Ken's Daily Photo Album

Yukata Festival

2011-07-27T17:09:00.005+09:00

These are the photos taken at a Yukata Festival which was held on 16th and 17th in Kumamoto City. Yukata is Japanese summer kimono and is one of the seasonal charms of summer. At ryokan, Japanese style inn, we change into a yukata in any season to relax, though. On the 17th, people of all ages, especially young people, wearing yukata were on the scene. They looked like that they were enjoying a brief flirt with unconventional living.

Harvesting Igusa

2011-07-23T13:32:00.005+09:00

The area where I live boasts of the largest igusa(rush) producition in Japan. Igusa is the material for making tatami-mats used in Japanese houses. Tatami are thick mats made of rice straw and are finished with a cover of woven igusa(rushes). Now is the high time for harvesting igusa in my neighborhood. I should have captured the clearer facial expressions of the farmer who were working under the scorching sun.

An Early Bird !

2011-07-20T07:19:00.008+09:00

This is the first post in July. I can't believe that I had been posting daily update until last November. There are several reasons for that, but one of them was that I had not been well both physically and mentally. But when I saw the doctor who treated my heart problem last Wednesday, I found out that the treatment worked almost perfectly though I have a complication. After knowing this, I started to make a practice of early rising the next day. I have been trying to get up before six o'clock every morning and take about 30-minute walk in my neighborhood or go out for taking pictures in other places in my city. I used to be a night owl but now I am an early bird. It is true that the early bird catches the worm. I have been feeling alive again these days!!

Pinkish Little Flowers

2011-06-28T17:48:00.007+09:00

These are picutures of weeds called "nejiriso" or "spiranthes sinensises" in my yard. They are now full in bloom in the yard which has not being tended for about a month because of my poor health. Actually I had an ablation precedure on my heart early this month. Since then, I had not felt like taking pictures. But today they looked so adorable that I could not resist going out into the yard with my camera. I placed a tripod in front of them, sat on the lawn, and photographed them with my 60mm macro lens. I got out of breath afterward, though.

Funny Dance

2011-05-19T21:47:00.007+09:00

These photos were taken at a welcoming party to entertain walkers who came to participate in the Kyushu International Three Day March held in our city last weekend. This dance in which dancers who are performing with red kimono coats on and funny face masks and traditional Japanese towels covering their heads is called Hyottoko Odori. They entertained the walkers with their comical and sexy performances. You can easily guess from these photos how much the foreign walkers enjoyed the dance. Some even joined the dancers on the stage.

I'm Kate!!??

2011-05-08T18:27:00.006+09:00

In our city, a children's costume parade has been held every year over 17 years on Children's Day, May 5th. This year about 200 children dressed in fancy costumes marched on the main street. The girl in this photo who was impersonating Kate Middleton posed with smile to my camera while her husband was talking with a masked clown. A man with a red cap on behind her is a mayor who joined the parade. It looked as if the street was drastically changed into a fairyland that day.

Japanese Wisteria

2011-05-03T21:24:00.003+09:00

Japanese wisterias are full in bloom in our area. These two phots were taken in a little park in our city. When I was preparing for photographing, they started to swing in a breeze. I used the slow shutter to capture gently rustling wisterias which smelt sweet in the warm spring breeze.

Framed Photos of Flowers

2011-04-28T22:14:00.004+09:00

Today I learned how to frame a photo by using Adobe Photoshop in my photography class which I attend every other week. The flowers are Japanese peony flowers which are said to be one of the most gorgeous flowers in Japan. I photographed them in a little park in our city. They look more gorgeous in the frame.

Catching Crusian Carp Ritual

2011-04-24T22:06:00.006+09:00

These are photos of a spring Shinto ritual which is held annually at Inyaku-Shine in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture. It is called Funatori Shinji or Catching Crusian-carp Ritual in which young men wearing only a red or white loin-cloth jump into a pond at the shrine, catch crusian carps, and throw them toward people who gather to watch the ritual. It is said that mud flung with carps at people will protect them from illness throughout the year. The boy shown here may live to one hundred. I enjoyed taking snap shots of the ritual together with many shutterbugs like me, while trying not to get muddy.

Model Photo Session

2011-04-16T21:32:00.004+09:00

Last Sunday I attended a spring session for photographing a model which was hosted by a local newspaper photography circle in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was held in Kumamoto Castle where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Arriving at the castle, I was surprised to find out that there were about 300 photographers!! At first I felt uncomfortable shooting a model with so many experienced-looking photographers but I took about 300 photos of this model against the background of cherry blossoms, the castle and its stone walls, and so on.

Yellow Flowers

2011-04-15T22:07:00.006+09:00

This photo is part of the vine coverd fence at my house. Now yellow flowers are blooming. I think that they are the same kind of yellow flowers growing in the backyard of my friend's house in California. I don't know their name.

High Schoolers on The River

2011-04-08T22:04:00.005+09:00

On my way to the spot where I sometimes go to take a snap shot of kingfishers, I noticed a high school girls practicing rowing on the Kuma River. I pulled over my car and photographed them with my 500mm tele-photo lens in order to make bokeh of yellow flowers blooming on a bank in the foreground. It looked like that they were enjoying their bloom of youth in the warm spring morning.

Photos of Hitoyoshi-go

2011-04-06T22:27:00.003+09:00

I love　the steam locomotive "Hitoyoshi-go,"and I like to take snap shots of it with the cherry blossoms and yellow flowers which bloom along the railroad. But unfortunately the petals of cherry blossoms in our area began to fall every time the wind blew. Yellow flowers are now past their prime. So I will not be able to take photos like these until next spring. It is not scheduled to run this weekend, but all most all cherry blossoms are gone. by then.

My Last Students

2011-04-05T21:41:00.004+09:00

This is a picture of the students from a college in Singapore whom I taught Japanese language in March. They came to Japan on a 42 day-study-abroad program on March 5. Today was one of the days when I was supposed to teach them, but my class was cancelled. They had left Japan last week because of the earthquake, tsunami, and the accident of the nuclear power plant in northern Japan. I decided not to renew my part time teaching job at a junior college for the next fiscal year which begins in April. One of the reasons is a medical treatment for my longstanding heart condition. So I completely retired from my teaching job which I had enjoyed for 47 years. These three foreign students are my last students. I really enjoyed teaching them and I thought that they also enjoyed my class. I liked their friendly smiles.

Snap Shots in Kumamoto Castle

2011-04-03T22:23:00.008+09:00

I went to see a photo exhibition which was held at Prefectural Art Museum Branch last Thursday. On my way back to a parking lot, I walked around the Kumamoto Castle and took some snap shots there. It was one of the warm spring days. There were many people doing whatever they liked under the cherry blossoms.

Steam Locomotive & Yellow Flowers

2011-04-02T10:59:00.003+09:00

These are the steam locomotive "Hitoyoshi-go" which runs from March to November in our area every year. It is one of my favorite objects of shooting in this season. They look very good in yellow flowers.

Cherry Blossoms

2011-04-01T22:53:00.004+09:00

These photos were taken in our city the day before yesterday. I photographed them by using a polarizing filter in order to bring out the color in the blue sky. As for the first photo, I waited for the wind to pick up and used a slow-shutter speed in order to capture gently rustling cherry blossoms. Now cherry blossoms are seen in many places in our city. The season for cherry-blossom viewing has come here. I suppose that many people will go on a cherry-blossom viewing picnic this weekend.

Photo of A Kingfisher

2011-03-30T21:28:00.007+09:00

This is a picture of a kingfisher which is a symbolic bird of our city. I had never thought of taking snap shots of kingfisher until one of my photo friends invited me to a spot where he used to photograph them. Today I went to the spot, placed a camera with a 500mm-lens on a tripod, and waited for them for long hours to come to catch little fish. It was just lucky that I was able to take this picture. I had been thinking that it was almost impossible for me to take snap shots of kingfishers which flew over a little stream in a flash. Next time I would like to photographe a kingfisher sweeping down from a perch or coming out of the water with a prey in its beaks.

Photos from One of My E-friends

2011-03-29T20:41:00.006+09:00

These are the photos taken by one of my email friends who lives near the disaster-affected area in Northern Japan. He photographed them in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture where an 80-year-old woman and a 16-year old boy were rescued form a demolished house on March 20. I posted them on my blog so that more people in other countries know the damage caused by the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami.

Sakura Is in Bloom

2011-03-27T21:41:00.007+09:00

Today I visited a Buddhist temple in our city which is well-known for its cherry blossoms called "shidare-zakura." This sakura is a different kind from a sakura which are commonly seen almost everywhere all over Japan at this time of year. I was so moved to see it that I photographed it from various angles trying to capture its beauty, but I wonder whether I could capture its breathtaking beauty or not. A man wearing a light brown kimono in the third photo is the head priest of this temple.

Spring is Here in Our City

2011-03-26T21:00:00.006+09:00

I have not felt like going out for photography for the past several days. But today I went to take pictures of the steam locomotive "Hitoyoshi-go" which had begun running again from Kumamoto to Hitoyoshi since March 12. Today was like one of the cold winter days, but when I arrived at one of my favorite shooting spots of the locomotive, there were lots of rape blossoms in full bloom along the railroad. Spring is here in our area!

Raindrop Jewels

2011-03-22T14:21:00.004+09:00

It is cloudy today, but it rained yesterday morning. When I went outside the house, I saw beautiful rain drops on pansy petals in a little flowerbed in my garden. They looked like crystal balls. I photographed some of them with my 60mm macro. Their close-up photos were as beautiful as jewels. This is one of them.

Farewell to "Relay Tsubame"

2011-03-21T20:17:00.008+09:00

I have been absent from blogging since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the eastern coastal area of Northern Japan last week. Now I am back again though I am worried about whether I should be back or not on my blog when the people in the disaster-affected areas are still suffering. The train in these photos is an express train which ran between Shin-Yatsushiro and Hakata until March 11. I took them at and near the Shin-Yatsushiro Station on the day which the powerful earthquake occurred. I only knew about the horrible earthquake on TV when I returned home in the evening. We will never see "Relay Tsubame" run in our area again. It was one of my favorite trains. I will miss it.

Northern Japan Devasted by Huge Quake & Tsunami

2011-03-13T11:03:00.012+09:00

These are the top pages of yesterday's local newspapers which I subscribe to. A powerful earthquake measuring magnitude 8.8 hit northern Japan on Friday afernoon. It was the largest ever recorded in the country which caused a 10-meter-high tsunami in Miyagi Prefecture. It is a devastating catastrophe. Luckily my son's family and my son's wife's parents, who are in Chiba Prefecture, and my brother's family, who is in Ibaragi Prefecture, are all safe, but they are still suffering from continuing aftershocks. It is a pity that we are just hopeless in the face of such awesome power of destructive nature.

Follow Shot of "Sakura"

2011-03-11T11:10:00.002+09:00

Yesterday aternoon, I again went to take follow shots of Kyushu Shinkansen. I took many shots at Imaizumi, Yatsushiro City, but only this one out of more than ten shots came out well. Alas!! This is a picture of "Sakura" on its test-run which will take passengers to Shin-Osaka from Kumamoto less than 3 hours!! From tomorrow on, Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train line goes into full service, liking up with the Sanyo Shinkansen line.

Snap Shots in Yanagawa City

2011-03-10T22:18:00.003+09:00

I visited one of my friends in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture the other day. Yanagawa City is popular with Japanese tourists because of its riverside canals in the city center. People enjoy riding a riverboat which takes them to see around the picturesque old city district. At this time of year, when Hinamatsuri or Girl's Festival is held on March 3rd, a great number of finely crafted dolls and hanging decorations are placed on display in a number of private homes, shops, and hotels throughout the city. When I was walking around to photograph many elaborated decorations and displays in several places, I saw a newly-married couple, their parents, and relatives in a boat. They were going from the Shinto shrine where they held the wedding ceremony to the wedding reception hall. I was just lucky that I was able to take some snap shots of them.

First Follow Shot

2011-03-08T20:49:00.006+09:00

This shot was taken in Imaizumi, Yatsushiro City yesterday. It is one of the follow shots which I took for the first time. Though it did not come out well, it was the best of more than ten shots of the bullet train "Tsubame." However I think that I should try again soon by changing the shutter speed.

Night Festival at Local Shrine

2011-03-03T21:35:00.003+09:00

These pictures were taken last February. They are the pictures of a night festival of a little Shinto shrine in our area. The shrine, where a bonfire was held, was crowded with people who came to pray for happiness and good health and buy traditional Japanese sweets from stalls on the shrine ground. It is dubbed "Ame-matsuri or Sweets festival" by local people.

Blossoms of Japanese Apricots

2011-02-27T22:43:00.003+09:00

Today was like one of the warm spring days. The mercury reached 20 degrees Celsious. The blossoms of a light pink Japanese apricot tree in my neighborhood burst into full bloom. Spring is just around the corner.

Black-and-white Picture

2011-02-25T22:56:00.003+09:00

This is a picture of Kumamoto Castle which I photographed yesterday and converted it into black-and-white by Adobe. Because the cherry trees near the moat were leafless and the buds were still inactive. As of today, the Japan Meteorological Agency has not started its annual cherry blossom forecast in our area yet.

Birds-eye View of "Tsubame"

2011-02-23T21:33:00.003+09:00

This is another photo of the shinkansen, 'Tsubame' taken from an orange orchard in Yatsushiro City. 'Tsubame' is supposed to make its last regular run on March 11.

Bullet Train "Tsubame"

2011-02-20T21:43:00.005+09:00

Today and yesterday, I went to take pictures of a Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train called "Tsubame" at one of the shooting locations in our area. Because "Tsubame", which now runs only on the Kyushu Shinkansen Line between Shin-Yatsushiro and Kagoshima-Chuo, is supposed to be replaced with new N700 bullet trains after March 12. That means the travel time from Hakata to Kagoshima will be just over an hour!!

"Oops! False Start"

2011-02-19T16:14:00.003+09:00

The other day when I was driving near the ruins of the Yatsushiro Castle, I saw a lot of sea gulls perching on the rail of the bridge over the moat. While taking pictures of them, one of them suddenly flew off. It was funny because it looked like that the one next to the flying sea gull was saying, "You're making a false start!."

Ladies' Smiles

2011-02-17T10:32:00.002+09:00

Last Sunday, I enjoyed hiking on a little mountain (263m) in Uto Penisula with my friends. On our way to the top, I met two ladies working on their orchards where they were growing two kinds of oranges. I talked to them and they let me take some snap shots of their smiles. After photographing, one of the ladies in the first picture gave the oranges which she was holding in her arms to me who was a total stranger to her. It was a happy surprise!! This kind of thing would never happen in the cities.

My Favorite Spot to Photograph

2011-02-16T22:03:00.006+09:00

The landscape in the first picture is one of officially-designated scenic and historical spots in our city. In winter this area becomes a stopping spot for many kinds of migratory birds. This is one of my favorite spots for photography.

Pictures of White-eyes

2011-02-14T11:01:00.011+09:00

February is the month when we enjoy viewing blossoms of Japanese apricots. Unlike cherry blossom viewing, which we can enjoy only for about a week, the time of Japanese apricots blooming differs from kind to kind. The day before yesterday, I went to take pictures of light pink Japanese apricots which were in full bloom in Sakamoto Town. While photographing, white-eyes came for nectar of the blossoms. They were so cute that I shot them automatically and continuously with my 500mm-super-telephoto lens. But it was difficult to focus on the eyes of the while-eyes which moves restlessly from blossom to blossom.

Two More Photos of the Light Festival

2011-02-12T16:19:00.006+09:00

These pictures were taken at a Buddhist temple in Yamaga City on the night of the Light Festival. The light from the bamboo lanterns and traditional umbrella lit from inside was beautiful but it seemed to be a little spooky in and around the temple ground.

Spring Bloomer

2011-02-11T22:17:00.007+09:00

It was cloudy today, but it was rather a good day for photography. I walked around in my neighborhood with my camera over my shoulder. Along a narrow road where I walked, I found some daffodils. I also noticed white and pink blossoms of Japanese apricots in one of my neighbor's garden. While taking pictures of the blossoms, I enjoyed a faint fragrance of the blossoms.

Light Festival in Yamaga City

2011-02-10T22:57:00.003+09:00

These pictures were taken at a light festival called "Hyakka-hyakusai" which was held in Yamaga last weekend. Last year I mainly took pictures of bamboo lanterns and traditional oilpaper umbrellas lit from inside, but this year I took many snap shots of the festival. In the first picture, a kimono-clad young lady was passing by, and in the second I photographed the scenes of illuminated alley. The area was like a fantasy world.

Nazuna

2011-02-08T21:33:00.003+09:00

It was another warm day today. I went out to take pictures of nazuna or shepherd's-purse in English. Nazuna is one of the seven herbs of spring in Japan. It is just a weed for me, but it was once a valuable vegetable in the winter time. People ate its young root or used it as medicinal plant. Today I used my Canon 60D equipped with a 60mm-macro on the tripod. Next time, I would like to take their close-up pictures.

Two Snap Shots

2011-02-06T21:32:00.003+09:00

It has been warm for the past three days. But it was freezing cold before that. The first picture was taken in my neighborhood on the early moring of February 2. The weed was covered with frost. They looked like candies coated with coarse sugar. I took the second photo the next day, which was the first day of spring in the lunar calendar. It was so warm that people in this house were airing out their futons or Japanese-style beddings on the roof. In Kyushu, Japan, spring is just around the corner.

Afternoon Snap Shots

2011-02-02T21:41:00.002+09:00

These snap shots were taken at and near a fishing port in Kawachi Town in Kumamoto last month. About 1km away from the port was a sea weed cultivation area. Many boats were going back and forth between the port and the cultivation area which was refleccted beautifully by the late atternoon Sun.

Collecting Green Algae

2011-02-01T22:20:00.005+09:00

Yesterday I came across several fishermen collecting green alage at the mouth of the Kuma River. Some were harvesting from their boats, but others were harvesting up to their chests in the cold water wearing half-body rubber suits on an icy winter day. Actually I wanted to take close-up pictures of them to capture their facial expressions, but I had no courage to do it, thinking of their hard labor.

Blossoms of Winter Sweet

2011-01-31T22:24:00.012+09:00

It has been very cold for the past few days. I usually stay home at a kotatsu, reading books or magazines, or watching television. I admit that I have been lazy these days. It was another cold day this morning. When I got out to take out the garbage, I happened to see blossoms of robai or winter sweet in my neighbor's garden. I photographed them with my 60mm macro. Though they were not their prime, I smelled sweet aromatic ordor while shooting.

Snap Shots along the Kuma River

2011-01-30T23:15:00.004+09:00

I drove to the mouth of the Kuma River to look for some subjects for photography today though it was very cold. I took pictures of seagulls resting on a boat, a man running with his pet dog, and an angler. Every time I go there, I come across something interesting to photograph.

Ascetic Buddhist Training

2011-01-29T23:33:00.007+09:00

This is a snap shot of an annual Buddhism event which is held at a temple in our city. Seven Buddhist monks wearing only a loincloth put cold water over their half-naked bodies, chanting Buddhist inovacation. It is a ritual to pray for good health of the followers of the temple in the depth of winter. The sun was out during the ritual but it was a cold day. Brrr!

Territorial Feuding

2011-01-26T21:56:00.003+09:00

These pictures were taken at a little fishing port where I recently visited when I had nothing to do. When I was looking at birds on the breakwater of the port, I noticed two herons fighting over territory. Another heron on the left in the photo was sitting still and ignoring them, though a seagull looked surprised. I love to watch birds along the mouth of the river.

Toddlers' Firefighters

2011-01-25T22:56:00.005+09:00

These photos were taken at an annual fire drill held by the City Fire Station last Sunday. The toddlers are from two nursing schools. In the first photo, they were showing the spectators a fire fighting drill which they practiced at school. And in the second photo, they were showing their performance of a traditional way of firefighting. They were so adorable that they received great applause from the spectators and city firefighters.

Shrine Festival in Amakusa

2011-01-24T09:49:00.006+09:00

This year again, I went to take pictures of a traditional festival in Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture. It attracts me because it is a 400-year-old festival held in a fishing village on the coldest day in winter on the lunar calendar. It is really interesting and exciting to see half-naked men swim in the sea carrying a portable shrine, wishing for good catch this year.

Evening Scenes at an Airport

2011-01-23T22:21:00.005+09:00

Yesterday I went to Kumamoto Airport again to take pictures of planes taking off and landing at sunset. I wanted to capture a silhouette of a plane in the setting sun. I couldn't but I was able to take better pictures than the ones that I photographed the other day. I am going to try again this week if weather permits.

More Photos of Fishing Boats

2011-01-22T21:57:00.003+09:00

This morning, I went to my favorite fishing port in our city. While taking pictures of water birds there, two fishing boats left the port. I photographed them against the Sun. The sea was shining beautifully with reflected light.

Going Out for Fishing

2011-01-21T23:12:00.006+09:00

This is a post card which I got the other day. It was a notification from a photo contest organizer. It says that I got a copper award for a monthly photo contest in December of last year. The second photo, whose title is is "Going Out for Fishing", is the one for which I got a prize. It was taken near a little fishing port in our city, which is one of my favorite places to take snap shots. I just can't believe that I have gotten five of the last 9 monthly photo awards.

At A Fishing Port

2011-01-20T23:02:00.004+09:00

When I need some photos for my blog, I often go to the mouth of the Kuma River. There are many objects for photography. These two photos were taken at a little fishing port. There were many herons perching on the breakwater of the port as if they were seeing off a fisherman who went to sea.

A Plane Taking Off

2011-01-19T20:53:00.003+09:00

The other day I went to take pictures of planes taking off and landing at dusk at Kumamoto Airport. Because it is the only airport in Japan where we can photograph a silhouette of airplanes flying against a big yellow sun and orange sky at sunset this time of year. But it is not easy to take such pictures because flight times and the sunset rarely match.

Another Addition to A Newspaper

2011-01-18T12:22:00.007+09:00

The first picture is from today's morning paper. It is the picture which I photographed and sent to a local newspaper yesterday. It is a scene in which people are drying green algae on the bank of the mouth of the Kuma River. It is one of the most typical sights in our city at this time of year. I copied the newpaper and took it to one of the people in the picture. She thanked me and gave a transparent bag of dried algae to me. I was happy because it is one of my favorite foods.

Mochi-tsuki or Rice Cake Making

2011-01-17T22:28:00.012+09:00

I took a picture of a mochi-tsuki event held at a nearby nursery school last month and sent it to a local newspaper. Then they put it in their newspaper on January 15. Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shapes. These days we use electric kneaders to make mochi at home or purchase it at a supermarket, but on that day kindergarten children enjoyed mochi-tsuki or rice cake making in a traditional way by pounding steamed rice with a mallet in a mortar with the help of their teachers. Mochi is a traditional food for the New Year.

Volunteer Fire-fighters' Drill

2011-01-13T22:39:00.004+09:00

These are pictures of an annual volunteer fire-fighers' drill held in Kumamoto Prefecture. The fire-fighters wearing traditional fire-fighters' clothes from the Edo Period competed in knocking the target out of the basket on the top of the pole by discharging water from the river with a hand pump. After that they battled with each other with their hoses and hand pumps in and out of the river.

Dondoya

2011-01-12T10:41:00.006+09:00

These are the pictures of dondoya, which is held throughout Japan early in January as one of the New Year's traditional events. It is a kind of bonfire in which we burn New Year's decorations. People roast rice cakes in the embers, wishing good health and happiness during the coming year. I photographed them at a school ground where my wife worked before she retired. The building in the back of the fire is a school gym.

My First Photo Book

2011-01-07T22:45:00.002+09:00

This is a photo book which I first made at a camera shop. I chose a picture of thesteam locomotive Hitoyoshi-go for its cover, because it is the first photo which I got a place on a photo contest after I had entered many photo contests. I selected 15 pictures which I photographed and entered several photo contests. I ordered eight copies of the album and presented one to each of my siblings, my son and daughter. I am happy that they all liked it.

Winter Scenes in Our City

2011-01-06T22:41:00.007+09:00

I took a walk with my camera hanging from my shoulder along the Kuma River which runs through our city. A bare deciduous tree looked beautiful against the blue sky. A couple of small fishing boats were tied up in the cove and a heron was perching on a concrete block in the water watching for its prey. It was one of the warm winter days today.

Takoyaki or Octopus Fritters

2011-01-05T18:09:00.007+09:00

On an approach to the Shinto Shrine I visited on January first, I spotted a takoyaki stall, which is often seen on festival days or on a day when there is an occasion like the New Year's. Takoyaki is a snack with octopus in it and is very popular in Osaka area. I bought a pack of takoyaki because the stall curtain said that the takoyaki was directly from Osaka. While I was waiting for it coming up, I took a couple of pictures of takoyaki. The cooks were moving their tools very skillfully in the steam coming from the hot takoyaki cooker.

Praying for the Good Harvest

2011-01-03T23:21:00.003+09:00

I usually get up at seven thirty, but this morning I got up before six to go to a nearby Shinto shrine to take pictures of a Shinto ritual praying for a good harvest. It was my second time to photograph it. Last year the ritual was almost over when I arrived there. I was not able to photograph the highlight of the ritual. These two are part of the hightlight that I wanted to shoot. But it was not easy for me to photograph by using a strobe light.

Feeding Sea Gulls

2011-01-02T11:33:00.004+09:00

On my way back from visiting the Shinto Shrine, I saw a grandfather and his two little grand daughters feeding sea gulls at the moat of the ruins of the Yatsushiro Castle. I pulled over and took a couple of snapshots after getting their permission. I should have taken pictures from the inside the concrete fence to capture their facial expressions more clearly.

Snapshots at the Shrine

2011-01-01T22:50:00.004+09:00

Happy New Year! I am back on the Bloggers though I decided to quit posting for the Bloggers last November. Today I visited the Yatsushiro Shrine to pray for happiness and good health for the New Year. Visiting Shinto Shrines is the important event in the New Year. Many people were drawing omikuji or a good random fortunes written on a piece of paper to learn their fortune for the New Year. Some of them were tying omikuji to the strings on or near the tree. While I was there, I took some snapshots of those who were seriously reading their fortunes, after talking to them and getting their permission.

Lion Dance Performance

2010-11-27T21:18:00.006+09:00

These are the pictures of a lion dance perfromance which was held at two places in Yatsusiro City this month. The lion dance is a ritual which is performed to bring good luck and drive away bad spirits. On our local festival day, this couple of dancers dressed as a lion head the festival procession which consists of decorated horses, kasaboko floats, a kida or a paier-mache imaginary turtle-snake, and so on. I photographed these pictures at Asai Shinto Shrine and Shohin-ken Teahouse on November 15.

I am very sorry, but this is the last posting for my blog. I have decided to quit from the Bloggers just because I have been busy with my sick old mother and also finding it hard to make the time for the Bloggers...and losing interest in the posting each day. I greatly appreciate Carolyn who proofread my daily post for long. I also appreciate my followers who encouraged me to keep posting my poor blogs.

Festival in Karatsu

2010-11-15T21:33:00.008+09:00

These are the photos of Karatsu Kunch, which is an annual festival in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture. This festival features a parade of fourteen massive floats in various forms of samurai helmets, sea bream, dragons, and other fantastical creatures. They are all made of lacquer-coated wood, and other materials. The float of a red lion, which is the oldest, was first made in 1819. Each float which stands about six meters and weighs about two tons, is drawn through the streets of the city by teams of bearers living in the fourteen traditional neighborhoods of Karatsu. This festival is designated as a folk cultural event of national importance and draws a great number of spectators from the surrounding area.

Fall Scenes in a Castle Ruins

2010-11-14T22:11:00.004+09:00

The day before yesterday, I went to the ruins of the Yatsushiro Castle to take pictures of some fall scenes. The leaves of the wax trees on the castle wall were beautifully colored. However the leaves of the ginkgo tree, which I like at this time of year, were not as beautiful as I had expected. I would like to return to capture the golden color of this magnificent tree on the lofty castle wall.

Evening Views at The River Mouth

2010-11-12T21:08:00.006+09:00

At this time of year, we can enjoy great views of the sunset in our area. These photos were taken yesterday at the mouth of the Kuma River which flows into the Yatsushiro Sea. I enjoyed the the quiet spell of the evening while shooting the setting sun in the clouds which changed into various shapes.

Tethered Hot Air Balloons

2010-11-11T22:14:00.008+09:00

At the International Balloon Festival site, there were about ten hot air balloons tethered on site for the spectators who wanted to see the interior of the balloons, talk to the pilots, or have their pictures taken with the balloons.

Motor Paraglider Performance

2010-11-09T11:52:00.007+09:00

At the Saga International Balloon Festival, I enjoyed the para-gliders' performances, too. As you see, in the first two photos, a para-glider is pulling carp streamers behind. It looks as if a family of four carps is following the para-glider. Usually a black carp represents the father, red the mother, and blue or green would be for the children.

Saga Balloon Festival

2010-11-08T21:36:00.008+09:00

Last weekend, I went to Saga Prefecture to take pictures of the Saga International Balloon Festival. When I arrived at the balloon festival site, some of the 106 balloons, some even from Europe and North America were already in the blue sky and others were waiting to become air-borne. Of course the site was crowded with many people who were looking in all directions or taking pictures of the balloons drifting in up in the air! I also got so excited that I was deeply absorbed in shooting various shapes of balloons in many colors.

Homemade Taste

2010-11-07T21:10:00.003+09:00

This is the homemade pumpkin pie. It was a present from a young American whom I teach Japanese language at home once a week. He is from Chicago and currently a teacher of English at two public junior high schools in our city. It was my second time that I tasted homemade pumpkin pie. I liked it, but it tasted a little different from the one which an American lady from Sacrament made last year. I can imagine that homemade taste is different from family to family, though.

Fall Scenes in Aso

2010-11-06T21:19:00.004+09:00

These are three of the photos which I took along the roads in Aso. Japanese silver pampas grass was shining in the sun in late fall, and the leaves of deciduous trees including Japanese maple trees were changing their colors beautifully.

Mountain Top Ablaze with Fall Colors

2010-11-05T22:48:00.003+09:00

Today was one of warm fall days, which I think Westerners call an Indian summer. I went for a drive in the Aso area in my Prius which I bought last month. These are the photos of Mt. Nekodake. It is one of the main five peaks of Mt. Aso. I wanted to see the beautifully colored fall leaves in the Jigoku-dani from the top, but I just went as far as the starting point for a trail up a mountain because of my lower back pain.

Evening Scenes

2010-11-04T21:26:00.004+09:00

The day before yesterday, I went to the port in our city where ferries to and from Amakusa arrive and depart because I thought that a beautiful sunset would appear. After photographing the setting sun, I saw the last ferry coming into the port. Following the sunset, I expected to shoot a so-called blue moment, which never appeared, so I photographed just the ferry instead.

Snapshots at a River Mouth

2010-11-01T14:12:00.005+09:00

I took these photos when I was walking along the riverbanks of the Kuma River which runs through our city. At this time of year, a great number of wild birds including migratory ones are seen at the river's mouth, which is one of the sanctuaries for the wild birds. That day I saw many anglers who were fishing from the river banks. I waited for the best time to click the shutter when one of the anglers was reaching for his fish dangling on the line.

A Skilled Maker of Japanese Sweets

2010-10-31T18:46:00.015+09:00

These photos were taken in a shop of Japanese sweets or "manjyu" near the hotel where I stayed overnight after hiking last weekend. When I was taking a walk before breakfast, I found it and dropped in it to buy some manju. It makes and sells "shiratama-manjyu" or "steamed rice flour little bun". It is a long-established shop but now it is run by an old lady after her husband was hospitalized about a year ago. She told me that she would keep making manju as long as she could. Before I left there, I asked her to let me photograph her in the workshop. First she declined my request, but after a while she posed for my camera.

Snapshots

2010-10-30T22:13:00.003+09:00

These are the snapshots that I took on my overnight trip to Saga Prefecture when I went hiking on two mountains. The first photo was taken in the garden of Ishibashi Art Museum in Kurume City, and the second near Tosu Highway Intersection. One the scarecrows was wearing a sash bearing a taffic safety slogan across its chest. They seemed to be erected not only for the rice paddies near the highway but also for traffic safety on the highway.

Little Fall Scenes on Mt. Iharayama

2010-10-29T22:25:00.006+09:00

These are the little fall scenes on Mt. Iharayama where I hiked with my friends last week. I found that some tree leaves had already begun to change their colors. We will be able to enjoy gorgeous fall colors and awesome fall scenes in a week or so because no big typhoons hit Kyushu this year.

Hiking on Mt. Raizan & Mt. Iharayama

2010-10-27T22:30:00.006+09:00

Last weekend, I hiked with my friends on Mt. Raizan & Mt. Iharayama in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu. I had to stay at the tail end of our group because of my knees and lower back aches. But I enjoyed taking pictures while making my way through the thicket on both mountains. The view from their peaks was wonderful, too.

Hanauma Bay

2010-10-25T22:46:00.005+09:00

After hiking on Diamond Head, I went to Hanauma Bay by bus though my friends wanted to do some shopping near Waikiki. It was just because I was impressed with its beautiful view from the airplane on our way back from Molokai. When I arrived, I was surprised to see a long line of people who were waiting for their turn to pay the admission to the beach. I did not know that the bay was a protected marine life conservation area. Since I had to get back to the Waikiki area to visit a little museum, I just looked down from the ridge at the beautiful beach, where many people seemed to be enjoying sunbathing, relaxing and picnicking.

Hiking on Diamond Head

2010-10-24T21:50:00.007+09:00

Since July 11, I have been posting photos of my trip to the Hawaiian Islands when I have no recent photos to post. These photos were taken from the top of the Diamond Head Crater, one of the places which I wanted to visit. I had seen Diamond Head in the background in movies, magagines and post cards, etc. since I got interested in English and America, so it was one of the musts that I wanted to visit. On July 7, I hiked on Diamond Head. It was interesting hiking inside the crater, up many stairs and through an old military tunnel. I enjoyed spectacular panoramic views from the observation deck on the rim, showing the inside of the cone, the Honolulu district and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

New and Old

2010-10-22T21:07:00.003+09:00

A new car arrived at our house last weekend. It is a "Prius", one of Toyota's hybrid cars. It gets very good mileage. I am not used to driving it yet but I like it so far. The car in the second photo, which I had used for almost ten years, had no trouble, but the number of miles driven was over 130,000 kilo meters.

Yosakoi Dance Competition

2010-10-20T22:59:00.005+09:00

These photos were taken in Kumamoto Castle on Yosakoi Dance Festival Day. Dance groups from even outside Kyushu were performing in the dance competition. Every group displayed their energetic dancing skills under the autumn blue sky. I was overpowered with their vigorous performance.

Yabusame, Traditional Mounted Archery

2010-10-19T22:59:00.006+09:00

These are threee photos of Yabusame, which is a type of traditional mounted archery in Japan. I photographed them on Kumamoto Castle Festival day. That day, there were ten archers dressed in traditional samurai warrior clothes. They competed with each other by shooting nine arrows in total at three targets from a running horse, while controlling their horse with their knees and galloping down a track at high speed. Yabusame is not a sport but a ritual which is often performed for special events. The point of an arrow is blunt and round-shaped in order to make a louder sound when it strikes the target. I was reminded of my university days when I practiced Japanese archery and took part in many archery competitions.

Fireworks Competition

2010-10-18T12:17:00.007+09:00

On the night of October 16, thirty groups of pyrotechinicians from all over Japan competed with each other over their products and pyrotecnic skills along the riverside of Kuma River in Yatsushiro City. 13,000 bursts of fireworks set off into the air were spectacular! I enjoyed the breathtaking fireworks show which brilliantly painted the night sky.

Cosmos Flowers in Full Bloom

2010-10-14T22:53:00.005+09:00

In Kumamoto prefecture, Comos flowers or Mexican Asters are in full bloom now. These are the photos which I took in a little park on the top of Mt. Nakao in Minamata City. When I visited, a lot of people were enjoying an outing under the autumn sky. The flowers under the blue sky were beautiful.

Making a Wish

2010-10-13T22:35:00.004+09:00

On the night of the lantern festival, a lot of people were writing their wishes on a piece of paper, placing it inside the bamboo lantern cut on the cross, and putting them around a sacred tree in a park.

Lantern Festival in Kumamoto

2010-10-12T21:02:00.002+09:00

On the night of the lantern festival, the area in and around Kumamoto Castle became a fantasy world! I was just enchanted by various romantic night scenes created by about 54000 lanterns.

Mizuakari Festival

2010-10-11T21:44:00.003+09:00

This year, again, I went to see and photograph a light festival called "Mizuakari", which was held in and around Kumamoto Castle. The light from a great number of bamboo lanterns against the illuminated castle was stunningly beautiful.

Three Star Dinner Cruise

2010-10-09T11:46:00.006+09:00

On the fifth evening of our trip to the Hawaiian Islands, we had a fun and exciting time on a Three Star Sunset Dinner Cruise. We enjoyed a 5-course whole Maine lobster and tenderloin steak dinner with continuous entertainment from a welcome hula, to live Jazz., etc. Our ship slowly cruised the Waikiki Coast against the backdrop of the Hawaiian sunset. The dinner was great and the sunset was breathtaking!

Pictures of Surfing Scenes at Waikiki

2010-10-08T21:27:00.005+09:00

These are the pictures of surfing scenes which I took at Waikiki Beach. While I was photographing, I slightly regretted that I did not visit there while I was still young enough to do surfboarding.

Snapshots in Waikiki

2010-10-07T22:18:00.003+09:00

These are snapshots which I took on Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. Many tourists were enjoying themselves in their own style in Waikiki whose atmosphere is free and open. Even a parrot couple on Kalakaua Avenue were kissing each other in a bold and passionate manner!!

American Chili Soup

2010-10-06T23:11:00.004+09:00

This is a picture of American chili soup that I ate for the first time in my life. It was very delicious and I enjoyed it very much. A young American, whom I teach Japanese language to once a week, cooked and brought it to me when I was sick in bed last week. He told me that his mother always cooked this dish when he was sick in bed back in the States. Listening to him say that it took him nearly three hours to cook it, I was deeply moved by his kindness.

Japanese Pampas Grass in Aso

2010-10-05T23:23:00.004+09:00

Japanese pampas grass is one of the subjects that I like to shoot at this time of the year. These photos were taken near Mt. Tawarayama in Aso on the way from my shooting drive from Oita Prefecture. I like Aso in every season but I especially like it in autumn when Japanese pampas grasses shine in the late-afternoon or in the early morning sun. The first photo was edited from a raw image of the pictures which I took in both jpeg and raw images. It is not easy for me to work with the digital data of raw images, but I have been studying how to do it by myself since last month.

Buckwheat Field in Aso

2010-10-02T17:28:00.003+09:00

These are pictures of a buckwheat field in Namino Village in Aso. When I visited there on September 24, I was moved to see a great number of pure white buckwheat blossoms as far as I could see. They were in full bloom and waving in the breeze against the Five Peaks of Mt. Aso, which is said to look like a sleeping Buddha. The Aso Area is well-known as one of the most famous production centers of buckwheat in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Pleasant Surprise

2010-10-01T22:04:00.005+09:00

The photo is part of a post card which I received the day before yesterday. It says that I got a silver award in a monthly photo contest last month. Actually, I got a golden award in the monthly contest last July but I did not think that I could have another chance to get a place again. It was really a pleasant surprise for me because I had been sick in bed since last Monday. Now I am feeling invigorated though I lost weight and have increased wrinkles on my face mainly because of the high fever.

Butterflies

2010-09-26T22:59:00.005+09:00

The two butterflies in the second photo may be a male and a female. The black butterfly with white spots was chasing around the one which was perching on the cluster amaryllis. It may be a photo of mating display. As for the the first photo, I just tried to capture the contrast beauty of black and red.

Photos of Cluster Amaryllis

2010-09-25T23:03:00.006+09:00

The day before yesterday, I went to Takeda City, Ooita Prefecture. These photos were taken at Nanatsu-mori Kofun Gun, which is well-known for cluster amaryllis at this time of year. The ground around the ancient burial mounds was carpeted with about 200,000 cluster amaryllis. There were red amaryllis as far as the eye could see. The second photo was developed from a raw image.

From Molokai to Oahu

2010-09-24T22:43:00.003+09:00

These two are the aerial photos from the small airplane called Mokulele Express. The first one is Molokai Island and the second Oahu Island, where you can see Diamond Head. The color of the water which I saw from the plane was unforgettably impressive!