Spooks and Earthquakes

An Earthquake Shook the Island

 

 

There's a monument stone in Urasoe, we've been meaning to locate and, today was a good day.

As legend goes, this spot is protected from damaging quakes and, we had one yesterday.

No harm was done, to anyone, I know of; the thing was miles to our north.

Some Wicked Spirits

 

 

Years ago, folks traveling along the road from Urasoe to Shuri would get spooked.

A Buddhist monk carved some scripture on stones and, buried them here.

The ghoul or, whatever it was, soon disappeared  and the place became safe.

Even when big earthquakes occurred, the ground didn't shake at this position.

We had a 6.0 quake 110 km above Nago, Okinawa yesterday.

This morning, there was an elderly woman at the Kyozuka Monument.

She, confirmed for me, this is the place to pray for safety from earthquakes.

Looking closer, I observed sake cups, incense and fruit offerings at the site.

After asking if, it would be alright to take photos, the woman disappeared, along with her cat.

Off to the right of the monument, is a coin box on a pole, for donations.

Many Buddhist places, have these boxes for coin deposits; I pretended I was low on cash.

Back in the professor's car, we had a tour brochure, I wanted to look at, for something.

Based upon the scriptures, the monk buried here, you're supposed to chant something.

Remember: "Chouchikachika" or, "chouchika, chouchika" is what to say.

It can protect you from evil spirits and strong earthquakes, too !

More About Cultural Properties of Urasoe, Okinawa

Today I went Down Some Spooky, Old Stairs: Photo Essay

Originally Published OCT 2011

 

 

 

Reviving this popular post may be a good idea.

It happens, the Map It Okinawa dude and, I are going on a ghost hunt tonight.

Enjoy this old Halloween tale just in case we don't make it back before sunrise !

In order to get in the good old Halloween spirit I have come back and edited this post.

Halloween doesn't really have the meaning, over in my part of the world, that it does for most western cultures.  In fact, if it hadn't been for a great friend on StumbleUpon (LINDARAMA)  sending me mail when she read this, I wouldn't have known Halloween was just around the corner.

On the outer islands of Okinawa, Japan there are many old caves and sacred wells.

Some of them are pretty cool and they make great subjects for photography.

It's best to make sure you don't disturb anything when you go to them.

There are a few places where the stairs are so old they are crumbling.

Wherever I go, I try to get the best possible photos without disturbing anything.

That plastic ladle just didn't seem right next to those old coins I wanted to shoot.

So, I moved it out of the scene for a few seconds.

Then, put it back exactly where I found it.

People in Okinawa believe there are spirits in these old caves and wells.  Many of them come to worship and make offerings at the sites.  So,  I like to make sure nothing has been changed by my presence.  You should do the same, anywhere you go.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS MIGHT COME OUT OF A CAVE OR SOME OTHER DARK PLACE AND GRAB YOU.  DO YOU ?

The culture of Okinawa consists of a strong belief in spirits.  So strong, that something like Halloween is really unnecessary.  Spirits are felt and communicated with on a daily basis.

While I may have been raised as a Christian in my early years, I have also studied some Confucianism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Animism and even a bit of alcoholism.  We happen to have a little bit of all those here, along with a strong belief in ancestor worship.  There are gods of the sea, mountains, rocks, wind, trees, earth, fire and all of nature (called kami sama) you'd rather see smiling than frowning upon you.  That's in addition to any departed members of the family tree.

So, on any given day you may see me raise my eyes towards the sky and and talk to "Kachan" (departed mother-in-law) and thank her spirit for my good fortune.

Or, I might say something like, "What are you trying to do to me?"

Whenever I find myself going to some sacred site in Okinawa, Japan like those spooky old stairs, it's not the ghosts or goblins of Halloween I'm thinking of; it's the spirits of someone else's ancestors I have to worry about.  Some people had mean old mother-in-laws, you know.

I wouldn't want to cross paths with their spirits.

There's really no such thing as ghosts.

OR IS THERE ?

WHEREVER YOU ARE, HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

To get yourself in the Halloween spirit, or add your goulish story to an already excellent collection, visit my good friend in Australia, LINDA HEAPHY, she'll get the hair standing up on the back of your neck !

Sharing this post with Budget Travelers Sandbox will be my contribution to the world of travel photographers for TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY

MORE ON THE RYUKYU ISLAND OF KUDAKA JIMA

Looking Through the Lens at Gokoku Shrine in Naha Okinawa

The Site and Surrounding Areas

 

 

There is a lot more to see at this attraction than, I ever imagined.

A few times in the past, we visited this Buddhist Temple.

The mission then, was to photograph the torii at the entrance for a Then and Now series.

That didn't require, going inside so, I didn't.

Today, I wanted to get a closer look at things.

When I researched this place for a TripAdvisor review, I learned something about the place.

Commodore Perry and some crackpot missionary, took over the site from the Buddhists.

Inside, I thought I may be able to find more of the temple's history.

This was the first place I stopped.  And, I washed my hands with water from a wooden ladle.

Inside the temple grounds, you find war monuments, like this one.

A statue of a nurse helping a one-legged soldier caught my attention.

Turning, to look back, I took this photo.

It shows another statue and monument, as well as, the place, I washed my hands.

Passing through a second torii gate, I spotted another washstand.

This one had a dragon spitting water out of its mouth.

Off to the right side of the temple they have this box.

If you put 100 yen in the slotted part, you can take a fortune paper.

Just reach in the hole on left and take one, after you make a donation.

Here is the front of Gokoku Shrine.

The place was immaculately clean, had lots of gold and, no people were there.

But, I didn't go in, just zoomed and shot this image from the outside.

It's hard to believe some foreign missionary would call these folks heathens.

After seeing enough of the temple grounds, we explored out back.

There is a trail, leading uphill, to the left, outside the temple fence.

Here, was a small shrine with a fairly new, wooden torri.

Behind Gokoku Shrine, on another hill, I spotted a red torri, leading to a different shrine.

That got me thinking. A cameraman could never run out of things to do, in Naha.

They even have one of these peace markers behind the shrine, we were at.

The photo, is to remind me, I better tell the Map It Okinawa dude about the location !

Holy Sumac: These Ryukyu Trees and Buddhism

Here is What Makes Them Special

 

Traditional Japanese candles are not made from paraffin, animal fat or, beeswax.

Western candles are made that way.  And some are even made from petroleum products.

Buddhist beliefs forbid intentional killing of animals.

So, the candles made in Japan are made from natural products.

The Ryukyu tree we call sumac, provides the ingredients for Japanese candle-making.

These trees with red and orange leaves are about the only fall foliage we see around here.

Back in November 2011, I found a sign on one of these sumac trees, in the middle of nowhere.

Thinking it may be something important, I shot a photo of the sign.

That always makes research easier.  Especially, when you get a scientific name out of it.

Rhus succedanea, helped me identify the tree.

Once I found out it was some sort of sumac, I recalled the scratching I did as a kid.

Poison sumac was real popular in my neck of the woods, back in those days.

So, I researched no more.

Along Came Alice Gordenker the Writer for Japan Times 

 

She wrote The Making of a Japanese Candle

Come to find out, the trees were brought to Japan from the Ryukyu Kingdom.

That's what led me to say "Holy Sumac".

What's so special about candles made from 100% vegetable material ?

They don't drip so much wax and make less smoke.

Japanese candles even stay lit better in the wind.  

Holy smokes.  I want some for next typhoon season !

Visit my website for today's Feature Photo

A Belated Happy Birthday Buddha, Wherever You Are !

It's been quite awhile since I did a post for Travel Photo Thursday.

So, before digging through the photo files, I visited Budget Travelers Sandbox.

And, found out I missed Buddha's birthday celebrations in Seoul, Korea.

That's why I dug up this Buddha photo.

The smiling Buddha is probably the most recognized one around the world.

But, there are many other Buddha statues and many other Buddhas.

An excellent article on the topic can be found at Muza-chan's Gate to Japan. 

The smiling Buddha is my favorite but, I don't want to take sides.

So, Happy Birthday Buddha, wherever you are !


RELATED POST:  

BUDDHIST STATUE OF SHINRAN SHONIN IN NYC: GIVE IT BACK ! 

The Torii Gate, Does It Lead to a Shrine or Temple?: Japan Insider's Tip

This can be a tough question to answer.

There are torii gates at hundreds maybe, thousands of locations throughout Japan.

The Torii Gate.  What does it lead to, a Shrine or a Temple ?

The simple RyukyuMike answer has always been, "It leads to a sacred site".

That way, I know I'm telling the truth.

Telling the difference between a shrine and a temple gets a little more confusing.

Just the other night, there was a discussion between a few of us on this topic.

To me, shrines and temples are both sacred places but, I never bothered to research and find out the difference between the two.

Well, a good citizen, named, Jun Ikemura must have heard me worrying about it and published an article that explains the difference between a shrine and temple.

Shrines:  There is a god, spirit, kamisama, or some sort of deity enshrined in a Shrine.

Temples:  This is Japan, I'm talking about, not Europe, USA, or the Mid East so, no hate mail.  OK?

Temples are places for Buddha.

Sounds like a simple enough explanation for me.  So, that's the story I'm sticking with, for now.

In the above photo, there is a torii at the bottom of the stairs.

After you walk up all 108 stairs, there is another torii at the top.  Passing through that torii, you come to a cave.  The cave is a shrine dedicated to the Okinawan gods, Amamichu and Shirumichu who, according to legend, lived there and took on human forms, way before Buddhism became fashionable in Japan.

Today you may pass through a torii gate and enter a place that is both, a sacred Shinto site and a place where a Buddha is present.  So, you may find both, a shrine and a temple on the same grounds.

HERE IS THE FULL ARTICLE BY JUN IKEMURA

MORE JAPAN INSIDER TIPS

Utaki The Sacred Sites of Okinawa (Photos)

      Today for Travel Photo Thursday I'd like to introduce you to Okinawa's Sacred Sites, Utaki.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of sacred sites located throughout the islands of Okinawa, Japan.

The most popular Utaki are UNESCO World Heritage Sites or within the sites, such as the photos I'm showing you today. The women above are making offerings at a sacred well, within the walls of UNESCO Nakagusuku Castle.

A grove of trees, source of water, stone and a hill all seem to be common themes for Utaki.  Sometimes, there is a small building at the site. It may resemble a shrine or miniature temple but, not an elaborate, brightly-colored shrine you'd see at a Buddhist Temple. We have a few of those, too.


Okinawans are ancestor worshipers. The religion here is a combination of many things. There are several gods in nature and Animism, Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism all play a part in the spiritualism on these islands.

Many Utaki, I have come across, are in remote areas, not necessarily on a hill.  Some are found in villages and not in heavily wooded areas.  Most of them will not have signs written in English.

Whenever you see women in the middle of nowhere or in front of a small shrine, or even a pile of rocks, with trays of food, such as rice balls, fruits, something to drink and smell incense burning, you can be sure of one thing.  They aren't having a picnic.  They are more than likely worshipping at an Utaki.

Discrete would be my advice if you happen to come across people worshipping in any culture.  These women consented to my taking their photos because I speak their dialect.  So, I did the silver-tongue work and got Doc Graff, the other Cameraman to handle the manual labor of helping the gals up and down some dangerous stairs. Hah!

For more information on The Sacred Sites of Okinawa visit UTAKI

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.