Pigs from the Sea Anniversary Coming Soon

 It happened on September 27, 1948

The Governor of Hawaii declared Pigs from the Sea Day on the 70th anniversary.

The Okinawan spirit of Yuimaru - Helping each other is seen in this story.

Let the monument do the talking.

LINKS

Pigs from the Sea Day 

YouTube Video

Google Maps 

Chasing the June Full Moon

3 Favorite Images

When the weather cooperates three days can be spent doing moon photography.

Sometimes rain or clouds will ruin an evening shoot so, it's best to shoot every chance you get.

This military helicopter passed in front of the rising moon on June 27th at 7:05 PM.

The pilot should contact me if, he or she wants a print of this photo.

Scientists claim the full moon has no effect on the behavior of humans or animals.

Well, I think they are all crazy. 

When the full moon is scheduled, my wife goes crazy trying to figure out if, I'll ever come home.

This is a photo of the moon setting in the west at 4:52 AM on June 28th.

In this photo, the moon is setting above Ishikawa, Uruma, Okinawa, Japan.

It was 5:21 AM on June 28, 2018, and, would be my last shot before heading home.

When I got home the wife told me she had woken at 4 AM and was worried.

It seems like the dog and her husband had been missing and, left the front door open.

The scientists, who want to learn about lunar effects, should come and talk to me!

Tobacco Aficionados Check It Out

Visit Okinawa to Get These Smokes

It began when I walked out of a bar to buy a few packs of cigarettes.

At the local grocery store, I ran into an old friend, who was hanging out, watching TV.

We drink beers together sometimes and, I had noticed him with Uruma cigarettes.

He had bummed one of my Mild Sevens, before I spotted his red pack of smokes.

It seems, he's trying to quit. The Urumas are helping him.

They are so strong he says, "After smoking one, you don't feel like having another for 3 hours."

Products Sold Only on Okinawa Islands

Way back in the late 1800's the government of Japan took over the tobacco industry.

It became a monopoly for the purpose of  taxing people so, the country could get rich.

Many years later, they figured out, private industries could make them, even richer.

The monopoly, got done away with but, the government still gets to hold one third of the stock.

When Okinawa, reverted back to Japanese control in 1972 the farmers weren't happy.

They had been raising their own tobacco and making these cigarettes, for Okinawa.

So, the big boys, up north, decided to give the tobacco farmers a break.

Before investing a total of  ¥ 630 or, about six bucks on those smokes, I did some research.

That's how I learned, these are brands exclusive of Okinawa, Japan.

Taxes drift upwards sometimes but, not as high as they would on any other Japanese smokes.

The way to get some of these gems, is to come to the islands. You can't buy them online.

Just for fun, I read some reviews of Uruma cigarettes on a Japan website.

A customer said, "They are a little bit pungent and sweet."  He recommends them for women.

When he, opened a pack, it smelled like some fancy liquor.

Another dude (in Osaka) met an Okinawan girl, who was smoking Uruma cigarettes.

He was a non-smoker but said, everyone around him was sucking smokes.

So, he decided to start sucking them, too. And, he liked to sweetness.

He's looking forward to, having that girl, smuggle him some from Okinawa on her next visit !

Some Do's and Dont's

Do: Plan on me getting rid of these smokes tonight. I ain't smoking them.

Don't: Send any correspondence, asking me to get some for you, back in the USA.

Reason: Once, in the custody of Uruma police, I promised, to be law abiding forevermore.

 More Information

Each cigarette, of both brands above contains:

Nicotine: 1.2 milligrams

Tar: 17 milligrams

Source: Learn Okinawa A-Z