Horizon Magazine – Okinawan Shisa
A recent feature on Okinawan shisa in Horizon magazine. If you’re relaxing on the ocean with Star Cruises check it out!
All posts filed under: Japan
Climbing Mt. Fuji at night – Part 1
There are several ways to climb Mt. Fuji. I’ll describe what I believe is perhaps the best and easiest option. During the July / August climbing season, you can get a bus from outside Shinjuku train station all the way to the 5th station on Fuji. Book tickets at the office which is next to Yodobashi Camera. You catch the bus from the “extraordinary bus stop” just a few meters away. A one way ticket is 2700 yen and it takes about 2 hours 30 minutes from Shinjuku to Fuji. The 5th Station on Fuji is already up in the clouds at 2304 meters. I arrived just after 5pm so that I could take photographs in the late afternoon light, but many night climbers will opt for a bus that gets in at 18.55, or on weekends 20.15 or even 21.55. Many hikers will buy a walking stick that that can be branded at the various huts on the way up. I was already carrying enough gear, so I didn’t bother. Hiking boots are advisable for the …
Fukagawa Hachiman Festival, Tokyo – Part 1
Fukagawa Festival a.k.a. The Water Throwing Festival held at Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine, Tokyo. Participants throw buckets of water at mikoshi (portable shirines) as they are carried through streets in one of the great Shinto festivals of Tokyo. Not everyone chooses buckets of water, there were plenty of kids with their super soakers happy to join in the fun. These are shots from the Saturday, the day before the main festival. Going a day early allowed me to get a feel for the festival, work out the angles, and prepare myself for the following day.
Soma Nomaoi – The Riders Assemble
On day two of the Soma Nomaoi festival, the riders parade back to the Higarigahara-Saijochi horse racing ground from their respective hometowns. Once at the ground everyone starts to get organized. Samurai on giant horses shouted instructions. Others put the final touches to their armor. There were plenty of aging samurai preparing for battle. Some took a quick break from the heat for refreshments. This shot sums up how I, or probably any foot soldier, feels when standing next to cavalry. You’re small, vulnerable, and fully aware why a horse is far more useful than any kingdom. Following the samurai are those offering spiritual protection. Ladies performed a traditional sacred dance, and mikoshi (portable shrines) were carried into the arena. Armor on, flags unfurled, prayers offered, time to ride. And yes in the above epic samurai shot, the horse is sticking its tongue out to the camera 🙂
Soma Nomaoi Festival – Shutsujin Ceremony at Nakamura Shrine
The Soma Nomaoi samurai horsemen festival takes place each July in Fukushima Prefecture. Following the devastation of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami it was cancelled, but it restarted once again in 2013. I attended this year to document one of Japan’s great festivals, and the resilience of Fukushima’s people. Preparations for the lead samurai and his horse at the castle beside Nakamura Shrine. Breakfast of champions. Sake and cucumbers at Nakamura Shrine. Gearing up. A priest from the shrine places the helmet on a samurai rider. Time for a quick portrait. New camera, same technique of getting up in people’s faces. Priestess helps one of the youngest riders get ready. The little girl was actually the daughter of the Shinto priest. Statues at the shrine show the importance of horses to the area. The priestess like all of the other participants on horseback was an excellent rider. The mounted samurai were followed by pikemen and priests carrying a mikoshi (portable shrine). The samurai and priests then parade south from Soma to Mina Soma and the …
Porcelain Master – Hitachi Tsuji 常陸 辻. Arita, Japan
Tombai walls were built with bricks from dismantled kilns. Behind one such wall in Arita is the home of Hitachi Tsuji. Tsuji-san is a 15th generation ceramic master, and creates porcelain that graces the tables of the Japanese imperial family. Blue and white porcelain is made by applying an blue underglaze of cobalt to white porcelain and then a clear glaze. Prices range from several million to a few thousand yen. There are times when I wish I could take my dog with me when I’m on assignment. This was not one of them. The wagging tail of a labrador, would probably do more damage than a proverbial bull.
Tousosai festival at Touzan Shrine. Arita, Saga Prefecture, Japan.
Touzan Shrine is a unique Shinto shrine. It is dedicated to Ri Sanpei the Korean immigrant who established the manufacture of porcelain in Japan. The shrine’s torii gates are made of porcelain as are a pair of komainu (The Japanese equivalent of Okinawan shisa). A monument stands to Ri Sanpei on the hill behind the shrine. At Tousosai, a festival held on May 4th, Touzan Shrine gives thanks to Ri Sanpei. The ceremony is attended by local potters, representatives from Korea, and sometimes artists from other countries. The priests offered prayers and the miko performed a sacred dance. I was given permission to take a photos by the priests of the shrine who were so kind and friendly. I love Japanese festivals, even those which are comparatively unknown. I love the costumes, the ancient traditions passed down from generation to generation, the smiles, and the general awesomeness.
The Okinawan Priestess
I’m no expert on Okinawan religion, and the facts seem to vary a lot depending on who you ask, but here’s a brief explanation of a ceremony I photographed last week on Kouri Island. Okinawa’s native religion is ancestor worship, and the most important spiritual leaders are women. They are called either noro, yuta, or the more general term kaminchu. Ayako Toguchi is a spiritual leader on Kouri Island, I met her once before at the Unjami Festival. A friend pointed out on this visit that the mural in the shrine office of a woman flying through the air with a dragon is actually a portrait of Toguchi-san. April 3rd, is the third day of the third month in the Okinawan calendar, and a special ceremony was held at Sururu Gama (Sururu Cave) on Kouri Island. The cave is only accessible at low tide, after a scramble down to a hidden beach. Even at low tide the entrance must be cleared of rocks and sand before you can enter the cave. After entering the cave, offerings …
Pentax K3 Exhibition, Tokyo
A couple of my shots taken with the new Pentax K3 camera will be on display in an exhibit at the Ricoh Imaging Square in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The event takes place from March 26th to April 7th 2014, so if you’re in the area drop in and check out the photographs. If you’d like to see some images from previous exhibitions click on the Exhibitions tab above.
Morijio, or mori-shio (盛塩)
Morijio, or mori-shio (盛塩) is a little mound of salt found outside some homes and businesses. Salt is a traditional spiritual purifier in Japan, which is why you see sumo wrestlers throwing it into the ring before bouts. These pics were from my visit to Kyoto last fall.
