All posts tagged: japan

Kenichi Yamashiro – World Ryukyu Kobudo Championships

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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. 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. 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 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.

Ryukyu Guardian Lions v Taipei Predators

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On July 1st 2023 the Ryukyu Guardian Lions took on the Taipei Predators in an off-season American football game. I had the opportunity to shoot from the sidelines, and be up close to the action. I used a couple of Sony A7RIVs with the 200-600 and the 16-35 lenses. I managed to get they key shots I wanted which included the quaterback 藤原 慶太 throwing the ball, and defensive line Gabe Edwards shutting down the opposition. Wide receiver 池口 伸之 had a fantastic run to score a touchdown that sealed the game. As RGL won the game it was also good to photograph the celebrations, and gett pics of both teams. You can find more information about the team at https://ryukyuguardianlions.com

Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate S2#3 Yoshimasa Matsuda

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I’m very happy to announce that the full-length interview with Okinawan karate master Yoshimasa Matsuda is now available on YouTube, and also ad-free on Bujin.tv The episodes are taking longer to create than in the previous series, mainly as we are asking more questions and delving deeper into the experiences of the teachers. Matsuda Sensei used a mixture of Japanese and Uchinaguchi (the Okinawan language) in the interview so as well as being important from a karate perspective, I think the interview is also a good recording of an Okinawan switching naturally between the two languages. When you watch the episodes on YouTube please click the like button, subscribe to the channel, and make a comment about what you enjoyed most about the video. These things will all indicate to the YouTube algorithm that the video is worth sharing with others. You can learn more about the video series here: https://travel67.com/the-karate-masters-portrait-project/sensei-documentary/ I’d like to say a huge thank all those who are sponsoring and supporting this second series. SERIES TWO SPONSORS Martin Pinto – Essex …

Andrea Klementisová – Gojuryu Karate

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A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to photograph a karate world champion, Andrea Klementisová. After winning numerous karate championships around the globe Andrea moved from Slovakia to Okinawa. She has assisted Okinawa prefecture with the promotion of karate overseas, and helped with the organization of tournaments. She is now also teaching classes at the Asato Dojo in Naha, City. Meeting Andrea also gave me the opportunity to start a new series of portraits, Sensei: The Next Generation. Unlike the original series of portraits which are all shot with a single key light, my thought is that these will also be lit with a rim light from behind. Shooting with a single light against a black background worked well with the oldest karate masters as they usually had either white hair, or were bald. If you photograph a person with black hair against a dark background, they can sometime melt into the darkness. Adding a rim light or hair light helps the subject stand out. James and I also recorded an interview with …

Dragon boats are back!

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After a four-year hiatus, the dragon boats are once again racing during the Golden Week holidays. Friday afternoon had the finals of the regular races with the boats crews made up of both locals and Americans. The sky was overcast, but luckily it was not raining on the day. After these races the special dragon boat race took place, which the crews in traditional costume, along with flag bearers and karateka. I’m not sure of the names of the sensei performing with the black-robed crew, or the blue-robed crew, but the white-robed crew was led by Onaga Sensei, a karate master I’ll be photographing in the coming weeks. Checking back through my archives I found a pic from 2011 when I actually managed to get in one of the boats for a race. Can’t believe I was shooting with a medium format digital camera, in the rain, on a boat that might sink! After going further back in the archvies, I found images shot with the Pentax 67ii medium format film camera around 20 years …

Bise Village Kimono Shoot with Tomoko

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A great experience photographing Tomoko before she leaves the island next month. Bise Village in Motobu Town is famous for its fukugi trees Garcinia subelliptica which are used as windbreaks and provide shade. The idyllic tree-lined avenues are particularly photogenic and are recently the setting for a Japanese tv drama Chimudondon (ちむどんどん). Professional photography/video in Bise Village of clients in formal wear (bridal or kimono) now requires booking and a shooting fee, but it remains one of my favorite locations. Kimono styling by Yuki. Sony A7RIV with 50mm f1.2 lens. Profoto B1 strobe with softlight reflector to add a little fill.

Fodor’s Travel – Essential Japan

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In spring 2022 I spent several months traveling around Japan updating four chapters of the guidebook Essential Japan by Fodor’s Travel. It was great to be back in Hokkaido, and introduce some of the amazing places to ski and snowboard, plus fantastic opportunities for wildlife watching. In Kyushu I had great experiences exploring the volcanic scenery of the island, and meeting some amazing people. My time in Western Honshu was when the cherry blossom was in full bloom, so many of the sights were looking particularly stunning. I’ve been updating the Okinawa chapter for numerous editions of the guidebook, but my daughter has given me new insights into what makes attractions, hotels, or beaches family friendly. Updating the guidebook also revealed how tough the pandemic has been for many people and businesses. So many restaurants, bars, and even hotels had closed for good. As things return to (a new) normal I hope that everyone is able to get back on their feet once again.