August Full Moon Over Okinawa

 Last Night of Obon

For those unfamiliar with local customs, Okinawa, Japan has a three-day holiday called Obon.

It is believed that the spirits of the deceased visit their family during this time.

The light of the full moon guides them back to the heavens.

 The weather had us worried because clouds and rain periodically ruined the view.

At 10 minutes past 8 PM the shutter was snapped on the scene.

It's National Foundation Day in Japan and More!

 That's like the 4th of July in the USA

It's a National Holiday and most people have the day off. Schools are closed.

Some sort of tropical storm is blowing cold wind and rain so, I hung around inside all day.

 

About 4 PM the wife and a daughter returned from a shopping expedition.

And the young one presented me with this ice-cold six-pack of beer.

I'm really not celebrating National Foundation Day for Japan. I'm American.

Naturally, I thanked the daughter for bringing my favorite beer.

Little did she know, I was gonna celebrate New Year's Eve tonight.

First, we must get back to the Japanese holiday.  

They say Japan began (as a country) in 660 BC.

That's all I can tell you. Read the history of Japan HERE if you need all the details.

How Did New Year's Eve Get in Here Today?

When I thanked the daughter for the Orion Beer I told her it's New Year's Eve.

She looked at me like I was crazy so, I had to explain. It's Chinese New Year's Day tomorrow!

Some folks in Okinawa still use the Lunar Calendar. 

And, the stick with the rituals, holiday routines, and planting of the Chinese Zodiac calendar.

Learn all about the Chinese New Year at this Site.

Adding a little more to all this holiday confusion, the daughter handed me another gift.

Some chocolate, as well as the beer, was her gift to me for Valentine's Day!

It's been a long (almost photoless) day. Two quick shots of the beer and I'm done.

One photo from the front and another displaying the top of the six-pack. That's it.

It's getting dark outside and I have some Lunar New Year's Eve business to tend to.

AMEN

Today was Marine Day a Japanese Holiday

Sunrise Began Looking Unimpressive

Taking a circuitous route to the beach, at first, I was disappointed.

Umi no Hi (Ocean Day) only comes once a year. It's the third Monday in July.

Before 5 AM the long hike to a remote beach began. I wanted to catch the sunrise.

Clouds blocked the sun along the horizon. I shrugged and headed west along the beach.

Ten minutes later, the sun started to burn through the cloudy horizon.

By 6 AM I had positioned the camera where this reflection would appear.

"Happy Umi no Hi," I posted on Facebook, a similar iPhone image.

One Camera One Lens

Traveling light, there was just a camera (no tripod) and I went without a backpack.

Pentax K1 and a Pentax 18-250MM were slung from my shoulder.

When I'm out hunting wild things, 300-700MM of lenses may accompany me.

Today, I was limited to 250MM of glass, at the maximum.

Bird shots were difficult but, some dragonflies cooperated with the photography.

This Red Dragonfly happened to land on some vegetation with a white background.

Scientists claim the red ones are scarce in mainland Japan due to pesticides.

They're nowhere near extinct in Okinawa, Japan. I see them daily.

  

Bird of the Day: Streaked Fantail Warbler

Far from the ocean and headed home, this bird appeared and was a challenge for the camera.

Zitting Cisticola is another name for them but, I call them Scissors Birds.

That's because of the sounds they make when flitting around in fields.

They could be mistaken for a barber shop's squeaky scissors. Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip.

Heading Home

Normally, my view of the Kin Power Plant is from another direction.

This composition was made using local vegetation as the foreground.

Ocean Day, in Japan, was established to express gratitude for the sea and its bounty.

For me, today was another day I'm happy about everything nature has provided.

That's blue skies, sunshine, bugs, birds and, an occasional cloud overhead.

Ocean Image: A Sailing Sabani

Tomorrow Is Ocean Day in Japan

Last weekend, I was out in the Kerama Islands with this sabani team.

This is one of my favorite, out of the thousand or so, photos taken along the way.

Ocean Day (海の日) Umi no Hi is a national holiday and many families will go to the beach.

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, everyone will have fun and return from the sea safely.

Camera:  Pentax K1

Lens:  Pentax 18-250 at 60 MM

Exposure:  f/6.7   1/5000   ISO 800

Location:  Kerama Islands Okinawa Japan

Date and Time:  JUL 2 2017  9:48 AM

Just a Photo to Express My Holiday Wish

It's Christmas Eve in Japan

 

 

 

 

 

Today, I went to the Kin Shrine, to take some photos.

A Buddhist Monk saw me, picking up trash and looking for a place to deposit it.

He caught up with me in a wooded area, dropping some paper in an old rusty trash bin.

He thanked me but, wanted to take the rubbish, somewhere else.

So, I reached down and handed it to him and, wished him a Merry Christmas.

It doesn't matter what your religion or, beliefs may be.

If people around the globe would learn to respect each other, the world could be peaceful.

Think about it. And maybe, by New Years, I'll get my wish for the holidays.

Happy Ocean Day -- Sea Day -- Umi no Hi (海の日) in Japan

This photo is the view, I saw, June 22, 2014 as I was leaving the Kerama Islands.

Today is sort of a national holiday in this part of the world.

Years ago, it was called Marine Day.

These days, Umi no Hi, Ocean Day or Sea Day are the proper titles.

Government institutions, schools and banks are all closed, for the holiday.

But, regular folks, like construction workers, are still out in the hot sun, doing what they do.

Japanese Holidays

 

With the busy summer schedule, I thought I might post some handy links.

It seems, these holidays sneak up on me and catch me off guard, regularly.

After talking with the wife, over breakfast, I realized why the beach was so busy last night.

People were camping overnight with their families, because they don't have work today.

Learn more about Marine Day at Office Holidays.

 To see all the holidays, celebrated in Japan, visit Japanese Holidays.

It's time for me to pack up the cameras and go celebrate Umi no Hi with some friends.

Ridea, is back in town, playing at a Live House !

Happy Ocean Day (海の日) Japan !

Most of the day yesterday, I was out by the ocean taking photos.

There are so many images for me to develop, I almost forgot about Ocean Day, today.

To tell the truth, I think we should pay attention to our oceans, everyday.

But, I guess I should wish everybody a Happy Ocean Day, anyway.

It is a pretty important holiday, in Japan.

A Sacred Grove in Okinawa: Thursday's Travel Photo

This photo is one of the sacred sites you may wander across when traveling in Okinawa, Japan.

Today is Bunka no hi (Culture Day) throughout Japan and everyone is off on a National Holiday.

So, I'll submit this as my contribution to TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY and get out to see if I can absorb some culture, too.

Take the time to visit Budget Travelers Sandbox's Travel Photo Thursday and you'll get to see excellent travel photography from around the globe.