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

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.

Why Ocean Day (Umi No Hi) in Japan ? A Photo Essay

It's a National Holiday in Japan Monday July 18, 2011.  Call it The Day of the Sea,  Marine Day, Oceans Day or Umi No Hi (海の日) or whatever you like.  I'm just going to show a dozen photos to explain why Ocean Day in Japan is important to me.  It might surprise some people, even some way over in Scotland.

Many of the festivals and ritual ceremonies I take photos at are events associated with the ocean.


The gals hootin, hollerin, chantin, dancin in the ocean and beating drums are rooting for their team rowing a boat at the Unjami, a festival held in Ogimi Village Okinawa, Japan every August.


One of my favorite birds in the whole wildlife kingdom, the osprey, depends on the ocean for his food.

On a hot summer day, you don't need air conditioning when there's an ocean nearby to cool you down.

Dragonboat races, are held everywhere.  We wouldn't have them at all if it weren't for the oceans.


            Some people go fishing as a sport, or a way to get out of the house just for relaxation.


For others, it isn't for relaxation.  It is a matter of survival.  Get some fish or go home hungry.


Water sports and other recreational activities that take place in the ocean are good for tourism.


          Once a year we have a festival where a guy butchers a fresh tuna right before your eyes.


                                                Everybody lines up a gets a serving for FREE !


If you aren't into catching your own, or standing in lines at festivals, you can always find a fish market with the catch of the day.  You won't catch me eating any fish that was stuffed into a can.

All of the above photos demonstrate why the sea is important to me.  Just like Okinawa, many places in Japan are close to the ocean and depend upon it for the same reasons I do. 

The Holiday commemorates a trip the Emperor of Japan made way back in 1876.  The ship the Emperor sailed around Japan in was built by A SHIPBUILDER IN SCOTLAND !



I WONDER IF MY FRIENDS IN SCOTLAND KNEW ABOUT THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO OCEAN DAY IN JAPAN ?