying to explain all the morbid details here when you can Google or Wiki-whatever and see what the experts have to say.

This time of year I get real busy running all over the island trying to keep up with all the Festivals going on and catch as many photos as I can to share with the world. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to keep shooting, developing and posting new material, daily on my blog and website so, I get caught recycling not-so-new material, every now and then.

Well, this picture and the one on my Homepage are brand-spanking new, shot last night, just down the street from where I live.

In fact, I have to chase these gals down and get them to sign Model Releases. I don't throw anybody's photos out for public viewing without their consent, usually.

These gals are no problem. They want their photos on my website. They know, once they sign my Release Forms, they'll get a High-Gloss Print for free and maybe even a framed picture of them will adorn the walls of my bar.

There will be a crowd of anywhere from 30-50 of these characters filling-up my little karaoke bar , singing and drinking 'til the wee hours, every weekend from now until the end of Summer.

See, they're regular customers of mine and if I get any complaints about the photography it'll be from the ones who didn't get their picture taken, not those who did get captured on digital film.

During Obon, the season where all this dancing and drum-beating originated, they even bring the whole gang of twenty-some year olds inside my bar and perform, making a racket that'll split the ceiling plaster.

If you want to know more about Eisa Dancing and see a variety of photos, some that may surprise you, have a peek at Matador Network. I've got to charge my batteries, clean some lenses and get back out on the road before Summer ends.