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

Then and Now (Photos) A Narrow Passage

Ginama Northern Okinawa

 

Meandering through the hills, killing time, this historical sign was discovered.

They should make meandering a religion.  Us meanderers wouldn't ask you for any money.

When, it came time, to get to heaven, we'd be the last ones through the door.

That was a short sermon.

Ginama is a small community, situated between the shore and mountains.

There isn't much arable land for farming, at lower elevations, along this coastal area.

To reach any land worth tilling, people had to do some climbing uphill.

The trail, leading up to farmlands was very narrow. It wasn't wide enough for two persons.

To pass someone along the trail, somebody would have to backtrack, to a wider spot.

It became known as the "Backtracking Path" or, Modoru Michi.

Over 100 years ago the principal of Hedo Primary School decided to fix the trail.

He got a bunch of volunteers, to widen it and, make it safer for passage.

They did such a good job, horses and oxcarts, had room to pass each other.

Fortunately, someone from Keystone Studio, took this photo in 1960.

More than likely, it was done by Blackie the Photographer; I'll ask his son.

Notice, the road is unpaved and people smiled.

Smart phones and selfie sticks, weren't even invented, yet.  They had genuine smiles !

Typhoons, landslides and erosion may have caused some re-routing of the passage.

Here is what the scene looks like today.

Travel uphill, past the stone formation in the left side of the previous photo and, look back.

It gives a sense of appreciation for the widening of this trail.

If, you happen to be driving and, someone in a vehicle, comes your way, guess what ?

One or, the other will still, have to do some backtracking ! 





More: Then and Now Photos

Then and Now (Photos) A Scene from Ginama in Okinawa Japan

The black and white photo was taken in the 1950's

The road, along the west coast of Okinawa, was known as HWY 1, back in those days.

The photographer, who went by the nickname, Blackie, I never had te pleasure of meeting.

His son, WBM Bradford, I have become friends with online.

Okinawa has changed plenty, over the years.

Though I love doing this sort of thing with the camera, I wasn't sure I could pull this one off.

 This color photo is the scene as it looks today.

The photo was taken by my friend, Ryukyu Rusty on August 23, 2014.

The rocks, just off the highway, were the landmarks, used to duplicate Blackie's photo.

Landslides, over the years, covered this part of the thoroughfare.

Old HWY 1, was renamed HWY 58 and, is still a major highway heading north.

This portion of the road, has been closed to traffic.

A tunnel was built, re-routing the highway, off to the right of this location.

The cameraman, would have to climb, in order to duplicate the original photo.

With a copy of the B&W image, Rusty, climbed and got the job done.

SEE: "Blackie-San" Grassroots Legacy Project

More Then and Now Photos

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.

5 Scenes of Kin Town's Okawa Spring After Dark

Tonight I took a camera stroll to shoot a few night photos.

This spring has been a subject of mine hundreds of times, in the past.

 It was so much fun composing different photos, I almost forgot what I went there for.

There is a daylight scene similar to this, I want to duplicate, at night.

It might take me a few more attempts to get it right.

The original image, is in my Then and Now series.

Maybe, next time, I'll bring it along, to help me shoot from the correct angles.

People going by, looked at me like I was some kind of crazy.

That's because they aren't used to seeing a old man with a camera, sitting down in the street.

They'll get to know me after awhile, though.

It will probably take all summer, for me to get his assignment done.

Because, shooting here at night is so much fun !

Then and Now (Photos) Sougen-ji (崇元寺) Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Here is what Sougen-ji looks like today.

Trying to duplicate the original photographer's shot, I had to stand in the middle of the street.

A black and white police car made me hurry and get out of there.

I wanted to show you the similarities and differences with this Then and Now.

Above photo courtesy of Okinawa Soba, a super Flickr contact of mine.

Most visitors to the island of Okinawa don't realize, they had real trains here before World War II.

Stop by and see Okinawa Soba's collection of fine photography.

There, you can learn a lot more about Sougen-ji and the history of the Ryukyu Islands.

UNESCO World Heritage Castle Gate at Night (Photo)

守礼門

This photo of Shureimon was taken at 9:51PM on Nov 3, 2012.

The gate, also known as a torii, is at the main entrance to UNESCO Shuri Castle,

the most popular World Heritage Site in Okinawa, Japan.

Related Posts:

Then and Now Photos: Shureimon

UNESCO Shuri Castle at Night 

Shuri Castle Day and Night

This Old House Could Use Some American Lovin'

In the never-ending pursuit of photos for my Then and Now Series I found this beauty.

It's one of the few houses that survived the Battle of Okinawa.

Over 100 years old, it is a wooden home built without a single nail.

  

The photo, I borrowed off this historical sign, posted in front of the house.

Next, I cropped the sign some more so you could read it without me having to type a lot.

 This old house was the first postwar museum on the island of Okinawa.

And, it's still standing today.

It would make a great Then and Now story.

There is one small problem with me doing it.

Whatever type of funding the place was getting from the government has been cut off.

That's according to emails I have been getting from some reliable sources.

The valuable artifacts that were in this museum are now in the Okinawa Prefectural Museum. 

The place should have been declared a World Heritage Site.

It may be demolished for lack of the few pennies a day it would take to keep it standing.

Look at the historical documents on the first postwar museum.

Then, you'll understand why I say this old house could use some American lovin'.

TRUST ME.  I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT FUNDRAISING.

But, if you do, we can do something about this situation.

Get with me on Facebook if you'd like to help.

Some military unit, church, base commander, chaplain, wives club, scout troop, housing agency,

 franchise, philanthropist, or even, a decent motorcycle gang, can save this old house.

Don't you think so?

More about the Higashionna Museum and Directions

Then and Now (Photos) Okawa Spring in Kin Okinawa

This photo of Okawa Spring was taken around 1955.

Photo Credit:  REMEMBERING OKINAWA

The above photo was taken July 20, 2012.

More Then and Now photos.

See Mapitokinawa for more details.

In the Spotlight: Omine Seibin at The Hall of Beauty and Peace

Here's a photo of artwork done by Omine Seibin.

This is one of the masterpeices that stops me in my tracks, everytime I see it.

There have been many occasions where I've visited the Stone Lion of Tomori.

There was an Essay for Apogee Photo Magazine.

And, the photos taken for the Then and Now Series.

Omine Seibin's art takes you back to the times when life on Okinawa was different.

My photography doesn't do the artist justice.

You have to see it in person in Okinawa's Hall of Beauty and Peace. 

Find directions to see the original Stone Lion Statue HERE.

Then and Now Photos: Shureimon (守礼門) a Torii in Okinawa

This photo of Shureimon ( 守礼門 ) often called the Shuri Castle Gate, was taken in the 1960's.

Here is a photo of the Torii at Shuri Castle taken May 12, 2012.

The first photo was taken with color slide film and provided by Donn Cuson at

REMEMBERING OKINAWA

Visit his link above to see the original color print along with hundreds of other photos showing 

Okinawa, Japan as it looked during the last Century. 

More Then and Now Photos

Then and Now Photos: Gokoku Shrine Torii in Naha Okinawa

This photo of a torii, on a road leading into Gokoku Shrine at Onoyama Park in Naha Okinawa, Japan was taken this afternoon March 25, 2012.

The scene in the photo above is what I went searching for but, the landscape has changed.

My good friend Donn Cuson from REMEMBERING OKINAWA provided the photo and said it was from the 1949-50 time frame.

When he emailed it, he said, "Note the little kid as the base of the torii."

So, I told him, I'd see if I could find a volunteer to help duplicate the scene.

Moving closer to the Gokoku Shrine, notice the toriis have changed.

Arakaki Osamu and his family were visiting the shrine and he gave consent to have his daughter,  Cocono pose for us, to complete today's photo assignment.

Osamu and Cocono, thank you.

The Then and Now Series isn't really work, to me.  It's fun !



More Then and Now Photos

Then and Now Photos: The Stone Lion of Tomori Okinawa, Japan

The Stone Lion of Tomori is probably the most published and oldest Shisa (lion dog statue) on the island of Okinawa, Japan. The photo was taken June 18, 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa.

This copy of the original press release photo was provided by

REMEMBERING OKINAWA

The scene, as it looks now, comes from the camera of Russell Robertson (RyukyuRusty) and was taken just this week, on March 18, 2012.

Photo #3, also dated March 18, 2012, I took from a slightly higher elevation, to show more of the background.

As this Then and Now Series progresses we will put together some articles explaining exactly how it's done.  Right now, we're on a learning curve and gaining some valuable experience.

It's a lot of hard work and involves being willing to travel long distances at exactly the right time in order to capture the light and shadows to best duplicate the original scene.

The support I've received from Donn Cuson (Remembering Okinawa), RyukyuRu, RyukyuRusty and Doc Graff (Maybe, I should start calling him RyukyuDoc), make this possible and I owe them all an immense debt.

  Between the lot of us, I don't think we've accumulated a dime doing this business, yet.  But, we are having fun.

Most important is the unbelievable support we have gotten from local Community Centers (公民館) and individual Okinawans we've met on the streets or working their fields.


They learn what I'm trying to do and they smile.


That's good enough for me.


See the original article THE TOMORI LION by DOC GRAFF


MORE THEN AND NOW POSTS

Then and Now Photos: Naminoue Shrine ( 波上宮 ) Torii Gates

Some of the photos in an Okinawa Then and Now Series cannot easily be duplicated.

These six photos show the Naminoue Shrine ( 波上宮 ) Torii Gates over the decades.

This is a photo of the road leading to the shrine taken in 1931.

The staff at the Naminoue Shrine office gave consent to take a photo of their print hanging on the wall.

This photo provided by REMEMBERING OKINAWA was taken in 1945.

Another scene of the same site from the office walls is dated 1954.

This bird's eye view by RyukyuRusty was taken March 10, 2012.

Here's a final shot I took from a different elevation on March 10, 2012.

More on the history on Naminoue Shrine may be seen in THE SAMURAI ARCHIVES.

More Then and Now Photos

Then and Now (Photos) Kin Kannon Temple Okinawa, Japan

This photo of Kin Kannon Temple was taken in 1966 by photographer Donn Cuson.

Here is a photo of Kin Kannon Temple taken yesterday afternoon.

Other than Coca Cola and Pepsi vending machines, a cell phone tower and a satellite dish antenna (far left) for the Buddhist Monks to watch TV, the place hasn't changed all that much in the past 46 years.

This temple was built sometime back in the 16th Century as the result of a Buddhist missionary being rescued from a typhoon-wrecked ship by the people of Kin Village.

There are more spirits on these temple grounds than all the other spiritual places I've visited in my travels around the world !



Then Photo was taken with a Canon 7

Now Photo taken with a Canon G12  



NOTE:  It has been brought to my attention that some folks interested in following this Then and Now Series are experiencing difficulty locating the posts.


In the near future a Then and Now page will be created to make things more reader friendly.


Please, bear with me on this.


There are a few of us Ryukyu Cameramen, really excited about this project.


We are traveling all over the island of Okinawa, Japan doing whatever it takes to identify, locate and recompose those photos on the REMEMBERING OKINAWA Website.

It is a work-in-progress that requires plenty of outdoors exercise, research, patience, and time but, we are determined to document every recognizable site we can find.  It's a blast !


Shooting these photos from the same perspective as the original is our goal and that can be a real challenge, at times.

We have received some excellent support from members of local communities in identifying the THEN sites when we tell them it is to obtain a NOW photo, 50-60 years later. 

It dawned on me,  just this week,  we should take photos of the process we go through in making this series.  The smiles we encounter on the faces of Okinawan people, the methods we use looking for a certain location, how we get there and some of the trying, hilarious or dangerous situations we get into to take a photo, are all part of the story.  A book could be written about it but, we are cameramen, and busy.


The good old Google Search for "Then and Now Photos Okinawa" works fine, for now. 
As soon as I get ten in this series of blog posts complete,  a Then and Now Page will be created.


More Then and Now Photos

Then and Now (Photos) Suicide Cliff Mabuni Okinawa, Japan

Here is a photo taken from an area known as Suicide Cliff to most Americans.

It was taken sometime between 1963 and 1967 from Peace Memorial Park on a hill in Mabuni Itoman Okinawa, Japan.

This photo was taken in March of 2010 from a slightly different viewpoint.

Then and Now photos show that the key terrain features on the island of Okinawa haven't changed all that much over the past 45 years.

As we continue with this series, getting into some areas around villages, cities and places where the oceans have been filled in to develop more land, parts of Okinawa will become unrecognizable to those who lived on the Ryukyu Islands back the old days.

More of Peace Memorial Park may be seen in A SEARCH FOR UNCLE SAM

See where the nickname Suicide Cliff originated along with the GRIZZLY DETAILS HERE

ORIGINAL PHOTO PROVIDED BY REMEMBERING OKINAWA HISTORY

More Then and Now Photos

Then and Now (Photos) Todoroki Waterfall (轟の滝) Okinawa

This photo of Todoroki Waterfall (轟の滝) in Nago Okinawa, Japan was taken sometime around 1966 or 67 by a photographer I recently became acquainted with through the miracle we call the Worldwide Web.

If you like good old fashioned film photography, as much as I do, you'll be able to enjoy hours upon hours seeing what Okinawa looked like back in the years 1945 through 1972 on his website.

Donn, has given his consent to allow me the use of his photos for a project I've been wanting to do for a very long time.

It will be a series of Then and Now Photos  taken on the island of Okinawa, Japan.

Here is a an example of what I plan on doing.

My usual large horizontal photos are coming, soon.  Standby.....

This photo was taken October 23, 2011.

That would be some 45 years later.

Over the years, naturally, erosion has occurred.

The Kanji character ( 勇) for Brave or
Courageous has disappeared from the large boulder at the base of the falls.

Vegetation changes with the seasons and typhoons may move some trees around.

Moss grows on the boulders and stones.

But one thing never changes.

Todoroki (轟)means "roar".

Todoroki Waterfall (轟の滝) is still roaring, today.

TO FIND TODOROKI WATERFALL

TAKE A PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF OKINAWA AT HISTORY OF OKINAWA 1945 to 1972

Please share this informative, historical site with anyone you know who has spent time on Okinawa, lives here now, or is preparing to visit. 

They will better understand why Okinawa and it's people should be considered treasures.

More Then and Now Photos

Then and Now: An Okinawan Sweetheart (Photos)

Yup, I got her permission.  Nope, I ain't givin her name away.

Here is a photo of this gal, I met up in Bise Okinawa, Japan.

It was taken, probably, before colored film became popular and maybe, before it was even invented.

Let's just say this picture is from way back then.

And here's a photo of the little sweetheart now.

You know, a gentleman doesn't ask a lady her age.  So, I did.

But, I aint givin that away, either.

Let's just say somewhere around ahem, ahum, not any younger than me.

See the island in this photo?

That'd be IeShima.  It's the island I went to for the Easter Lily Festival.

The gal in the photos above modeled for an airline poster with that island in the background.

That was way back then.  She promised to go and strike the same pose for me at the same location for a Then and Now Series I'm putting together.  Wouldn't that be cool?

Whaddya Think I Called Her A Sweetheart For?

More Then and Now Photos