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Awa Odori continued…

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3 more photographs from the Awa Odori festival in Tokushima City.

The first is a dance move which looks similar to the defensive position you see in movies after marines exit their Humvees while under fire.

Awa Odori dancers adopt a classic defensive position.

Awa Odori dancers adopt a classic defensive position.

The second is of a girl wearing a variation on the men’s costume.  (Would have preferred a cleaner background, but it is hopefully out of focus enough not to be distracting.)

Awa Odori Dancer, Tokushima, Japan

Awa Odori Dancer, Tokushima, Japan

Most of the dances took place after dark. As I wasn’t using flash, I had to “rage against the dying of the light” and look for opportunities to use the last remaining shafts of sunlight.

In this shot I prefocused on the shaft of golden light and waited until a dancer entered the frame.

Awa Odori Dancer, Tokushima, Japan

Awa Odori Dancer, Tokushima, Japan

Awa Odori, Tokushima

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The first stage of my trip was to Tokushima to take photos of Awa Odori (Awa Dance) the biggest dance festival in Japan. It takes place from the 12th to the 15th of August and was a festival I’d heard of but never seen. There are two main types of dance one for the women (wearing crescent shaped hats) and one for the men (danced by both men and women). It was a fantastic event to watch, but quite difficult to photograph as it is both an evening event (dark) and people are moving around (tough to focus). I shot a lot of film, most of which was junk, but there were are few diamonds in the rough.

Formation dancing - check out how they all balance on the front of their geta (sandals)

Formation dancing - check out how they all balance on the front of their geta (sandals)

Awa Odori, Tokushima, Japan

Awa Odori, Tokushima, Japan

Back in Okinawa…

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Flew back into Okinawa last night.

Trip went as planned except that I spent 3 nights near Nachi Katsuura to get the shots I wanted of the waterfall so didn’t make it to Mt Hiei or Wakayama City.

In Osaka I got film processed at Yodobashi Camera.

5 rolls of Provia 400F 120

16 rolls of Provia 100F 220

I still have 7 exposed rolls of 220 that I will drop off at Kitamura Camera later today.

Big pile of transparencies means I will spend the next week with a loupe, light box and scanner. Hopefully will have some images ready for the web in the next few days.

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters.

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I’ve lived in Okinawa for nearly 10 years but there are some places on the island I haven’t visited. Last week I went to the Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters for the first time. It was an interesting experience, a somber reminder of both the tragedy of war and the suffering it brings to all involved, particularly the young and old, stranded in the midst of a typhoon of steel.

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Naha, Okinawa

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Naha, Okinawa

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Naha, Okinawa

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Naha, Okinawa

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Naha, Okinawa

Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Naha, Okinawa

Turtle Release at Emerald Beach, Okinawa Expo Park

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The day after I got back from Yakushima, I was up at Emerald Beach to photograph the release of captive bred turtles into the ocean. Here are a selection of images from the event.

Crates of turtles are readied on the beach.

Crates of turtles are readied on the beach.

Each turtle gets its own identity tag

Each turtle gets its own identity tag

Local children get to release the turtles into the ocean.

Local children get to release the turtles into the ocean.

Some turtles are not quite sure which way to go...

Some turtles are not quite sure which way to go...

but staff are on hand to guide them in the right direction.

but staff are on hand to guide them in the right direction.

10,000 Person Eisa Dance

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I should have mentioned this before the event, but today was the 10,000 person Eisa dance festival on Kokusai Street in Naha.

Took the big camera and shot a roll and a half. Manual focus and medium format film is not ideal for fast moving dances – there is a good chance that many if not all the shots will be out of focus or have an arm blocking the face. Will have to wait and see if there are any keepers when I get the film back.

Until then here’s one from a couple of years ago.

10,000 Person Eisa Dance on Kokusai Street, Naha, Japan

10,000 Person Eisa Dance on Kokusai Street, Naha, Japan

On the Bookshelf: Marley & Me

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Marley & Me by John Grogan

Marley & Me by John Grogan

Just finished reading Marley & Me (along with several million other people if you believe the sticker on the cover). For those who haven’t heard of it, the book is a collection of anecdotes about the author’s life with his crazy labrador Marley.  The first few chapters are pretty much my life with Bear, while the later chapters are pretty much my life with Pudding. The last few chapters were tough to read. Pudding is 13 years old and almost completely deaf. She sleeps about 22 hours a day, and only has short ambles around the garden as her legs are a little wobbly. Hopefully the magical elixir that seems to extend life on Okinawa will work it’s wonders, and Pudding will be able to sniff, snooze, and watch over Bear for years to come.