Okinawan Spiritual Women in Procession

Rituals Before a Parade

 

 

The scene above occurred at the start of juri-uma in the Tsuji district of Naha, Okinawa.

Leading visits to each sacred site are these two special women.

Just being allowed to attend and, photograph these events, is enough to satisfy me.

But, some people want to know more of the mystery behind the scenes.

For those, who like to dig deeper into the rituals and culture, I find some links:

Juri-uma parade performed in Tsuji 

Hearing Voices: Female Transmission of Memories..... 

Visualizing Priestesses or Performing Prostitutes ?

The Yuta, The Noro And The "Okinawan Witch Trials"  

Enter the Yuta (Okinawa: Reports from Japan and America) 

 

There You Have It  

 

 

 

 

There's probably enough information up there to write your own dissertation.

All this research and reading is fine for most folks.

But, I prefer what, I call flip-flops on the ground-type research.

So, I plan on making a few more trips back to Tsuji, where I can talk to real people.

Wouldn't it be nice to know if the place is full of holy ladies or, hookers ?


Related Post: Brilliant Colors and Dancing with Horses

Travel Photo: Offerings on the Mountain

 

This photo was taken on December 23, 2012, in the hills above Hedo Village, Okinawa, Japan.

The crowd surrounding the Okinawan Priestesses watched offerings being made.

To take a photo like this without barging through the crowd and disrupting a ritual can be tricky.

What I did here, was stretch my tripod all the way out and fold the legs.

Then hoisted the camera about 12 feet in the air and shoot with a shutter cable release.

Almost anything beats carrying around a stepladder or, climbing trees!

More about this New Year Water Mixing event may be seen in the Ryukyu Shimpo.