The Winner Is Photo #1

Getting Business Cards Printed

A decision had to be made about, which image to display on my meishi (business cards).

Last night, I posted three photos on Facebook and, asked folks to help me decide.

There's a lot of Okinawa experts on Facebook and, I value their opinions.

But, to get more rounded advice, I went the extra mile and, did some bar hopping.

Using an unscientific method, I asked only Ryukyu people, which photo they'd choose.

When you look at the photos, which one most represents Ryukyu Life ?

Knowing, there are bird lovers, around the globe, I knew they would vote for the Mejiro.

Some, even suggested gold or silver text, would make this image pop.

But, other folks said the Mejiro, doesn't necessarily represent Okinawa.

These little birds live in mainland Japan and, Hawaii, too.

This image of an 8 year old girl performing sign language with a band, is a favorite of mine.

It was selected by men and women, on Facebook and, out in town.

It was especially a favorite, of those who heard the story, behind the image.

It's another photo that would go great with white, gold or, silver print.

First Photo Got the Most Responses

There was no need, to tally the numbers and, scratch them down on paper.

Verbally and, on Facebook, the top picture, represented Ryukyu, to the most people.

If you found 3 women in a bar, 2 out of 3, would select that image.

So, I had plenty of fun, doing my research last night. Business is business. I work hard.

One guy, came up with something, I hadn't thought of, though.

"Mike, there's no Eisa picture in there. Eisa is Ryukyu," he said.

But, out of the three, he liked photo #1 the most.

A bit more editing on the Yotsudake dancer above and, she's going to the print shop !

A Search for the Minamoto Tametomo Monument

A Typhoon Sent Him Here

 

Tracking down legends and folktales is what led me to this hill overlooking Unten Port.

Tametomo was an exiled warrior from medieval Japan, stuck in the Ryukyu islands.

The port, in Nakijin is named Unten because, Untenko means fate of heaven.

This, I learned at Okinawan Folktales which is on a Chicago website.

The author, mentioned a monument to Tametomo, being in Unten so, I had to find it.

Driving around the port a few times, we couldn't find any monument.

 So, the next thing to do, was go inside the port and, ask around.

Hah. Most of the people hanging around the place, were Chinese tourists.  Would they help me ?

A Light Came On

 

 

A look in the gift shop, when it wasn't busy, might provide some useful information.

Before going in, I noticed a nifty poster, taped to the store window.

It had a couple of hundred fish pictures on it, labeled in English, Japanese and Uchinaguchi.

The shop was comfortably cold so, I poked around like, I was looking to buy something.

Then, when the shopkeeper wasn't busy, I tried some uchinaguchi (Okinawan) on him.

That got him smiling and, babbling back at me.  And, he knew of Minamoto Tametomo.

While the professor and I, were shooting the breeze with the guy, I noticed something.

The fish posters were rolled up in cellophane and they were selling them.

One had about 250 pictures on it and, another maybe, 295 of them.

The damn things cost 19-20 dollars; that's insane.

So, I joked with the salesman and told him the prices were outrageous.

Not being a filthy rich tourist, I told him, I don't have that kind of money, to waste.

He noticed the big camera I was carrying and said, "Take a picture of one."

He pointed us in the right direction.  We thanked him and headed for the hills.

 Far Above the Port

It was beginning to look like, we would never find this historical marker.

It was hot and muggy outside and, it was getting close to lunchtime.

We had parked at intersection and done some hiking and, were about to give up.

A farmer, driving up the hill, slowed down to take a turn and, I hailed him.

The good old guy, told us the monument was farther up the hill.

We thanked him and hopped back into the air-conditioned vehicle, to keep searching.

As we rounded a bend, the farmer was waiting in his truck, to guide us to this sign.

Rough Translation: Minamoto Tametomo Monument. Yay.

 Not Flip-flop Friendly

 

 

The spot we were searching for, isn't visible from the paved road.

It's about a two minute hike uphill, over some ankle-twisting terrain.

Well, I was wearing my trademark, yellow flip-flops so, five minute hike, for me.

At the top of the hill and, end of the trail, it was nice to see this canopy; it provided shade.

The hottest days in Okinawa are tolerable if, you get out of the sun and, have an ocean breeze.

 Standing on a bench, I shot photos of the harbor below, to create a GIF.

 At the end of the trail is the Minamoto Tametomo Monument.

It looks as if, it's a few centuries old and withstood many, heavy winds during typhoons.

 Historical Significance 

 

Tamemoto, would  eventually move to the south of Okinawa to live.

He married the daughter of the Aji (Lord) of Ozato and, fathered a son.

The boy, would become King Shunten, ruler of the Ryukyu Dynasty.

Having a Ryukyu ruler from the Minamoto bloodline gave Japan a significant claim.

It was reason enough, to annex the Ryukyu islands into Japanese territory.

China Wants to Claim the Okinawa Islands

 

 

It's the 21st Century and the Chinese want to claim some of the Ryukyu islands.

They better start checking their DNA and, figure out, they aren't Japanese.

Quit rattling their swords and, just be nice tourists, visiting Japan.

I'll go back and ask the guy in the gift store to lower the prices of his posters.

Like, let the tourists have them for, let's say, um something like, fifteen bucks !

Okinawan Folktale: Nose Shutter

Stone Gate at Sonohyan Utaki

 

 

The story began here at this UNESCO World Heritage landmark.

Back in the days of the Ryukyu Dynasty it was a custom of the King to pray at Sonohyan Utaki 

 for a safe journey before making a pilgrimage to Kudaka Island.

At the gates to the shrine, the King asked for one of the guards to return to Shuri Castle and

 fetch his rain gear, in case it may rain, later in the day. 

The escorts, didn't think it could possibly rain, on  a beautiful sunny day so, conveniently forgot about the foul weather attire.

Before the procession reached Baten Port, to depart by ship for Kudaka Island, black clouds appeared overhead and, started dumping freezing rain on the pilgrimage.

Once the King discovered, no one had bothered to bring his rain garments, he roared, “We can't visit the sacred island of Kudaka, soaking wet.” 

 He was cross-eyed and shivering in his royal, water sloshed attire and so enraged, the escort of soldiers feared for their lives. 

No amount of apologies could calm the fuming ruler down.

One crazy servant came forward and, tried to cheer him up. 

 He told the King, “I'm glad we got a good soaking from the heavens. It made me realize, how fortunate we are and, we should be thankful."

The King became even more enraged and, drew his sword, to chop off the fool's head.

Quick Wits

 

“Think about it your Royal Highness” said the servant. “If our Creator had made us, with our noses pointing in the opposite direction, we couldn't breathe on rainy days.

 We didn't come to earth, equipped with nose shutters so, God made sure our noses, were placed pointing downwards.”

Sketch by Atsushi Maezato

The King had a good belly laugh.  The thought of people, wearing “Nose Shutters” cheered him up and, they probably, continued on the pilgrimage to Kudaka Island, in spite of the rain.

REFERENCE:

Okinawan Folk Stories ISBN978-4-99009-146-0

Condensed from: Hana-no Amado P. 152

MORE OKINAWA FOLKLORE

Sometimes Construction Noises Ain't Such a Bad Thing

The Reason Behind Renting an Office

 

 

For me, it's the peace and quiet so, I can concentrate and get work done.

How people work at home, beats the devil out of me.

No distractions or interruptions is what I need.

And, it's nice, when I want a break, to unroll the sleeping bag.

The equipment, in front of my office, was he first hint.  There would be no napping today.

After a late night of Ryukyu style partying, my head was hurting.

My first thought was to yell, "Hey. Have you guys ever tried to work with a hangover?"

But, you know how construction workers are.

They might have said, "Yeah. We do it every day. What's your problem?"

So, I asked if it would be alright to shoot some photos of them working, instead.

They all agreed. 

This crew was good. They might be noisy but, they were friendly.

They work fast and efficiently.

A copy of their plans, will need some translation but, I like what I see.

It seems, the telephone poles and wires will disappear.

Then, all the wires will be placed underground.

Shade trees and shrubbery will line the highway, instead of guardrails.

It will be a cameraman's dream come true.

Maybe, I'll do a Then and Now on this street.

Just wait 'til we get some blue skies.

Insect Photos: Pellucid Hawk Moth Not A Hummingbird !

These Things Can Fool You

 

 

Without sharp eyesight they might be mistaken for hummingbirds.

They could look like large bees, too.

But, have no stingers.  They are moths and won't bite you.

Instead of a stinger, it has a feather-duster of a tail.

And, that's good for spreading pollen from flower to flower.

So, people shouldn't go around killing these creatures.

They buzz around just like hummingbirds and eat the same nectar.

If they didn't have six legs and antennae, they'd look almost like a hummingbird.

Hummingbird Moths, are closely related to these insects.

 The Pellucid Hawk Moth has clear wings.

In Japan, they are called Oosukashiba (オオスカシバ).

 The Latin name is, Cephonodes hylas, for this species.

Having spent half the day getting a solid ID on this character, I give you some links.

That way, if you spot something like this in your garden, you'll know what it is.

This one, I'm calling a Ryukyu Oosukashiba (オオスカシバ) because I have proof...

from  the Okinawa Yanbaru Wildlife Field Guide ISBN978-4-408-32351-0

Those scientists should put RYUKYU in the name for ryukyuan stuff !

REFERENCES:

TpittawayTripodChina

WhatsThatBug  

Dancers and Characters at the Hamahiga (綱引き) Tug-O-War

Tug-O-Wars are Held Everywhere in Okinawa

 

 Last night, on Hamahiga Island we witnessed the usual Ryukyu style tug-o-war.

Except for the size of the rope used, they are all pretty much the same.

Some challenges are made, before the ends of the ropes are looped together.

Teams from the east side of town pull against those from the west.

What made this one different, was the people we met along the way.

Young gals who were proud of making themselves look like old hags.

There was a little guy making believe he was the village idiot.

Not sure if this was a man or, woman, I kept my distance.

They were, all friendly people and didn't mind the camera, being pointed their way.

This gal was so proud of her blackened tooth, I had to take a second photo of her.

People were decked-out in all kinds of bright colors and dancing in the streets.

This sweetheart was heading into her house by the time I caught-up with her.

But, she ran back out the gate so I could take her picture, dancing outside the yard.

The gal on the far left had some huge Dolly Parton-looking boobs on earlier.

She kept apologizing because they disappeared, somewhere along the way.

So, I told her not to worry.  I don't have any boobs, either.

That got them all laughing.

Somebody told me one of those characters was Michael Jackson.  I'd have never guessed.

Late in the evening, way after the tug-o-war, formal dances took place.

Some of these same gals might have been characters, earlier.

Face recognition, is something I must have been born without.

 That means, I'll probably never get hired by the FBI.

Seeing all the costumes and, watching the dances, was more fun than the tug-o-war.

The tsunahiki (綱引き) is an annual tradition in many villages throughout Okinawa.

They are held in the belief it will be a prosperous year for crops and good health.

The people of Hamahiga just, know how to do it in style !

Flower Photos: Asian Melastome (のぼたん) Higashi Son Okinawa

Today This Flower Convinced Me

 

There's no way, I'll ever become a plant and flower expert.

Out in the woods, near a riverbed we spotted this single bloom, just after it rained.

So, I told Map It Okinawa "We better shoot this one.  It may be some rare Okinawa orchid."

There are some plants in the Ryukyu Island jungles that have become endangered species.

It's because they are so rare, people steal them to sell.

Some places, they patrol at night to catch the criminals, who probably come from the city.

Don't you wish we could tar and feather them ?

Anyway, after we got out of the woods it was time to see if someone could help ID the plant.

Higashi Village Museum was the place to go.  They have some awesome friendly staff.

When we showed the gal the flower photos, she knew the name, right away.

It isn't an orchid.  It's a Nobotan  (のぼたん) or, Melastome.

That Sort of Busted a Bubble

The plant isn't some exotic, endangered species, near threatened or, anything like that.

The Asian Melastome (Melastoma candidum) grows all over Southeast Asia.

It has many medicinal uses, too.

So, I snoop around the World Wide Web and see what I can find for everyone.

Along came reality.  It smacked me right on the head.

These flowers, I've seen hundreds of them, before and called them Forest Stars !

That does it.  I never wanted to be a flower expert, anyway.

If anyone reading this does, you should checkout FindTheData.  I promised them a link.

In the Spotlight: Two Wakamizu Beauties

Meet Shingaki Sanae and Teruya Mami.

They were part of the Okinawan ritual known as Wakamizu.

Plenty of other beautiful ladies in kimonos were at Shuri Castle for the event.

But, these two were the only ones I had time to get model releases from.

Hundreds of photos taken over the past two weekends are waiting development.

And, there is lots of research to be done on this cultural event.

It happens only once a year in Okinawa, Japan.

The story will have to wait.  Wet cameras an old whiskers need to be dried.

Then, I have to email these beauties their photos.

Look at Luxury: Ryukyu Onsen in a Photo Essay

Senagajima Gets a New Hotel

 

These photos were taken yesterday on Okinawa's Senaga Island.

The Ryukyu Onsen Grand Opening is today.

What you are looking at is a brand new hot spring resort in the Ryukyu Islands.

 It's so close to Naha International Airport you can see the planes take-off and land.

You could hop off your flight, grab your luggage and be there in less than 20 minutes !

 A friendly staff is waiting to assist you and show you around.

They have over 100 rooms for guests.

 

The place is full of surprises.

Massage Service, Body Salon, Public Bath, Sauna, Conference Room, Banquet Hall, Outdoor

 Swimming Pool  and a Japanese Outdoor Bath, are just a few of the goodies offered.

Pets are allowed, too.

Guaranteed to be popular, is the Lunch Buffet.

Whenever you see a sign that says Lunch Viking style that means:

Help yourself to All You Can Eat !

Lockers are provided for only 100 yen.

And get this.  When you are done using them, your money comes back to you !

Ready for the Grand Opening, bouquets of flowers were on display, everywhere.

When Mrs. RyukyuMike finds out about this resort, I'll have to take her there.

First, I'll have to ask them where they'll keep my Huskies.

Once everybody gets settled, I'm going to jump in that onsen and live in luxury !

Take a Video Tour Courtesy of OkiNinjaKitty !

Visit my homepage for today's Feature Photo

More Caves on Okinawa Yea Buddy !

The Map It Okinawa Dude came by today.

And he said, "I found some new caves."

There must be an unlimited supply of caves on the island of Okinawa.

If we ever run out of caves to go into, around here, we'll just go to some other islands.

There are over 100 more islands, we haven't been to, yet.

They have something like, 160 islands in the whole Ryukyu Island Chain.

Somebody, from the Government of Japan should draft us into service.

We could be like, the official cave-hunters for the Ministry of Caves, or something, like that.

This place wasn't flip-flop friendly so, I wore shoes and socks.

There is a little bit of a stream running through the place.

It doesn't look too deep.

But, I have proof that, in spots, you can get wet, up to your wallet.

Tomorrow, will be a flip-flop day, for me.  The shoes and socks are drying.

And, it's time for me to get some Okinawa spirits.

The kind you need to drink in order to chase a cold away before it takes over your body !

  
NOT FLIP-FLOP FRIENDLY

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The Million Views Contest Winner Announced

The Winner is Emi Iwasaki, a Facebook Fan from Tokyo, Japan !

This is a continuation of the events that took place Sunday night.

In case you ever decide to do a contest redneck-style, bookmark this page.

After the winner's name was drawn, the model ran around posing with it.

The Ryukyu Dudes let her have some fun and that was alright, I guess.

We weren't paying her.  So what the heck.

RyukyuRusty was shootin' the camera and the rest of us were drinking beer.

After awhile I yelled at her to quit fooling around and said.

"Would you please hold still and let the cameraman get a picture of the winner's name" ?

 Probably, I shouldn't of done that.

  She almost cried.

So, I went over there and gave her a l'il hug and everything went back to normal.

The tux is only worn for special occasions.

Now, I have to get the beer and wrinkles out of it before St. Patrick's Day.

 Probably, you wouldn't want to be so formal, if you did a redneck contest of your own.

Some of those Bib Overalls from Walmart would be OK.

I hate gettin' all dressed up, too. 

Back to the Winner

Emi Iwasaki tells me that she loves southern islands, especially Hawaii.

She studies and teaches Hawaiian Hula Dancing.

On a visit to Okinawa back in April, Emi found my Facebook Page.

So, she has been following and liking photos there all along, without me knowing.

Facebook should fix those pages for old people.  I don't like wearing my reading glasses.

Anyway, Emi typed in there "I want to see more of the Ryukyu Islands".

CONGRATULATIONS EMI

YOU WON !

Photo of the Week: From Itoman Okinawa

 

It's been a few days since anything got posted here or, on the website.

Just a quick  photo from Itoman's Tug-O-War and I have to get going.

There are hundreds more photos from the event, plus some typhoon damage pictures to work on.

More about Typhoon Jelawat, later.

All is well with the Ryukyu Crowd and it was great seeing the sun shine yesterday.

There will be some things to show and tell you about the Itoman City folks, too.

They are awesome !

Visit my homepage for today's Feature Photo

Photo of the Week: Good Reason to Take Diving Lessons

This photo was taken near Manzamo in Okinawa, Japan.

There is an underwater cave over in that pile of rocks.

Planning on going back over there when the light suits me better, I sort of put doing it on the back burner.

That was until I found an article about the huge underwater cave system nearby.

One of those Ryukyu Dudes I hang out with will have to take diving lessons.

That's because you won't find me going inside any underwater caves !