1960's Image from the Village of Oku in Okinawa

Museum Photo

Not all museums allow photos to be taken so, it's best to inquire, before entering.

Whenever permissible, look for old, framed photos, hanging on the walls.

The wording below this image is written in Japanese. Google helped here:

"See the terraced fields behind the shop 1960's."

Well, I came to this island, the first time in the 1960's and, I got an idea.

Wanna make a bet, no one up there (my age) remembers where this photo was taken from?

We'll just have to go back up there and see.

It could make for another Then and Now from Oku Village.

Related Post:  Shinugu Festival in the Village of Oku

5 Carp Streamer Images at the Kickoff of Golden Week

Testing the Pentax K1

 

 

Not enough time in my hands for a full review, yet but, I like it already.

This photo was taken with a 300MM lens f/11  1/320   ISO 400.

Location:  Oku Village, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  APR 29 2016  11:12 AM

My mission today, was to try out the GPS function on the camera.

Latitude and Longitude, came out in more characters than my name and mailing address.

If you have an EXIF file reader, check it out.

Remaining Photos with the Old Pentax K3

 

 The skies wouldn't turn brilliant blue so, I cropped them out with a zoom lens.

There must be a few hundred of those colored streamers, flapping in the breeze.

Doc Graff and I, moved around, trying to get the best compositions, we could.

This time, we wandered across the river and up a road we had never been on before.

Golden Week is just the beginning of Okinawa's eternal festival season.

Families will be out in the fresh air, enjoying nature and festivals every weekend.

And, I'll  be out with the cameras, every chance I get, trying to capture them.

Weekend Highlight: Shinugu (シヌグ) Festival in the Village of Oku

Two Years of Plotting and Planning

 

 

This is another one of those, not widely advertised rituals that I have been itching to see.

It only takes place in this northern location, once every other year.

Researching the event two years ago, we learned, it had just been held, weeks earlier.

The crowd, seen in the above photo, is heading to a sacred site.

The procession is moving along a secluded street, to the beat of drums.

They are carrying a wooden tub, containing an elderly man from the village.

A bit of the martial arts, keeps evildoers and bad spirits, at bay.

Plenty of good spirits have been consumed, leading up to this part of the event.

And, many more spirits will be utilized throughout the remainder of festivities.

 Depending on which source you believe, there are a few versions of what is being chanted.

"Ii kui kui, Been kui kui and, Hi kui kui" are some of the interpretations, I have gotten.

That's followed by "Ya-sa-sa or, Eiyaa-saa."

The rituals are held at the end of the harvest season.

Dances, prayers and chants are offered in the hope they will provide future prosperous times.

See and hear some of the Shinugu Matsuri of Oku Village in this Video:

Read more about the festival at the Ryukyu Shimpo

Then and Now (Photos) Oku Village in Northern Okinawa, Japan

Credit for the use of this photo goes to the Oku Yanbaru no Sato Staff.

It was discovered in, what they call, the Exhibition Hall.

Most English speaking folks would consider the place to be a museum.

That's because it's full of artifacts, related to the history and culture of the village.

The framed, black and white image, shows how things looked in 1953.

The color photo was taken June 26, 2014.

Things have changed a lot, over the years but, the mountain peaks, remain the same.

We owe thanks to several folks, in the neighborhood, for the assistance they gave us.

Finding the spot, the original photo was taken from, can be a real challenge.

Sometimes, only people, way senior to me can point you in the right directions.

It's a blast, doing these Then and Now photos and, I always have a pile of them pending.

Standby for more, in the future.