Wordless Wednesday: 6 AM Companionship

The Longest Living People in All of Japan

Stone Monument in Ogimi Village

 

 

This stone is located alongside HWY 58, in the village of Ogimi.

Directly behind it, there is a small trickle flowing from a waterfall in the hills above.

Lately, I have been carrying a Garmin along, to add Geo-tags to my photos.

And, I really wanted to shoot this rock because, I heard it was special.

But, after traveling all over the northern hills, the batteries in the Garmin, wore out.

Two things needed to be done before, I posted this photo.

1. Figure out a way to get Latitude and Longitude, to add to the image EXIF data.

2. Verify, that to inscription on the plaque, said something about longevity.

Travelers May Want to Visit

  

The location happens to be at the Michinoeki (Road Stand) in Ogimi, Okinawa.  

There's plenty of parking spaces and, the waterfall is just to the right of all the shops.

Over at Google Maps GPS Coordinates, I punched in the address.

Then, hit "Get GPS Coordinates" and, they gave them to me.

Latitude: 26.690 Longitude: 128.108

That should be good enough for the Geocache crowd to find the location.

Then, I manually added the Geo-tags to my photo file, for the rest of the world to see.

Translation of Inscription

This turned out to be quite a chore as, I used my smart phone as an interpreter.

The Google Translate folks, haven't quite hit 30% accuracy, would be my guess.

After, I stopped laughing, I figured, they gave me enough, to continue researching.

The rumor, I'd heard was, that this stone had a poem about longevity written on it.

An article in Japan Times gave me this:

“At 80, we remain children.”

 

If death visits us at 90, we should say, “Wait until we are 100, then we might consider it.”

The best translation, I could find, came from the Ogimi Village website:

"At 80 years old, I am still a child. When I come to see you at 90, send me away to wait till 100

Let us keep going strong as we get older, and not depend too much on our children in old age.

Come to our village in your old age, and we will provide the blessings of nature and teach you

 the secrets of longevity.

We the senior citizens of Ogimi proudly declare this the longest-lived village in Japan."

"April 23rd, 1993 Ogimi Federation of Senior Citizen Clubs"

This Sweetheart of the Month Could Be Lady of the Year

She Knows the Secret to Longevity

 

 

Going through the photo files today, I decided to try something different.

Not being a portrait photographer, I take lots of photos, when I do this sort of thing.

Then, select the best one for printing and, throw the rest away.

 But, I happen to like this gal's smile so, I experimented.

The Auto Awesome rules say, you have to upload 5 or more similar photos.

So, I gave them six and, waited, to see what would happen.

That Auto Awesomenator Dude must like her smiles just as much as I do.

That's where today's images were created.

Researchers Spent Years Studying Okinawan Longevity

 

 

Some Doctors from Canada even wrote a book about the Okinawan diet.

It's around here, somewhere.

There isn't enough time in the day for me to be cooking.

So, I quit reading the book.

But, I do remember, they said lots of things about diet.

And, the climate, exercise, lifestyle and social networks.

Social networks, back in those days, didn't mean Facebook and Twitter.

They weren't invented, yet.

They were talking about real people, with hands, legs and, faces, who talk to each other.

You know, without one of them little computer things held next to their ear.

Real people who talk to you and smile with the lips on their face.

The Secret to Longevity in Okinawa

 

 

It might have something to do with, living a long time.

If you get a chance, go visit Yohena's Hydrangea Garden in Motobu, Okinawa.

Don't be bothering my sweetheart with questions about the big secret.

That's because, if she were to tell you, it wouldn't be a secret, anymore !

How to Create A Motion GIF with Google+ Auto Awesome

Travel Photo: Prayer on the Mountain

This photo was taken during a ritual known as Shinigu in Okinawa, Japan.

The women of Gushiken, on Motobu Peninsula conduct this ceremony annually.

It is a form of prayer which consists of song and dance.

The lifestyle and religious beliefs of these people may be the secret to longevity.

See the article Shinigu  Ensures Long Life, Prosperity

Photo Essay: The Ladies of Gushiken at the Shinigu 2012

These ten photos give a quick peek at what can be seen during the Gushiken Shinigu.

The elderly women wear the ribbon in their hair with the knot facing forward.

Young ladies have the knot tied behind their heads.

After doing a few dances on lower terrain, up the hill they went.

Drum-beating, songs, dance and worship take place on a spot below a sacred site.

No men are allowed to go up the stairs to the Utaki. 

So, you won't see any photos of what takes place up there.

The top of a water tower was made available to capture this photo.

Here, the ladies are facing the East China Sea.

There isn't a happier, healthier bunch of gals anywhere I've ever traveled.

It got me wondering.  Maybe, the secret to longevity has something to do with this Shinigu !

The Lady of the Year: Photos from An Okinawa Kajimaya

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending an Okinawa Kajimaya. It's a celebration and this one was for a lady I had never met before. And she had one heck of a celebration!

A Wedding Hall was where it took place and there was live entertainment and plenty of food and drinks.  The lady being honored is barely visible in this photo. She's dressed in pink and sitting in the wheelchair in the lower right corner of the picture.

So, I maneuvered into a position where I could get a close up of Nakama Yasu, who to me, is the Lady of the Year. A Kajimaya is a celebration of longevity in Okinawa. If I live to be 97 years old I might have one, too. Then, have a big party where all my friends and family take a group photo.

The word "Kajimaya" means "Pinwheel". In Okinawa they believe, as we age, we become more like children. So, the Lady of the Year got a pinwheel to play with and so did all the children. Guess what?

I GOT A PINWHEEL, TOO.  I don't think any other middle-aged man there got one, but I did !