This is the third edition of the Fodor’s Japan guidebook that I’ve helped update. For the 22nd edition I travelled around Kyushu and Okinawa checking to see what changes there have been over the last couple of years. It’s great to be able to share amazing places with a worldwide audience.
The book is now available for pre-order at Amazon.
Hoshizuna Beach, Iriomote Island, Okinawa
The Japan Open Roller Derby Tournament 2016 took place at Okinawa Comprehensive Park on March 25th and 26th. Here are a few pics from Saturday’s Pirate City v Misawa Killa Geishas.
This was the first time I’ve ever watched Roller Derby, so it took a little time before I could work out what was happening. Basically, the two teams of women on skates travel around a small flat oval track in the same direction. The teams get point by having their appointed “jammer” (wearing the star helmet cover) lap the oval. The rest of the team blocks the opponents jammer and assists their own jammer.
Player can’t use their hands, elbows or feet to block. So the teams often create a defensive wall , checking the jammer with their hips.
Contact, however, is fierce and the hits were hard. There are going to be a lot of sore and bruised players today.
Overall it was a great experience to watch and photograph. All the teams were great, but the Danish team Copenhagen dominated the matches I saw, and player 55 “Bay” seemed to be able to lap the track with the ease of a speed skater.
I shot using the Pentax 645Z, 300mm lens, Profoto B1 with the magnum reflector.
Huge thanks to Wendy and Andrea for inviting me to the event. Thanks also to the Roller Derby photographers Jonathan and Carlos for letting me shooting trackside with you.
NEWS!!!! Karate Masters Portrait Project Volume 1 now on sale via Blurb
Yoshitaka Taira, 10th dan World Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu)
The Karate Masters Portrait Project began in March 2012. Its goal is to document karate and kobudo masters teaching in Okinawa at the start of the 21st Century. Their unparalleled knowledge of martial arts makes them of great cultural importance both in Japan and worldwide.
空手マスターズポートレートプロジェクトは2012年3月に始まりました。
目標としているのは、21世紀に沖縄で活躍している空手と古武道の先生方の肖像を撮ることです。空手の先生方の類まれない武道に関しての知識は、日本だけでなく、世界でも文化的に高く重要視されています。
Morio Higaonna, 10th dan Okinawa Goju-ryu karate.
In 2012, James Pankiewicz, owner of the DOJO Bar in Naha, discussed with photographer Chris Willson how there were few, if any, good photos of certain karate masters. There was also little consistency in the images available. Many were blurry, low resolution, noisy, or simply snapped from a distance at a competition or demonstration.
2012年、那覇市内にある DOJO Bar のオーナー、ジェームズ・パンキュビッチは、フォトグラファーのクリス・ウィルソンと空手指導者の良い肖像はないかと話し合いました。
それまでの使用可能なイメージはほとんど一貫性がなく、解像度が低くぼやけており、ノイズが多く、 遠い距離からのスナップ写真ばかりでした。
Tsuguo Sakumoto 9th dan Ryuei-ryu
James and Chris began to take studio lighting, a black backdrop, and a high definition digital camera into the dojos of the karate masters. They hoped the portraits produced would become a historical record of the masters of Okinawan karate at the start of the 21st century.
ジェームズとクリスは 道場にスタジオの照明や、黒背景、高精細デジタルカメラを持ち込み、撮影を行い始めました。
このプロジェクトを通して、沖縄空手の先生方の肖像が、21世紀の歴史的な記録になることを望んでいるのです。
Morinobu Maeshiro, 9th dan Shorin-ryu Karate
Gear used:
Pentax 645D & 645Z cameras with Pentax 90mm f/2.8 D FA 645 Macro.
Profoto Pro-7a generator, ProHead with Softlight Refector White
使用機材:
Pentax 645D & 645Z カメラ、 Pentax 90mm f/2.8 D FA 645 Macro レンズ、
Profoto Pro-7a スタジオジェネレーター, Proヘッド、ソフトライトリフレクター ホワイト
Shooting at the Hokama Dojo.
The order in which they photographed the karate masters was not based on age, style or rank, but rather on slowly building up connections within the Okinawan karate community.
撮影の順序は、先生方の年齢、スタイルやランクに関係なく、 沖縄空手の方々との関係を少しずつ広げていき、築きあげながら撮影を取り行いました。
Kiyomi Yogi, 6th Dan Matayoshi Kobudo
Images from the Karate Masters Portrait Project can be seen on the web at either Facebook or Flickr. However, Karate masters and their students around the world began to ask if we could produce a print book of the project. I decided to make the kind of book that I’d like to own myself. A large, high quality, coffee-table book with images of all 58 sensei that we’d photographed.
It quickly became clear that traditional publishers would want orders of several thousand books. Book production would simply be too expensive to undertake, and too risky if I couldn’t sell all of books. It might have even compromised the future of the project as I would have had to concentrate on being a bookseller rather than a photographer.
The solution was to use the U.S. print-on-demand publisher Blurb. I could create a large (11 inch x 13 inch) 122 page book and specify the use of high quality photo paper. Each of the 58 karate masters could have two pages of images along with their name, rank, and style in both English and Japanese.
2-page spread for Taira sensei.
I ordered a single test copy, it was shipped from the States to Okinawa. The test copy was then placed at the Dojo Bar where the karate masters were able to view it. A second test copy with higher quality paper was also ordered. This arrived and the “premium lustre” paper along with charcoal proline endpapers was a good improvement. Meanwhile James and I began contacting all the karate masters to double check the information in English and Japanese, and let them know about the progress we were making with the book.
Karate Masters Portrait Project Volume 1
After making the necessary changes to the text, I ordered another test copy. This arrived and a few more small changes were made along with the addition of a title page, copyright information etc. On November 29th the final version of the book was uploaded to Blurb, and it is now on sale!
After receiving your order Blurb will print your copy and can mail it worldwide. We do not plan to have a stock of books on sale in Okinawa.
The following page-by-page video allows you to check the exact photos in the book before purchase. You can also see a brief preview on the blurb website.
If a karate organization would like to gift a copy of the book to a particular master this is possible. We can order the copy, have it sent to Okinawa, sign it, and present it in person to the karate master from you. If you’d like to include a message with the book, then I can print out a message and place it inside the book. Please contact me at chris@travel67.com if this is something we can help you with.
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Each karate master photographed is given two prints for their own dojo as a thank you for taking part in the project. The pictures have been so gratefully received, and we’ve received many thanks from the karate masters and their families.
Handing out fine art prints as gifts to instructors at Naha’s budokan.
These prints of the karate masters are available to students and dojos around the world in two sizes.
11×16″ (A3) US$125 16X22″ (A2) US$175
Prints are created using archival quality Hahnemühle cotton rag photo paper and pigment inks. It is possible to make prints cheaper using generic papers and dye inks that quickly fade, but I only want to produce the best possible product. This may seem obsessive, but striving to achieve perfection is not just my goal, but is perhaps at the heart of every stance or kata. My hope is that they will take pride of place in dojos around the world.
Prints are shipped flat rather than rolled, and are mailed using insured and traceable international express airmail shipping. Images are usually dispatched within one week of ordering and delivery takes around 4 to 7 days. Shipping is US$25 dollars per order. Prints may also be collected from The DOJO Bar in Naha, Okinawa. Please email chris@travel67.com to discuss which prints you would like to purchase. Payment is via Paypal.
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At the request of some dojos, we now also offer the full resolution digital files of a single image or the best shots of a particular shoot. Purchase of the digital files gives you permission to make prints for personal usage. ( You can’t sell the digital files on to others, or use the images for purposes other than prints for yourself or your dojo. If you have questions regarding this please email and ask.) As the images are shot with medium format digital cameras (40MP & 53MP) it is possible to make very large prints.
Digital Download of Full Resolution Files
Single Image US $100
Set of Images of a Master US$500
Purchasing a print or digital files, not only helps fund the Karate Masters Portriat Project, but a portion of the fee will be given to the karate master in the purchased image(s) to help maintain their dojo.
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If you are a magazine or organization interested in licensing the images please contact me at chris@travel67.com with your questions. Permission to use an image for non-editorial purposes will not be given without the specific consent of the karate masters.
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KARATE MASTERS PHOTOGRAPHED
Volume 1.
1 Yoshitaka Taira,Hanshi 10th-dan, Matsubayashi-ryu Karate (Shorin-ryu)
平良 慶孝 範士十段 松林流空手 （小林流）
2 Toshimitsu Arakaki, Hanshi 10th-dan, Matsubayashi-ryu Karate (Shorin-ryu)
新垣 敏光 範士十段 松林流空手 （少林流）
3 Masaji Taira, Hanshi 9th-dan, Goju-ryu Karate
平良 正次 範士九段 剛柔流空手
4 Katsuhiko Yogi, Kyoshi 8th-dan, Goju-ryu Karate
与儀 勝彦 教士八段 剛柔流空手
5 Tetsuhiro Hokama, Hanshi 10th-dan Goju-ryu KarateHanshi 10th-dan Hokama Kobudo
外間 哲弘 範士十段 剛柔流空手 範士十段 外間古武道
6 Takehiro Gaja, Hanshi 9th-dan, Uechi-ryu Karate and Kyoshi 7Th-dan Matayoshi Kobudo
我謝 孟弘 範九段 上地流空手 教士七段 又吉古武道
7 Hiroshi Akamine, Kyoshi 8th-dan, Shorin-ryu Karate & 8th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo Shimbukan
赤嶺 浩 教士八段 小林流 空手 教士八段 琉球古武道信武舘
8 Shigetoshi Senaha, Hanshi 9th-dan, Goju-ryu Karate
瀬名波 重敏 範士九段 剛柔流空手
9 Jyosei Yogi,Hanshi 9th-dan Kounan-ryu Karate Dojo & Hanshi 9th-dan Okinawa Kobudo Renseikai
與儀 助盛 範士九段 硬軟流空手道場 範士九段 沖縄古武道錬成会
10 Sokuichi Gibu, Hanshi 10th-dan, Shorin-ryu Karate
儀武 息一 範士十段 小林流空手
11 Masakazu Kinjo, Kyoshi 8th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate & Hanshi 9th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
金城 政和 教士八段 上地流空手 範士九段琉球古武道
12 Mitsutada Toue, Kyoshi 8th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate and Kyoshi 8Th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
東江三和 教士八段 上地流空手 教士八段 琉球古武道
13 Satoshi Kinjo, Kyoshi 7th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate and Kyoshi7th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
金城 憲 教士七段 上地流空手 教士七段 琉球古武道
14 Kenta Kinjo, Renshi 6th-dan,Uechi-ryu Karate and Renshi 6th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
金城 憲太 錬士六段 上地流空手 錬士六段 琉球古武道
15 Hidemi Tamayose, Hanshi 9th-dan, Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan
玉寄 英美 範士九段 琉球古武道哲心館
16 Zenpo Shimabukuro, Hanshi 10th-dan, International Okinawa Shorin-ryu Seibukan Karate
島袋 善保 範士十段 国際沖縄少林流聖武館空手
17 Yoshio Kuba, Hanshi 10th-dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate
久場良男 範士十段 沖縄 剛柔流空手
18 Kensho Tokumura, Hanshi 9th-dan Ryukyu Dento Kobujutsu Hozon Budo Kyokai
德村 賢昌 範士九段 琉球伝統古武術保存武道協会
19 Yuuko Tomimoto,Hanshi 10th-dan, Ryukyu Kobudo Maeda-ryu Bojutsu
富本 祐宏 範士十段 琉球古武道 前田流 棒術
20 Kiyoshi Yogi, Kyoshi 8th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo & Kyoshi 8th-dan Uechi-ryu Kei Yogi Ryu Yogi kaikan so honbu
與儀 清 教士八段 琉球古武道 教士八段 上地流系 與儀流 與儀会館総本部
21 Yoshiaki Gakiya, Kyoshi 8th-dan, Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei
我喜屋 良章 教士八段 全沖縄古武道連盟
22 Kiyohide Shinjo, Hanshi 9th-dan, Uechi-ryu Karate
新城 清秀 範士九段 上地流空手
23 Seiei Nakaza, Hanshi 10th-dan, Okinawa Shorin-ryu Kiyobukan
仲座 清栄 範士十段沖縄小林流 清武館
24 Tsuyoshi Uechi , Hanshi 9th-dan, Isshin-ryu Karate
上地 強 範士九段 一心流空手
25 Satoshi Toyama, 7th-dan, Goju-ryu Karate
當山 敏 七段 剛柔流空手
26 Zenshu Toyama, Hanshi 10th-dan, Goju-ryu Karate
當山 全秋 範士十段 剛柔流空手
27 Narihiro Shinjo, Kyoshi 7th-dan, Uechi-ryu Karate
新城 成博 教士七段 上地流空手
28 Meitetsu Yagi, Hanshi 10th-dan, Goju-ryu Meibukan Karate
八木 明哲 範士十段 剛柔流明武舘空手
29 Ippei Yagi, 6th-dan Okinawa Karate Do Gojyukai 5th-dan Zen Okinawa Karate Do Renmei
八木一平 六段 沖縄空手道剛柔会 五段 全沖縄空手道連盟
30 Yukio Kuniyoshi, Kaicho, Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai
国吉 幸雄 会長 琉球古武道保存振興会
31 Naonobu Ahagon, Hanshi 10th-dan, Okinawa Karate & Kobudo Shorin-ryu
阿波根 直信 範士十段 沖縄空手 古武道小林流
32 Seiyu Nakamura, Hanshi 10th-dan Okinawa Dento Shidokan Karate Kobujutsu Kokusai Renmei
中村 清祐 範士十段 沖縄伝統志道館空手古武術 国際連盟
33 Tetsu Gima, Hanshi 9th-dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate – Jundokan
儀間 哲 範士九段 沖縄剛柔流空手道総本部 順道館
34 Tsueno Kinjo, Hanshi 9th-dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate – Jundokan
金城 常雄 範士九段 沖縄剛柔流空手道総本部 順道館
35 Tetsunosuke Yasuda, Hanshi 10th Dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate Jundokan
安田 哲之助 範士十段 沖縄剛柔流空手道総本部 順道館
36 Choko Kiyuna, Hanshi 10th Dan, Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate
喜友名 朝孝 範士十段 沖縄少林流空手
37 Eishou Nakazato, Hanshi 10th Dan, Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate
仲里 栄昭 範士十段 沖縄少林流空手
38 Kazuo Uezato, Hanshi 10th-dan Okinawa Goju-ryu Tomari-te Karate do Kyoukai
上里 一雄 範士十段 沖縄剛柔流泊手 空手道協会
39 Eiki Kurashita , Hanshi 10th-dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu International Karate Kobudo League
蔵下 英喜 範士十段 沖縄剛柔流国際空手古武道連盟
40 Minoru Higa, Hanshi 10th-dan, Shorin-ryu Kyudokan Karate
比嘉 稔 範士十段 小林流究道館空手
41 Koyu Higa, 4th-dan, Shorin-ryu Kyudokan Karate
比嘉 康雄 四段 少林流究道館空手
42 Masanobu Sakugawa, Hanshi 9th-dan, Shorinji-ryu Karate
佐久川 政信 範士九段 少林寺流空手
43 Takashi Okuma, Hanshi 9th-dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu Karatedo Kushinkan
奥間 隆 範士九段 沖縄剛柔流 空手道 空心館
44 Masaaki Ikemiyagi, Hanshi 9th-dan, Goju-ryu Okinawa Meibukan
池宮城 政明 範士九段 剛柔流沖縄明武館
45 Senkichi Oyakawa, Hanshi 9th-dan, Shorinji-ryu Karate
親川 仙吉 範士九段 少林寺流空手
46 Seisho Itokazu, Hanshi 9th-dan, Matayoshi Kobudo
糸数 盛昌 範士九段 又吉古武道
47 Kiyomi Yogi, 6th-dan, Matayoshi Kobudo
與儀 清美 六段 又吉古武道
48 Masahiro Nakamoto, Hanshi 10th-dan, Okinawa Dentou Kobudo
仲本 政博 範士十段 沖縄伝統古武道
49 Mamoru Nakamoto, Kyoshi 8th-dan, Okinawa Dentou Kobudo
仲本 守 教士八段 沖縄伝統古武道
50 Seiki Takushi, Hanshi 9th-dan, Goju-ryu Karate
沢岻 政輝 範士九段 剛柔流空手
51 Kotaro Iha, Hanshi 10th-dan, Ryukyu Kobudo Ryu Kon Kai
伊波 光太郎 範士十段 琉球古武道流棍会
52 Morinobu Maeshiro, Hanshi 9th-dan, Shorin-ryu
真栄城 守信 範士九段 小林流
53 Haruyoshi Shimabukuro, Kyoushi 8th-dan, Uechi-ryu Karate-do
島袋 春吉 教士八段 上地流空手道
54 Koei Teruya, Hanshi 10th-dan, Goju-ryu
照屋 幸栄範士十段 剛柔流
55 Tsuguo Sakumoto, Hanshi 9th-dan, Ryuei-ryu
佐久本 嗣男 範士九段 劉衛流
56 Hitoshi Oyakawa, Kyoshi 8th-dan, Shorinji-ryu
親川 仁志 教士八段 少林寺流
57 Morio Higaonna, Hanshi 10th-dan, Okinawa Goju-ryu
東恩納 盛男 範士十段 沖縄剛柔流
58 Tsutomu Nakahodo, Hanshi 10th-dan, Shohei-ryu (Uechi-ryu)
仲程 力 範士十段 昭平流（上地流系）
A new project I’m working on is documenting Okinawa’s traditional textile industry. Oshiro-san makes looms, shuttles, spinning wheels and other equipment from his workshop in Haebaru.
Oshiro Yoshimasa (57) carpenter making weaving looms , Haebaru, Okinawa 大城織機製作所
His customers are usually Okinawan weavers, but he has once sent a spinning wheel all the way to Texas.
Oshiro Yoshimasa (57) carpenter making weaving looms, Haebaru, Okinawa 大城織機製作所
Oshiro-san, now 57, began to learn the craft from his father at age 22. He is now teaching his oldest son.
Oshiro Yoshimasa (57) carpenter making weaving looms , Haebaru, Okinawa 大城織機製作所
Images shot with natural light, Pentax 645Z with 35mm lens.
Today was the second day of the North & South intermediate level photography workshop. We shot at beaches, a waterfall, a cave, and a world heritage site, but the highlight was meeting Jahana-san.
Full of smiles, laughter, and information about how and why people used to poop into the pig pens, Jahana-san was a delight to chat with and photograph.
80 years young, he asked where all the members of our group were from and explained he’d visited Mexico last year, Cambodia last month, and hoped to go to Canada before his legs gave out. Legend 🙂
Thanks to Anna, Liesa, Kevin and Yuki for an awesome weekend.
Out today with the Churashima Research Center taking pics from their research boat. A much happier occasion than photographing the carcass of a whale that had died and then washed up on the beach.
We were in the waters of the coast of Motobu not far from Sesoko Island. We saw around 20 whales in total, but it was the first mother and calf pair that were the star performers.
The whales slapped the surface with their long pectoral fins, and perform breaches before crashing back down onto the surface of the water.
Pics shot with the Pentax 645Z and a 300m lens. Used a monopod to take the strain off my arms. Shot at ISO 400 so that I could use shutter speeds between 1/2000 and 1/4000 of a second.
Although my current cameras can record HD 1080 video, if I’m specifically working with video on a project I want to be able to shoot footage at 4K. There are a wide range of cameras that can shoot 4K from a GoPro at a few hundred dollars to cinema cameras at a few hundred thousand. After looking at the options, and discussing things with my friend Jon Galione, I bought a Sony A7S II that will allow me to start shooting 4K internally and produce high quality footage.
Just in the testing phase at the moment, but here’s a few seconds shot with the A7S II and a Rokinon 85mm lens.
Okay Go!
The March 12/13 Fundamentals workshop is now full. If you were hoping to take this class, but missed the chance don’t worry, and please join our May, June, July, or August workshop.
Dates are here:
https://travel67.wordpress.com/workshops/
and the Facebook event page for the May class is here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/218375985183229/
Pete Leong and I have scheduled an 1-day Off Camera Flash workshop for May 21, 2016. We’ll be showing you how to add a little magical light to your images using cheap and cheerful wireless speedlights. You don’t need to have a flash to join the class, in fact if you don’t have one already, I’d highly recommend waiting until you’ve taken the class.
The Facebook event page for the Off Camera Class is here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1538758036417243/
The Kyoto Workshop is now scheduled for the first week of April 2017, exact dates will be decided on in the near future.
Another shot from the Nakijin shoot this time using a simple reflector to bounce some light back onto Yuki. You still have clear shadows caused by the early afternoon sun, but the reflector is enough to keep them in check on the subject’s face. You don’t however get the clear catchlights that you would have got with the flash.
Pentax 645Z, 90mm lens, reflector.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
A dead humpback whale washed up near Kadena a few days ago. Humpbacks migrate from the arctic to Okinawa to breed and rear their young in winter. Unfortunately for this young whale its life ended early.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
Okinawa Churashima Research Center monitors the migration of humpback whales and dolphins in the prefecture and also undertakes research to help with the preservation of endangered species such as the Hawksbill turtle and coconut crab. They also collect data from dead animals such as turtles killed by cars, bycatch from fishing nets, or beached whales.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
This morning the researchers undertook an necropsy (animal autopsy) of the humpback whale. The length of the whale, flukes, and various others parts were measured.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
The outer layers of blubber were then cut away, measurements were taken, and the flesh was bagged for disposal.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
The decomposing whale smelled badly especially downwind.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
As more and more of the whale was removed and bagged, the bones were also measured, and collected separately. After analysis the data will hopefully give some insight into why the whale, which they estimated was around 1 year old, died.
Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 