Solomon’s Temple, on the summit of Grin Low hill, Buxton, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom
One of the highlights of 2024 was visiting the UK with the family. We were based in Manchester, but spent several days exploring the beautiful nearby countryside including the Peak District, Lake District, and Cheshire plains.
Buxton Crescent Hotel that has Natural Mineral Baths, Buxton, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom – Grade 1- listed Georgian Buidling, 1780s,
Buxton is a market town in the High Peak an hour from Manchester. It is famous for its mineral water spa baths which, similar to Bath in the south of England, attracted visitors from across the country. Although we didn’t stay there, it was impressive to see the completely restored Buxton Crescent Hotel a stunning Georgian building.
St Ann’s Drinking Well, natural warm spring, Buxton, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom
From the centre of town it was a short walk up to Solomon’s Temple, a Victorian folly on the summit of Grin Low hill.
Buxton, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom
Lovely area to spend a couple of days relaxing with the family.
One of the highlights of the year was writing and photographing an article for Tokyo Metropolitan Government with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. It was great to interview fascinating people, and to work with the team at BBC StoryWorks. The photography was varied, shooting both day and night images of Tokyo, and portraits using studio strobes and natural light. The little LOVOT robots were some of my cutest subjects! Looking forward to more assignments.
Images were shot with Sony A7RIV cameras using the 16-35mm and 24-105 lenses. When lighting the meeting at Tokyo Innovation Base I use the Profoto D2 strobe with an umbrella deep white L with diffuser.
In 2015, I had the amazing opportunity to work with the team producing the Okinawa episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. I worked as a fixer & location scout before filming, and Yuki worked as crew interpreter during filming. It was a fascinating experience and I’m glad that Bourdain was able to see some of what makes Okinawa so interesting.
The full episode is now available on YouTube, and it’s nice to rewatch and see friends such as James Pankiewicz, Tetsuhiro Hokama, and Kenny Ehman featured in the show. You’ll even spot Yuki buying the famed egg sandwiches in a Lawson convenience store.
Watching the episode is now bittersweet after the passing of Anthony Bourdain, but I’m glad that with the whole series now available on YouTube, more people will discover the show, and Bourdain’s love of food and travel.
It is sad to hear the news that the British writer, TV presenter, and broadcaster Dr. Michael Mosley passed away in Greece early this week. He is most famous for his books and shows explaining the science behind healthy living. In 2022, he came to Okinawa with the BBC Science Unit to film a section for the series “Secrets of the Superagers.”
My friend James Pankiewicz helped coordinate the shoot in Okinawa, and arranged for Michael to meet with his karate teacher Arakaki Toshimitsu. During a break in filming I got to have a chat with Michael about the causes of Okinawan longevity and our mutual interest in making documentaries. It was lovely to have met him.
A few months after the main filming was completed I was asked to go out and shoot some extra B-roll of happy healthy Okinawans so I spent a couple of days filming short clips that would eventually be used in the final documentary.
I have the “Just One Thing – with Michael Mosley” podcast on my phone so I’ll be able to continue listening to his simple tips to improve health and wellbeing as I talk a morning walk, potter in the garden, or I have a relaxing cup of tea. I’m sure he would have approved.
Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.
Sanguwacha Festival is held each year on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. The traditional rituals combine the practice of cleansing in the ocean with prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.
Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.
Two large paper fish are carried by teams of local school children through town and then out into the ocean. The elderly residents at the village’s day service came out to wave as the procession went past.
Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.
At low tide, everyone was able to wade across through thigh deep water to the nearby island. There the local priestess gave a blessing over offerings of awamori, fruit, and containers of diced octopus.
Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.
Back on the main island the women danced and sang as the giant paper fish made their way back to the village.
Sanwacha Festival held on Henza Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ritual combining practice of cleansing in the ocean, and prayers for a bountiful harvest and safe fishing.
A fantastic experience to get in amongst the action, using a wide angle lens to capture the scene. (Sony A7RIV with a 16-35mm lens)
Since 2010, I’ve been one of the updaters for Japan guidebooks by Fodor’s Travel. I started with just the Okinawa chapter, but now I also update chapters covering Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Western Honshu.
Club Med Instructor Rodo in the powder, Kiroro Resort, Hokkaido, Japan
It might seems strange to have a writer who usually lives in sunny Okinawa update the Hokkaido chapter but…
I don’t have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career.
Before I moved to Okinawa I lived for a couple of years in Hokkaido. And before I lived in Hokkaido I’d had the chance to do a fair bit of snowboarding mainly in Lake Louise (Alberta) and Red Mountain (British Columbia). International tourism is booming in Japan, and Hokkaido has become an extremely popular winter destination with great resorts and huge amounts of snow.
So last week I flew up to Sapporo to check on the accommodation, restaurant and activity options for overseas visitors. I then visited the ski areas of Kiroro, Niseko, and Rusutsu before traveling to Hakodate.
Kiroro Resort, Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido has a good variety in the types of resorts available from quiet local ski hills to the huge Niseko multi-mountain area that has an abundance of international visitors.
You’ll have to wait for the guidebook for all the facts, but Hokkaido’s ski / snowboard resorts continue to be some of the best in the world.
Hokkaido’s rail system is still lagging behind the rest of Japan. The train from Kutchan (near Niseko) to Hakodate took around 4 hours, but there is light at the end of the local train tunnel. By 2030, bullet trains should connect Hakodate with Kutchan in around 45 minutes before whizzing on to Otaru and Sapporo.
Back in Okinawa, the airport had a new porter service for bags 🙂
For the last 10 years all my business cards have had a photograph of Japanese snow monkey on the back. Everyone I met on assignments, at workshops, at print sales, and at sessions got a monkey. I used Vistaprint to create hundreds of identical cards and I was good to go.
Recently, as my photography and video jobs have become more varied, I’ve wanted a wider range of images to show this variety. MOO allows you to create business cards with up to 50 different designs on the back. The front of the cards are all identical, and I now include a QR code to make finding my website easier.
The cards arrived couple of weeks ago, just before my assignment to Hokkaido. It was really fun to allow people to choose their picture, and the designs started many interesting conversations.
The cards are a little more expensive that my previous Vistaprint snow monkeys, but the print quality is fantastic, and I now always carry a selection in my wallet and camera bags.
After signing up I got a friends and family referral code so you should be able to get 25% off your order.
While working in the garden cutting back the shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) I came across this cute Okinawa green tree frog (Zhangixalus viridis). Jasmine was interested to see the frog with its giant sticky toes, and bright yellow eyes. I got a few pics and video with the iphone before going back and getting the big camera.
The Okinawa green tree frog is a rhacophorid frog endemic to the Ryukyu Island chain. It is not uncommon, but although I hear a veritable frog chorus when it rains, I only occasionally come across them in the garden.
2023 was a year of consolidation and preparation. Travel was limited, but the months were filled meeting fascinating people, and documenting their stories.
The biggest change was Jasmine turning five. She has graduated from baby seats to booster seats, Duplo to Lego, and Paw Patrol to Bluey.
My mum and dad visited in autumn, and it was great to reconnect. Yuki was amazed at just how many cups of tea we drank.
2023 saw the return of several major events in Okinawa, including the dragon boat races, competitive sports, and local festivals.
Ryukyu Guardian Lions v Taipei Predators 1st July 2023 at Onoyama Athletics Park. Chris Willson Photography http://www.TRAVEL67.comShinugu festival, an intangible folk cultural asset of Japan, Ada, Kunigami Village, Okinawa, Japan.
I’ve met so many wonderful people from all different backgrounds.
Ryukyu dancer Kana-san wearing traditional kimono and hanagasa hat. Yomitan, Okinawa.Shinugu festival, an intangible folk cultural asset of Japan, Ada, Kunigami Village, Okinawa, Japan.
It was a pleasure to meet, photograph, and interview the Māori martial arts master Tuari Dawson. Recording him singing on the beach was unforgettable.
I’ve continued my project to document the masters of Okinawan karate, shooting both indoors on the black background and on location.
James Thompson 10th-dan Uechi-ryu, photographed in Motobu, Okinawa by Chris Willson Photography http://www.TRAVEL67.comYusuke Onaga, Okinawa Karate Kobudo, Onaga ha ren ryukai soke Photographed at the Honbu Dojo, Naha City, Okinawa on May 16 2023Greg Lindquist, 10th Dan Zensekai Karate Kobujitsu Renmei, Oyakata Kobujitsu, Kuzushi. Photographed on 9th April 2023Bryson Keenan ,8th dan Okinawa Gojuryu Kenkyu Kai.Yoichiro Kuniyoshi 6th dan Uechi-ryu Karate with his younger brother Wataru Kuniyoshi (3rd dan) training on the beach in Yomitan, Okinawa. http://www.TRAVEL67.comJean Frenette, Goju-ryu Karate, stunt coordinator photographed at the Jundokan dojo in Naha City, Okinawa on July 26th 2023.Chika Toguchi (40) 3rd dan Uechi-ryu karate, All Okinawa Kumite Champion
The Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate series has grown in popularity with hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and Instagram. Series Two has included Okinawan icons such as Higaonna Sensei and Matsuda Sensei. A huge thank you to the sponsors and supporters of the series.
I’ve also had the opportunity to interview international karate masters during their visits to Okinawa. In the last month I’ve released the amazing stories of James Thompson (Uechi-ryu karate / U.S. special forces), and Jean Frenette (Goju-ryu karate / stunt coordinator).
A huge thank you to all those who have supported my work over the year. Thank you for taking my workshops, thank you for booking me to photograph your events and your families. Whether it is military balls, university graduations, or piano recitals, it is always a pleasure to be a small part of your special day.
Chinami Piano Studio Recital, 9th November 2023, Okinawa, Japan. Chris Willson Photography http://www.TRAVEL67.comBeach Session, Motobu, Okinawa Chris Willson Photography http://www.TRAVEL67.com
2023 was the first year I created calendars, which are now available at my Shopify store.
2024 is hopefully going to be a big year. The construction of a new studio / office beside our house will allow me to expand the business, while I hope to venture beyond the reef, and explore more of Okinawa, Japan, and the rest of the world.
Hope you all have a wonderful 2024! Thank you again for all your support.
On Sunday December 3rd 2023 the World Ryukyu Kobudo Championships were held at the Karate Kaikan in Okinawa. It was particularly good to see Kenichi Yamashiro competing with so much power and technique at 76 years old.
Kenichi Yamashiro 9th dan Matayoshi Kobudo (age 76) competing at World Ryukyu Kobudo ChampionshipsKenichi Yamashiro 9th dan Matayoshi Kobudo (age 76) competing at World Ryukyu Kobudo Championships
Yamashiro Sensei didn’t win, but his student Hiroshi Kawakami took 1st place in both sai and bo, so I’m sure he was pleased overall.
Hiroshi Kawakami, Student of Keichi Yamashiro & Hidetada Ishiki at the Workld Ryukyu Kobudo Championships – 1st place in Sai and Bo kata.
I photographed Yamashiro Sensei for the Karate Masters Portrait Project back in 2019 so I was pleased to be able to say hello.
Kenichi Yamashiro, 9th dan Matayoshi Kobudo,. Photographed March 1st 2019 at the Komesu Yamashiro DojoKenichi Yamashiro, 9th dan Matayoshi Kobudo,. Photographed March 1st 2019 at the Komesu Yamashiro Dojo
Kenichi Yamashiro was one of the key student of Matayoshi Shimpo Sensei. I’d love to interview Yamashiro Sensei in the future. Another key student of Matayoshi Shimpo was Hidetada Ishiki who I’ve also photographed and we interviewed for Series Two of Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate.
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 