Just Call Them Ladies of the Week

Ogimi Ungami 2019

 Ungami is a matsuri (festival) held in northern Okinawa on one of the hottest days of the year.

Luckily, some cloud cover and a gang of cooperative gals helped with the photography.

There is plenty of activity at this festival such as prayers, dance and boat races.

It can be frustrating, trying to compose decent photos at a matsuri.

Sometimes hundreds of photographers show up at these cultural events and, ruin the day.

Yesterday was no exception and we sneaked away from the crowds to find these ladies.

They were practicing dances before entering the congested area of the festival.

Prints will be made and brought to the Community Center, I promised.

The highlight of my day at the festival was being part of an audience of two, right here.

We were away from the crowds and got treated like royalty!

MORE: Festival in Ogimi

12 Images from Eisa Matsuri 2019 in Kin Town Okinawa

Hundreds of Photos Were Taken

Yesterday two summer festivals (matsuri) took place at Kin Dam.

The Kin Dam Festival and the 20th annual Kin Eisa Matsuri were held in a dam park.

On a July afternoon the temperatures outside are almost unbearably sticky hot.

The Dam Matsuri took place from 10 AM until 5 PM.  I skipped that one!

Arriving early enough to check some camera positions out, I stayed mostly in the shade.

The smells of food cooking in festival tents, drifted over my way and was irresistible.

So, I went and gobbled some food (you don't want to hear about) down.

Then, walked over to these Chondara dudes and asked if, I could take their photo.

Chondara, also known as Gajan Gani, are sorta friendly clowns.

After showing them how the photo looked on the camera LCD screen I said "Thanks" and left.

There never used to be children, doing the Eisa dances at festivals, in years gone by.

But, recently you may see kids out dancing with the adults almost anywhere.

Not sure if these are sisters or, mother and daughter, I didn't bother to ask.

Whoever the children are, they must practice plenty because they're really good.

The timing of their movements is excellent and, they even know how to chant and shout.

It isn't just the young girl children out there; boys get in on the act too.

These guys bang the drums, just like the big men do and, they do some high stepping, too.

One toddler was probably too small for the Eisa uniforms but, got to dance anyway.

Other little kids on the sidelines sorta kept cheering him on. Bet they envied him!

The light started fading as the sun crept down behind the mountains and I was glad.

A gentle breeze would soon start cooling things down out on that hot field.

It's difficult taking photos of the dancers, with all the guests surrounding the performers.

You're not allowed to just kick grandmas and grandpas, to get them out of the way. Rats.

Sundown Saved the Day

There are always plenty of people who know me, at these events and we get to chat.

The hardest part, is when they try bringing me some saki or beers.

Usually, I tell them I'm working and can't drink until I finish. They understand.

The Gajan Gani (Chondara/Clowns) from Nakagawa performed here.

They got their district started with the night's Eisa dances and, they were great performers.

Had there been a competition among the Eisa groups, these folks would have won!

Nakagawa, had some little tyke drummers, too.

This would be the last group I photographed doing their dances. Time to leave the crowd.

Hanabi or Fireworks Next on the Schedule

It happens to me all the time.  The fireworks go off right where you don't want them to be.

Heading away from the crowds, I set my camera and tripod up at the edge of a field.

The first few blasts took place almost directly overhead.

Knowing I probably wouldn't be getting any award winning photos, I didn't cuss.

All you can do is move the camera lens around and hope for the best.

It's alright to cuss, too. Just do it softly so, nobody can hear you. 

Shit...

The wind was blowing but, all the smells and smoke of the fireworks hung in the air.

Next year if this matsuri is in the same location, I'll distance myself from the explosions.

Like, get up on a hill away from the fairgrounds and maybe get some reflections in water.

It was a festival at a dam. Why didn't I think about reflection shots?  Dammit!

My parting shot. I'll call it, "Sunflower."

10 Photos from a Mud Festival in Okinawa

Kin Town Tanbo Festa 2019

A Tanbo is a flooded field or rice paddy and this Mud Festival is a Golden Week event.

Not wanting to get signed model releases, I won't be selling any of these images.

The idea is to let kids have some fun while splashing around in the mud.

After capturing a mob scene photo, I decided to get some closer up photos.

Snapping images of children can be tricky. I always get parents consent before shooting.

Some children don't want to cooperate. You can't swat them like they're your own!

Just kidding.

Some of the cute little rascals love to pose for the camera.

Anyone who's been in Japan over one week understands this picture.

Every time someone takes a picture in Japan, you're supposed to smile and flip a peace sign!

It's nice to have parents, who've been in the mud, pose along with their children.

This woman was probably the most photogenic and cooperative subject of the day.

She assembled her family for pictures several times over the course of an afternoon.

Then, she'd jump back in the mud with her kids and catch frogs with her bare hands!

It's hard to find a frog-catching woman these days. Dontcha think?

Normally, I wouldn't get in someone's face with the camera at a festival.

A photojournalist friend arranged for some of the Nature Mirai staff to pose for me.

Maybe, I'll be able to chase these subjects down and give them prints of their images.

Of course, model releases will get signed. The girls were super cooperative.

Notice, they traded the peace signs for some different hand signals.

It's a good thing this dad gave a big happy smile for everyone to look at.

The child wasn't as thrilled. She's sort of gritting her teeth and shivering from the cold water.

Anyway, they helped keep the audience's eyes off of the background scenery.

That's good because someone out in the water got totally naked. I hope you didn't notice!

Most of these folks were smart enough to bring along a change of clothes,

They had some freshwater outdoor shower contraptions hooked up.

That way, you could be sparkling clean for the ride home.

Maybe, I'll pack some dry clothes next year and jump in the mud with everybody!

15 Harvest Moon Festival Photos

Plus the September 2018  Full Moon

It's not really called a Harvest Moon Festival in Okinawa, Japan.

Kangetsusai is what the festive event is named in this part of the world.

Tropical storms bouncing around the Asian oceans could have canceled this celebration.

A few hours ahead of time, I slipped out of the house to get my camera and lenses.

There was a good chance rain would hit on and off over the next few hours.

Accidentally, I left my iPhone at home in the charger so, nobody could contact me.

If it started pouring down rain, the wife would demand I get back in the house. Hah!

The first few performances on stage went smoothly and things were dry.

You can see the crowd sitting before the stage, watching some sort of royal dances.

The way lighting is set up on the stage makes photography challenging.

It's nice to get images of everybody but, zooming in on a few makes things easier.

Usually, I don't intentionally miss anyone, unless they are really ugly.

Just kidding. We can't say stuff like that anymore. Or, can we?

Look closely at this scene and, you may notice the angle of my camera has changed.

The red lantern in the center of the frame was overhead in my first few photos.

Climbing a flight of stairs, I found a balcony where I could stay dry if it rained.

All the kids doing Eisa had to be photographed so, I wouldn't miss someone special.

My granddaughter is up there dancing. She's not one of the ugly ones.

No expert on the performing arts, I just call these dudes, cupcake dancers.

That's because we aren't supposed to call folks fruitcakes anymore. Hah!

These ladies in green kimonos were easy on the eyes and, the stage was still dry.

People sitting on folding chairs in the audience didn't need umbrellas, yet.

One of these days I should learn the names of all the classic Okinawa dances.

This is one I've seen them do up north in the woods. Still, don't know what it's called!

The girls with the golden fans are posing in puddles on that wet stage.

A few umbrellas are visible in the audience but, most people ran away.

It started pouring like a typhoon hit us and, I'm glad I was sheltered on that balcony.

Somebody Tried Calling Me

That's when she discovered my phone was home in the charger. LMAO

Somewhere, I read that people who are forgetful are really geniuses. I must be one of them.

We'll just call this one "The Pink Ladies with Purple Hats."

Look at the reflections in the puddles on the plywood stage. It could get slippery.

These youngsters must attend some performing arts school. They are really impressive.

Some traditional Okinawa music is jazzed up and they dance to it.

The barefoot red bandana ladies, we'll call this group.

They're singing and dancing to an old Ryukyu tune, not YMCA.

Call them Real Men Do It with Spears Dudes.

They're barefoot in the puddles. I'm happy on my balcony, where it's dry.

Guys with white shoes and flowery hats are dancing in the plywood puddles.

The rain has stopped and, children are gathering in front of the stage.

This character called Miruku gets on stage and children go wild.

Miruku will toss candies throughout the crowd. 

Notice the silhouettes of children with arms outstretched reaching to catch flying candies.

The grand finale is the Shishimai and his handler.

The creature is activated by two youngsters under that hairy lion's body.

After four hours of composing festival photos and dodging rain, I decided to leave early.

The moon never did stay clear of rain clouds, long enough to be photographed.

Walking home with the camera and tripod, the rain poured down again.

Just as I entered the gate at home, I noticed the moon peeking through the clouds.

It's not my favorite moon shot but, it's probably the only one I'll get this month!

Sports Photo of the Day

Love It When a Granddaughter Smiles

Especially when she passed everyone on the athletic field in a relay race.

It's a busy weekend and I took over 1000 photos of an Undokai so, I'll be brief.

More later.....

Reflections of a School Sports Day in Okinawa

An Undokai is a Big Family Event

The annual Sports Day at a middle school is sort of a family picnic. 

Normally, tents are pitched to shelter everyone from the blazing hot Okinawa sun.

This year things were a little different. The tents served as umbrellas. It rained.

Once it stopped pouring buckets of water from the sky, children hit the athletic field.

It looked almost as if they were standing on a mirror.

This character is a Chondara, sort of a clown in the Eisa group.

Normally, dust would be flying as the Eisa dancing takes place on the dirt field.

Today, I didn't mind slipping and sliding around in my flip-flops. No dust on my lens!

This Chondara, you might say, was outstanding in his field.

Several photos were taken, trying to get compositions, where he was separated from the group.

Once a Chodara gets in with the rest of the dancers, they're difficult to catch with a camera.

For a few minutes, a bit of blue sky poked through the clouds but, it wouldn't last.

A couple of hundred students romping around would drain some of the mud off the field.

Here's a GIF to show some of the unusual relay races the students execute.

It seemed as if the rain might hold off for the rest of the day but, it didn't.

Shortly after the relays were finished and, before lunchtime, the event was canceled.

More stormy weather was on the way so, I left quickly.

On the way home, I grabbed a takeout steak dinner.

Not a bad days work!

Wordless Wednesday: Scarecrow Childcare

Wordless Wednesday: Road Sign

3 GIF's from Sports Day at a Middle School

Fun in the Sun

It's that time of year, again. Undokia or, Sports Day in Japan.

Today's event was at Kin Chugakko, the junior high school, where some grandchildren go.

So, I was out there, with a camera, shooting everybody, just to be safe.

When all the kids, wear the same uniforms and, have black hair, it can be confusing.

As many times as I've gone to these sports days, I've never seen anything like this.

For a second, it looked like they were scooting across the dirt field on a surfboard.

But, upon closer inspection, I realized, they had their feet tied to two plastic pipes.

So, I guess it was some sort of pipe walking race. Coordination helps.

One daughter, gave me a perfect description of a grandson's sportswear.

She told me the color of his shorts, headband and, the number 4, would be on his green t-shirt.

Well, he's some sort of champion runner, faster than a greyhound.

I got a few shots of him but, not enough to make a GIF. So, I shot these kids.

There are still a few thousand photos I haven't looked at, yet.

As they get processed, I'll post some in a Facebook album at Ryukyu Life.

Notice the relay team. They have boys and girls, running each relay.

When the numbers, don't come out right, a gal or guy teacher fills out the team.

They didn't do things that way, back when I was in school. Pretty cool, huh ?

Well, I'm glad I ain't a teacher, anyway.

Eisa is always on of the highlights and, usually, close to the end of an Undokai.

In case, you haven't seen one of those clowns before, he's a chondara.

They play an important role, keeping everyone's spirits up.

The adult ones, even pass out, refreshments, sometimes alcoholic spirits but, not here.

It's too bad, all my grandchildren, couldn't be chondara. It would make life easy.

Somewhere in the crowds of purple Eisa uniforms, I shot today, are my kinfolks.

To be sure, I got my grandchildren, I photographed all the Kin Eisa dancers.

That way maybe, their mothers or fathers, can pick them out.

It was blazing hot out there today and, I must thank the family for all they did.

Tents were pitched, for shade. Food and refreshments were provided.

The best part of all, was they gave me iced coffee and, an air-conditioned ride home !