Fireworks Display in Yatsushiro

Two More Photos of Yatushiro Firewoks Display

Yukata Festival

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

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 !

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

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

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.