Ghost of Nanachi-baka

 Located in Makishi, Naha, Okinawa

Not far from Miebashi Station on Yui Rail is a hill we'll call Nanachi-baka.

Best translated as Seven Tombs for the family burial sites which stood there.

Surrounded by the concrete of Naha, it's on private property but the woods are visible.

Thanks to Google Earth Pro you can see the terrain. There's a bit of greenery in the image.

Whenever you spot a grove of trees on a hill in the city, assume it's some sort of sacred place.

If it weren't special, developer bulldozers would have claimed the land.

Another scene borrowed from a Google Earth screenshot at ground level.

Miebashi Station is on the left side of the image frame.

Show Us the Ghost!

Alright, alright first let me do some explaining.

After three days of unsuccessfully trying to reach Banksy here's what I decided.

Draw the pictures myself or attempt to sketch them with a pencil and paper.

Should a real artist show up, these sketches will be replaced. I promise.

Nearby this grove of trees a young woman would purchase candy around closing time.

She hands the cashier Japanese yen to pay for the sweets. Then off she goes.

The problem is, the next morning the shopkeeper noticed the money had changed.

The yen note had turned into uchikabi (symbolic paper notes) given to dead spirits.

Kind of Mysterious

These little mom-and-pop stores are in competition with some big chains.

So, to stay in business, you have to keep an eye on the profits.

Next time that gal comes into the store late at night she's going to be followed home.

Sure enough, another night the woman comes by and gets more candy, paying with yen.

The store owner follows from a distance. It's dark outside.

The girl with the candy goes into the woods of Nanachi-baka and disappears. 

At one of the tombs, a baby could be heard crying. The storekeeper looked inside.

The woman who bought the sweets was dead.  Candy wrappers were near the baby.

Local villagers made sure the mother got a proper burial and raised the child.

The ghost was never seen again.

Happy Halloween!

PROMISE

This is the last time I will try doing sketches!

Travel Photo: Sueyoshi Park

A Bit of Country in the City

The few times I've visited this attraction, I have never run across many tourists.

Maybe the travel and tourism industry keeps it secret. Everything's free!

One of these days, I ought to make a travel guide, listing all the freebies on this island.

If enough people bought it, I could become a millionaire.

Back in 2011, when the photo was taken, a sudden rain squall hit the place.

That sort of ruined chances of getting any wildlife photos, with a zoom lens.

The storm didn't last more than a few minutes and the sun started shining.

The place got quiet like the critters knew another rain cloud would move in.

A forest is a special place, just after the rain falls. It becomes refreshing.

 I backed off and created this wide-angle image before, leaving the big city behind.

Camera: Pentax K5

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 22 MM

Exposure: f/16   1.6 sec   ISO 100

Location:  Sueyoshi Park, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  OCT 15 2011  3:45 PM

Stop and Think: How Many Characters Named Donald Do You Know ?

Pottery District of Naha

Down in the district know as Tsuboya I ran across this scene one day.

A Donald Duck doll was taking up space at a table, where I wanted to sit to eat.

Not many yachimun (pottery) shops serve food but, this one had a small menu.

The name of the place slips my memory at the moment. But, the curry was unforgettable.

Photo Comes in Handy Today

The little, flashy dude stands out among all the ancient-looking urns, vases and shisa.

Anachronism, might not be the best way, to describe this scene.

The clay pottery sells fairly quickly, from those little shops in Naha.

So, the stuffed character is as old or older than, those items. I'll post this blog and share it.

It will hit a wider audience over on Facebook and, I'll ask two Questions.

1. Does anyone know the name of this pottery shop ?

2. How many people, do you know named, Donald ?

Wordless Wednesday at the Fish Market

15 Photos of 2016 Uchinanchu Festival Parade

Part I

There's no telling, how many Parts there will be, to this series.

My cameras, download folders containing 500 images apiece. One folder was developed today.

Not in alphabetical order, cities, states or, countries will be shown, as they came down the street.

Hawaii

Sacramento California

Oregon

Utah

Montana

Alaska

San Antonio Texas

Chicago

New Mexico

Tucson Arizona

New York

Washington DC

Pensacola Florida

Alabama

Michigan

Standby for more in the upcoming days here and on Facebook.

Okinawan people, live in cities and countries, around the globe.

And, some return, once every 5 years, to participate in the Uchinanchu Matsuri.

More Animations from Kin Town Special Concert

A Busy Weekend

It began Friday night in the park, just in front of Seventailz, a fancy name for a nightclub.

Catching up may take me a week or, two. Many images are awaiting processing.

There were three or four memorable performances, one being belly dancers.

A little too large, to be called a hula hoop, I'm not sure what this may be.

The crowd enjoyed this number and, the belly dancers seemed to like it, too.

They were back inside the tent, clapping and smiling.

That guy, spinning around, was blocking my view.  Just kidding.

If you had an applause meter that night, I bet, this act, got the loudest claps.

This band, was performing the 1961 tune, Please Mr. Postman.

One guy, from the audience, couldn't hold himself back and, wanted to get in the act.

Who knows.  Maybe, he's a retired postal worker !

In the pending files, there must be another few hundred photos, waiting for me.

The dude, with the pointed hairdo, will have to wait for awhile longer.

His photos, deserve special attention and, I'll post some at a later date.

The Worldwide Uchinanchu events, kickoff tomorrow, starting with a parade in Naha. 

Something tells me, there won't be much, getting done around the office, this week.

Standby.....

Wordless Wednesday in the Woods of Shuri

Then and Now (Photos) Ryutan Pond in Shuri Okinawa

Photo credit: Okinawa Soba on Flickr

1920's Image of Building on Pond

 

 

It's been over 3 years, since my good buddy, emailed this photo for a Then and Now.

In fact, it was so long ago, I couldn't remember, which friend, gave it to me.

I had a print made and carry it around on a clipboard, to help duplicate the scene.

Wouldn't it be nice if, I could get some folks, to pose like that?

September 20, 2016

 

 

Had some suitable subjects, showed up, I would have paid them to be in the photo.

That, wasn't going to happen but, I liked the way the lighting was, on this day.

The printed image, was left behind in my backpack, at the office. Groan

So, I figured the best thing to do, was take several photos, from memory.

They could always, be cropped and, I could duplicate the original, easily.

Most of this area, was destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa.

The pond, was constructed during the 15th Century, for the first Ryukyu King.

The reconstructed version looks exactly like the original.

I just thought, it would be a shame, not to show you the arch in the bridge.

Visit Okinawa Soba on Flickr and, check out the thousands of photos he posts there.

MORE THEN AND NOW

The Sacred Grove of Vagina Exposure

Today We Got It Done

It all started last month when I was researching this folktale.

The story was about an older sister, who had to kill her younger, monster brother.

The dictionary I use to verify some Okinawan language, comes from the University of Hawaii.

Other resources I use, are often books, written for children, to teach them culture.

Folklore for kids, isn't going to talk about vaginas much, you know.

For those, lucky enough to be able to read, it's OK, I guess.

So, when I discovered this in a dictionary, I had to go check it out, to make sure it's true.

Order ISBN 978-0-8248-3012-8 if, you want to read the whole thing.

It caught the attention of a couple of my camera shooting friends, too.

One's a professor and the other guy, some sort of minister, I think.

We all have Okinawan wives but, don't suppose they would be interested in this place.

The holiest guy, couldn't make it today because of another commitment.

That's a shame because, he could have seen, how we get these things done.

There's no telling, how many times, we've been up and down this trail.

It's a fairly steep sort of walkway, that goes down the hill outside Shuri Castle.

What Led Us to this Location ?

The professor and I parked near a convenience store, up on top of the hill.

Then, we walked over to this Okinawan lady's shop, to ask her something.

We were looking for Uchikanagusuku Utaki, a sacred site and, she might know where it is.

Usually, I can speak enough of the local dialect, to get by so, that's all I do.

It's a good idea, to get a little conversation going before, digging for details.

The gal was surprised, to hear two foreigners, speak her language.

We let her know, we both have local wives, living way up north and, made friends.

A couple of jokes and, she was smiling and laughing. Doing good!

My ears, don't work the best so, I figured, Doc could ask for the directions.

He started asking the gal, where we could find Hoohai Utaki.

That made me cringe. "Don't say hoohai, to some lady, we just met."

It means VAGINA!

We tap danced around that, OK, I guess.

The gal was sort of surprised and, got me laughing when she did this.

She motions, with her hands cupped and says, "You know hoohai?"

And, "You know about hoohai muuchi?" "Yup, it's in my dictionary."

Then, I rattled off a few other versions, of the thing, for her in different dialects.

She gave us directions and, we bought some ice-cream from her, for being so kind.

Then, she walked off to the convenience store and, left us watching her shop !

She returned a few minutes later with a bag of ice and, off we went.

God, I love these people.

In a roundabout fashion, we headed down the cobblestone walkway. 

It was really hot and, sweating, I stopped occasionally, snapping photos as clouds passed by.

If we ever get that preacher, to go along to this place, I think we'll hire a taxi.

That way, I wouldn't cuss so much and, there's a shortcut, to get us there quicker.

Visitors, looking for the sacred grove, might want to read the sign on this stone marker.

It points out the way, you need to go, heading off the stone paved trail.

The sign, on a stone in the sacred grove is a bit weathered.

But, it tells about Onimochi and, the devil killed by the rice cake, his sister made.

This grove of trees is where my August edition of the story took place.

Using Google Japan and Japanese to conduct another search I, found an adult version:

"When the brother demon that Agne eat rice cake was surprised to robustness of the mouth of the younger sister, sister exposed genital Makushiage the kimono to moment, as the "mouth of the above eat rice cake mouth. Under the mouth mouth to smother a demon." When you think went approached to demon brother. Anioni was caught off guard was died and fell under the cliff slips a leg. Thing to say. "

It sounds like a big sister, pulled up her kimono, and exposed herself.

Little demon brother was eating the rice cake, she smothered him, and off the cliff, he went.

Unless something was lost in translation, it sounds like this:

She smothered him with her whatchamacallit ?

DIRECTIONS ON GOOGLE MAPS

Travel Photo: UNESCO World Heritage -- Shikina-en Royal Garden

Located in Naha Okinawa

 

 

This is one World Heritage Site worth visiting again and, again.

A quick trip was made through there today because it started looking like it may rain.

Blue skies and an awesome reflection on that pond are things I'll be looking for.

And, I'm always trying to dig up little cultural secrets to share.

Like today, I discovered a good one, I had never heard about before.

A special location sits behind me, as I was shooting this photo. We have to go back and catch it.

The Ryukyu Royalty used to bring Chinese envoys there to impress them.

It's a spot where, no matter which way you turn, you can't see any ocean.

That's pretty clever for some people living on an island.

They got those Chinese dudes, thinking what a big country this place is. Hah !

Standby for some sunshine and blue skies.

Have to get some pictures to show you the view from this place.

  

I'll getterdun.

Some Folks Travel by Rail -- I Should Give it a Try

It's a Sort of Train in Naha Okinawa

 

 

That thing has been around for over 20 years and, I haven't tried it, yet !

It's not exactly, one of those bullet train things the mainland people ride.

But, I suppose, it beats walking or, taking a taxi.

The last time, I visited the big city, I saw the thing coming.

Waiting around outside a hotel, I got bored and, started looking for something to shoot.

There were no critters moving around so, I waited for the next train.

It's called a monorail.  I don't know if it really qualifies as a full fledged train.

Remember when trains had a locomotive and a caboose ?

Well, that's what you see here, without all the extra stuff.

The front car has 65 seats and, so does the back one. Plus, they have standing room.

So, there could be as many as 165 passengers up there.

 It got me wondering if, they have a slow season for train rides.

Maybe, a bunch of us could buy tickets at a discount price.

And, take our cameras on a train tour !

MORE ABOUT THE NAHA MONORAIL

Total Lunar Eclipse OCT 8, 2014 Should Be Viewable in Okinawa

Night Before the Full Moon Oct 7, 2014

 

The moon, tomorrow evening, should turn red when the eclipse happens.

That's how it gets the nickname, Blood Moon.

Tonight, around 6:30, I went out and did some practice shooting, to be prepared.

It's always a good idea to take photos the night before and after the full moon occurs.

Even though the moon wasn't a perfect circle, I shot 21 images, anyway.

That's just in case it gets cloudy or rains tomorrow night.

Astronomers and Mother Nature Don't Always Agree 

Included, in the links below, you can find dates and times the eclipse will occur.

But, whether or not, the moon will be visible, depends on the weather.

According to Time and Date Com, the eclipse (Naha, Okinawa) starts at 7:27PM.

There's not much sense, in me going all the way to Naha, to watch the thing.

On the schedule, these folks published, they tell you about the event.

It's probably best, for me to quote this part:

"Partial Eclipse begins 8 Oct, 18:18

Partial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red.

Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to the East."

Little Geography Lesson

Naha, is a city on the West coast of Okinawa Island, facing the East China Sea.

The neck of the woods, I live in, is on the eastern side of Okinawa.

For me, to leave the East coast, to watch the moon rise, would be like, I'd have to be crazy.

But, it might be a great place to watch the sun or moon, set.

Find-out If the Eclipse Will Be Visible from Your Location

Day Trip: Grab a Rope in the Guinness Record Tug of War Okinawa

Naha Okinawa Tsunahiki

 

 

This article originally appeared at (now extinct) Yahoo Voices.

The assignment, was to write a one day trip, for someone flying, to visit Okinawa from Japan.

With the Guinness World Record Tug, just a few weeks away, you may want to read this.

If you dislike large crowds, just look at the photos and, avoid the event !

A Centuries Old Tradition

Hop on a plane for an early morning flight out of Tokyo in early October and you can witness the excitement surrounding the World Guinness Record Naha Tug of War. It’s a once a year event where you can participate, or just watch, a crowd of over 15,000 people pull a tug of war rope weighing over 40 tons. The scene in the street, numbering well over a quarter million people, is a sight in itself.

Tug of wars have been held on the islands of Okinawa since the 1600’s in the belief they would insure good harvests of rice in the fields, as well as, a bountiful catch and safe journey for fishermen at sea.
The Naha tug of war has evolved to become a cultural event believed to bring prosperity, good health and fortune to the residents of all the Okinawa islands. The rope was first recognized as the world’s largest, consisting of natural fibers, by Guinness World Records in 1995.

  

There’s More to See than Just a Tug of War

The event takes place on HWY 58 just a few minutes drive north of Naha International Airport and that is a great place to view, or photograph the massive rope. The monster is placed in the center of the highway, the night before, and crowds of observers won’t start swarming the place until mid afternoon.

A few minutes walk from the highway, on Kokusai Street (International Avenue) is where the festivities begin, at noon.  There are sights and sounds you won’t want to miss.  A parade is held which will give you a taste of Ryukyu (Okinawa) history and culture, in three hours that would take ages to absorb by reading books watching videos, or traveling throughout the Ryukyu Islands Chain.
The parade showcases some brilliantly colored kimonos, traditional classic dances and a dance, seen only in Okinawa, known, as Eisa.  The sounds of drums, horns, gongs, firecrackers, stringed instruments and music piped over loudspeaker systems fills the avenue and like many other observers, you’re welcome to chant along with the performers. Just memorize the words “Ya sa sa” and “Hi e ya” and learn to whistle like a whippoorwill, only a lot louder, and you’ll fit right in.
Some of the other activities you see include martial arts performances by youth, dancing lion-dogs (known as Shishimai) and a Chinese Dragon Dance. One event, you may want to climb higher to witness and capture on camera, is the Parade of Flags.  Young men demonstrate their strength and skill at balancing a huge bamboo pole displaying a banner representing their district in the city of Naha.  Climbing some stairs or watching from a balcony gives a better view and assures your safety, should a flag come crashing down in your direction.

The World Record Tug

 

 The Tug of War normally takes place on the Sunday prior to Japan’s Sports Day, which is the second Monday in October. It’s always best to check with a travel agent or visit the official site, in the event inclement weather causes sudden changes to plans.
Opening ceremonies and a large gathering of people begin on HWY 58 around 3PM so it’s a good idea to start jockeying for your position about that time.  There are speeches given, karate demonstrations, music played and more activities with village banners but, the World Record Tug is what you want to see.

Shortly before 4 o’clock is when activity with the rope begins. The rope is in two sections which must be joined and they face east and west, lying in the street.  The loops on the ends of the ropes are designated male and female. They are joined and a large wooden peg is inserted through one of them to tie the two ropes into a single length of rope for the tug.
Men, representing the royalty of the Ryukyu Kingdom and dressed in period costumes, climb atop the east and west sections of the rope and issue challenges. This is another good time to climb to a higher level for photography, as the crowd begins to surge closer in anticipation. If you’re there to pull, the masses will help snuggle you closer.

After the shouting and dueling match between the kings takes place, a gold ball above the crowd opens, depositing balloons, streamers and confetti.  A gong sounds, the crowd surges even tighter, and the tug begins.

A sea of humans converges on the rope tugging, shouting, straining and trying to get the five meters movement in their direction it takes to become the winner. The only part of the rope that remains visible to photographer, during the tugging, is the ends of the rice straw rope with the loops on them.
This is where I’ve learned to climb to higher elevations in the pursuit of a memorable photo. 

 Anywhere above the crowds, a stairway, balcony or a rooftop will do. At street level, the rope disappears among the crowd.
The tug of war ends when a team from either the east or west side of town manages to pull the rope five meters in their direction. If neither side manages that within half an hour, the competition ends in a draw. That has happened 14 times over the years.

Excitement When the Tug-O-War Ends 

 

 

A winner or draw is declared. That’s when the fun begins. Pieces of the rope are supposed to bring good luck to your family. So, everyone wants some to take home. Hundreds of thousands of people, some who weren’t even there to watch the event, show up and converge on the monster to grab a few strands of it. 

 Couldn’t take a knife on the plane, could you?

  Not to worry. Uniformed members of the Naha Tug of War Committee are the only persons allowed to have knives at the event. They cut strands and toss them to the crowds. 

Travel Light Like a Pro

Some things I recommend for this once a year, one day event, after having done it a few times:
Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Bring a light jacket in the event it gets chilly or rains.
A backpack is the only luggage you will need.
Grab meals at any of the several Family Marts located conveniently along the routes you’ll be taking.
Yen is the currency to bring. Taxi cabs and vending machines generally, don’t accept any other currency.
Returning to Naha Airport for a meal before flying, you’ll get excellent food at reasonable prices.

Japan Airlines Guide to Japan Link for 2014 Naha Otsunahiki

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 !