All posts tagged: okinawa

Nobuko Oshiro, Kyoshi 8th dan Okinawa Karate-do Shorinryu, Taishinkan Association

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At 8th-dan Nobuko Oshiro is the highest ranked woman in Okinawa. On Friday, I photographed her at her dojo in Urasoe. At 68 she is strong and healthly, kicking high and punching hard. In a country where women are sometimes seen as decorative “office flowers” Oshiro sensei is breaking down boundaries and shattering ceilings. The phrase “you hit like a girl” is not going to be uttered in her dojo as anything other than a compliment. Photographed with the Pentax 645Z and 90mm lens. Lit with a single Profoto pro-head in a white softlight reflector powered by a 7a generator.

The Nago Bypass and Beyond

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A couple of weeks ago I dropped in at the Yanbaru Sangyo Festival in Nago which showcases business in northern Okinawa. I made contact with a few local farmers and other small businesses that produce unique Okinawan products. Hopefully I will meet them again when writing or shooting magazine articles. Another aspect of the festival was showing current and future development plans in the region. Of biggest interest to me were plans for the expansion of the Nago bypass In the image above we see the Nago bypass. Currently, after leaving the expressway at Kyoda you drive north along the coast on the 58, then take a right at the Blue Seal / Mcdonalds junction as you enter Nago. At the next traffic light you turn left onto the new bypass. The image however also shows that the south end of the bypass will eventually join back to the 58. The yellow section of road is a further possible overwater extension connecting the bypass with the expressway. (This could also be done overland) In this …

100 Kata for Karate Day at Zakimi Castle.

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October 25th is Karate Day in Okinawa, at 6AM members of several dojos gathered at Zakimi Castle to perform 100 kata (set forms). There were representatives of many different styles of karate. The event was hosted by James of the DOJO Bar, and Arakaki sensei gave the opening words of encouragement. It was great to see so many nationalities, ages, and ranks taking part. After performing 100 kata of their own styles. Everyone gathered together and performed a single kata at the same time. The group size wasn’t big enough to break a world record this year, but that’s just something to achieve another time. See you all next year! If you’d like a copy of the group pic you can download it for free HERE.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown – Okinawa

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Last week CNN aired an Okinawa episode of the travel show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. I worked on the show for a couple of weeks before Anthony arrived helping set up some of the interviews, locations and  arrange permits. This mainly involved driving around the island, making a lot of phone calls and having interesting meetings. Anthony Bourdain, famous as a straight talking, hard living chef has recently become passionate about jiu jitsu. He was therefore extremely interested in the martial arts heritage of Okinawa. This is why karate and Okinawan sumo featured so much in the episode. James Pankiewicz of the DOJO bar in Naha is the guy performing kobudo on the beach. I was taking photos of the 100 Kobudo event while the camera guys were getting B-roll footage for the show. James was also the man showing Anthony around the Makishi Market in Naha, the beach wrestling on Kume Island, Hokama sensei’s dojo, and the Dojo bar itself in the concluding scenes. The DOJO Bar is a great place to visit, or …

The World’s Biggest Tug-of-War, Naha City, Okinawa October 11, 2015

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The world’s biggest Tug-of-War was held once again in Naha City on October 11, 2015. The rope begins in two halves, stretched along the center of Highway 58. Banners are carried along Kokusai Street and then held aloft between the ropes. Representatives of the East and West sections of the rope perform karate kata. Firecrackers are lit deafening those close. After speeches from the Governor of Okinawa, and this year the Governor of Hawaii. The ropes are dragged together. The ends of the ropes are designed to loop one over the other. Numerous men with poles push the ropes as they are drawn together until they are intertwined. The giant wooden connecting pin is then brought to the rope. Around a dozen men hep lift the pin and thread it through the rope. Although it does take a little wiggling. Once the pin is in the ropes are drawn apart locking the pin in place. The kings of the East and West are carried along the rope then challenge each other to battle. Karate masters …

Shioya Ungami Sea Festival, Ogimi, Okinawa

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Yesterday, Shioya Ungami was held in Shioya Bay on the north west coast of the main island of Okinawa. Shioya is part of Ogimi village which is famous for having one of the longest living populations in the world. The festival begins with prayers and then the men of the village race dragon boats across the bay. The only woman in the boat is a yuta which is a local priestess. When the dragon boat arrived at the beach, the yuta was carried across the water so she didn’t get her feet and clothes wet. Many of the ladies and girls of the village wade into the water to sing and bang drums as encouragement for the dragon boat racers. They also stopped and prayed after the arrival of the first set of boats. The boats then raced back across the bay again as the ladies sang and waved. After the races the singing and dancing continued. Many of those laughing and bounding around were in their seventies and eighties. Many of the spectators were …

Heshikiya Eisa, Katsuren, Okinawa

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Obon (or bon) is a traditional festival to honor the spirits of ancestors. In Okinawa families often have picnics at the tombs where the remains of previous generations were laid to rest. Eisa are traditional Okinawan folk dances usually performed during Obon. There are huge commercial gatherings of dancers such as the All-Okinawa Eisa Festival in Koza, but small local events take place all over the prefecture. Last weekend I drove down to Heshikiya on the Katsuren peninsular to photograph their local eisa event. The dances begin around dusk, but I like to arrive early to get some portraits and preparation shots before the event begins. At the Heshikiya Eisa all dancers are 25 years old or younger. As with many parts of Japanese life there is a clear hierarchy of members, and as with many of these hierachies it is based on age. In this group, the oldest  take on the senior chondara roles (black jacket). Next are the chondara with the traditional brown and white costume, and then the younger drummers. Women can …

Typhoon Chan-hom

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Typhoon Chan-hom brings strong winds and heavy rain to the islands of Okinawa on 9 July, 2015. As the typhoon approached the staff at the Churaumi Aquarium protected the flower displays with netting. Tourists meanwhile scampered back to their cars as heavy rain began in the late afternoon.