TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography

Sometimes the solution to a problem has been there all the time.

Late last year, I had a stall at a couple of craft fares on base. People were able to check out my prints and have a chat, and I had a good time. My problem was that when someone asked will you be here next week, or next month, I had to say no. There are simply not enough hours in the week for me to spend several days a month running a stall. What I needed was a permanent place to have some of my photographs on display and a selection of prints for sale.

The solution was the Kadena Gift Corner which will, from next Tuesday, have a selection of my prints available for purchase. The staff are really friendly and the profits from the store go to various charities in both the States and Okinawa. So if you are in the area please drop in and have a look around!

Cherry blossom is now blooming in Okinawa. The best place to go is Yaedake, a small mountain in Motobu. To get there head up the 58 to Nago City and follow the road as it bends around to the right. When you see a sign for Meio University take a left and head up the hill past the Nago Pineapple Park and the Okinawa Fruits Land. Keep going straight for another 10 or so minutes and you should see signs for Yaedake.

Cherry Blossom at Yaedake, Okinawa, Japan

This weekend and next weekend will be very busy, so don’t expect any silent contemplation of the transient nature of beauty.

If you are there this weekend then you should drop by the kiln of Nick Centala the American potter based in Motobu. This weekend he will be doing the first big firing of his new wood fired kiln. Should be an impressive thing to see. You can find directions to his place on his website or look out for the sign when you are driving to Yaedake. You can read the Island Icon interview with Nick in an earlier blog  here.

The elderly in Okinawa are famous for being healthy and genki (cheerful / full of life). Last week I interviewed Dr. Craig Willcox for an future Okinawa Icon article about the longevity phenomenon.

Genki Okinawan Nakajima-san

On Monday I headed over to Chatan to try and take some more  Seijin no Hi photos, but  instead  met the super genki  Nakajima-san. I had a great chat with Nakajima-san and he posed for a few photos. He told me that he was 80 years old and very healthy. In fact, last year he was hit by a taxi that ran a red light and was thrown 5 meters through the air. He was taken to hospital where after several x-rays they found him completely unscathed. The doctor said it was amazing, Nakajima said it was a miracle and thanks Jesus.

Genki Okinawan Nakajima-san

Coming of Age Day, Seijin no Hi, Okinawa Japan

Coming of Age Day is a national holiday in Japan held on the second Monday in January. The day celebrates those who have turned 20 that year and are now officially seen as adults.

A Seijin shiki ceremony takes place at the city office where the young women wear kimono (usually rented) and have very big hair. I was told the average cost for kimono rental, hair and makeup is 200,000 yen or around 2,000 dollars. The guys wear either suits or traditional hakama. On Sunday, I went down to central Naha to get a few photos. Surprisingly, outside the prefectural office there was an almost complete absence of kimono and hakama, but a lot of police uniforms.

Recently there have been a few problems in Okinawa as a small percentage of these new adults end up taking their celebrations too far, driving or riding around causing trouble.  The police had decided to clamp down on any excessive celebrating, and were making their presence known with a large number of uniformed and plainclothes officers. It was all a little bizarre, I managed to get a few photos of the  two groups of young people who wandered past. I was then (rudely) questioned by a policeman as to why I was taking photographs and was told the situation was embarrassing for Okinawa. He seemed to  think I was waiting for mayhem to ensue and that I would try and disgrace Okinawa with images of violence and debauchery.

Coming of Age Day, Seiji no Hi, Okinawa, Japan

I took my photos and went on my way, but slightly disheartened. The policeman seemed to presume the worst of me, and likewise the worst of the young people who were meant to be celebrating. You could argue that he has to be prepared for every eventuality, but are we as a society getting a little less tolerant, a little too judgmental, a little less friendly.

Coming of Age Day, Seijin no Hi, Okinawa, Japan

Not surprisingly I didn’t have a white Christmas here in Okinawa. Most of my Okinawan friends have never even seen snow.

On the other side of the world is my hometown of Sale near Manchester. They are having the coldest, snowiest winter in recent history. My parents just told me that there was a photo of the canal near our house in The Telegraph newspaper. Here it is:

Bridgewater Canal in Sale, Cheshire. Photo by PAUL COUSANS

I wanted to put up the photo on the blog, not just because it’s a topical picture of my hometown, but because it’s a simple, elegant, timeless image. The small, almost abstract, people also remind me of the work of another Mancunian, the painter L.S. Lowry.

Streetscene by L.S. Lowry