Welcome to the Subajogu Blog. Maintaining this blog will serve as a place for me to post comments for subjects that require further explanation. I also have many ideas for photo essays running through my mind. The goal is to complete and publish some of those projects here as well.
Tanbo Matsuri
The phrase "tanbo matsuri" is Japanese for "rice field festival". This event is popular in Okinawa because it encourages participants, mainly children, to play in the mud and get real dirty. Located in Kin Village, this festival kicks off the Golden Week holiday and many families travel to this location from all over Okinawa to take part in the festivities. Today, even in the rain and chilly temperatures, people flocked to the area to relax and let off steam. Personally, I intended to leave the house early and make it a family outing but the weather started to turn for the worse so I cancelled the planned family adventure and we went shopping instead. However, later in the afternoon I decided to head up to the festival after all because I had never been and I didn't want to miss it this year. Admittedly I was somewhat doubtful that anyone would be out on a day like today but still, I dropped the family off at home, grabbed my umbrella, and headed out the door. By the time I arrived in Kin, the festival was winding down and people were beginning to call it a day. There were a few children still playing in the mud so the pictures that follow were what I found during my first trip to the Tanbo Matsuri.
For more pictures, please visit the Okinawa Events folder, http://www.subajogu.com/events
Ryukyuan Fishing Ports
I thoroughly enjoy exploring Okinawa and believe the best way to do so is by foot. With that said, I often find myself driving to an undetermined location, parking the car and proceeding to walk. I normally walk in no particular direction but my head is always on a swivel as I am searching for interesting subjects to photograph.
Someone once asked me if I had a certain theme that I strive for when I out shooting. My answer to that was not necessarily. Many times I just venture off and enjoy the weather. Sure, I often sweat in the blazing heat and humidity or my mouth becomes dry as my body tells me that it is time to rehydrate but neither condition is ever bad enough for me to call it quits and head home. I have been using this method for a few years now and I'm still motivated to spend hours walking around because I always come back with a usable image and I never regret spending time shooting. Likewise, I believe this approach affords me the opportunity to capture a variety of subjects and I am drawn to the level of uncertainty that comes with not knowing what or who I'll find on any given day. In fact, the majority of my images have come from this type of exploration.
This blog entry is a case in point. One day while out exploring Okinawa, I stumbled upon a fishing port. I was immediately fascinated with the various sights that can be found at any typical Okinawan port. In many aspects, these ports are all the same yet at the same time, each is quite unique. The pictures that follow are just a few of the sights that I have found while exploring Ryukyuan fishing ports. Additional pictures can be found at the following gallery: http://www.subajogu.com/fishingport
Konbu Recycle Center - Update
As I mentioned in an update on my original post regarding this subject, on 2 March I sent an email to the city office, the prefectural government, and a couple newspapers. In that email I described what I saw at this site and expressed my concern about what was not being done. I have yet to receive a reply from either recipient but when I drove by this location today, I saw that someone had been there to repair the gate. When I asked a nearby shop owner if she saw who fixed the gate pictured above, she replied that she hadn't but she did see someone stop by today to cut the grass around it.
Since it has only been four days since I made initial contact, it is safe to assume that the unsafe and environmentally damaging structure inside is still standing and not much has changed. Yes, part of me is happy that at least this much was done in response to my email. Indeed, at least now no kids can easily wander back there to explore. Still, this simple fix is not enough if all the dangers remain inside. Therefore, the other part of me that is still unhappy about this situation would like to see this entire site properly cleaned up.
Abandoned Recycle Center album: http://www.subajogu.com/abandoned
Konbu Recycle Center
Update: 2 Mar '12 - With my wife's help, I have found a letter that was written in 2006, from the Uruma City Council. In that letter the council members express concern about this site and why it is taking so long to get cleaned up. I will include the link on the bottom of this post so the two people who read my posts (hi mom, hi dad!) can view the document for themselves if interested. The documents are written in Japanese but I am looking into getting them professionally translated. I included links to all the documents that we found in an email and sent it to the city office, the prefectural government's environmental office, and two newspapers (the Ryukyu Shimpo and the Stars and Stripes). I hope one of the four recipients takes an interest in this issue and sends me a response. If so, I will post another update in the future.
I recently published a folder titled "Abandoned Recycle Center", and in that folder are over 40 photographs of a severely corroded facility that over time has leaked oil and other contaminants onto the surrounding soil and no doubt contaminated nearby bodies of water as well. In light of a new finding, an article by Ryukyu Shimpo (an Okinawan newspaper) that was published ten years ago, I decided to include a blog post that would describe what I know up to this point.
In addition to publishing the folder, I sent a few of the pictures to several coworkers and included a link to this website. One coworker responded to my email by mentioning that she found an article in Japanese that mentions the Konbu Recycle Center, which at the time was owned by a company called Marukane Shokai. She informed me that the article stated that the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) took action to shut the company - or at least this recycle center - down in 2002 due to some of the practices that were going on there. In fact, in one example, OPG prohibited Marukane Shokai from accepting any bulk waste for 6 months because the company was found to have created an illegal landfill in the vicinity of the site. Furthermore, OPG required Marukane Shokai to clean up the site and ensure that it was not contaminated. The article also leaves a quote by the president of the company in which he stated that he would do his best to comply with the OPG requirements. Well, here we are ten years later and still nothing has been done. Judging from the condition of the facility, it may be safe to assume that the aforementioned landfill was also left untouched.
It appears as though all the company did was throw up a gate to discourage people from entering the facility and then conveniently forgot that it ever existed. However, over time the gate like the facility inside is badly corroded and as a result, has become a threat to the environment. It is a safety concern as well. Like me, anyone can walk through the gaping hole and reach the dangerous facility to investigate, including children!
The remnants of the Konbu Recycle Center are located close to an apartment complex and driving school, this place needs to be properly cleaned up, as soon as possible. I didn't dare walk up the rusty staircases to reach the second and third levels for fear that if I fell, no one would hear my screams. One could only hope that children who wander back there have the same forethought...
See the "Abandoned Recycle Center" folder: http://www.subajogu.com/abandoned
The Japanese article about the center: http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-104949-storytopic-86.html
And, the letter from Uruma City Council: http://www.city.uruma.lg.jp/DAT/LIB/WEB/1/h171207ikensho.pdf#search='
Kouri-jima, Yagaji-jima, and Holland is Stupid?
I have known about Kouri Island and this famous bridge for some time now but never took the time to visit the place. I finally made the time on Saturday and although it was raining by the time I got there, I was determined to keep going. The bridge pictured above connects Kouri-jima to Yagaji-jima. It is the longest bridge in Okinawa and it spans over a kilometer in length. Even on this dreary and nippy day, there were other people out and about, to include several tour buses. I spent most of my time at this bridge but the next time I go to Kouri-jima, I'll explore the rest of the island a bit more. After all, I'm a firm believer in you never know what you might find once you get out and explore - I'll write more on that topic in a moment. For now, here is one more image of the bridge. This particular shot was taken from Yagaji-jima:
While on the island, I enjoyed a bowl of Okinawa soba, and relaxed for a smidge before heading back. Never one to go straight home, I decided to drive around Yagaji-jima for a little bit. I have been fascinated with that island ever since hearing about the Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium, a place for leprosy patients that opened in 1938. Perhaps that should be next on my list of projects to research. After driving for a while, I began to head back to Nago City... Wait, what was that?! Did that sign just read "Oranda Baka"!? Oh, I had to bust a U-turn to investigate.
Yup, sure enough! Oranda Baka! Well, I know that the word "oranda" is a Japanese term for Holland. And, I know that "baka" means stupid or silly. So, are they saying that the Dutch and/or their beloved country is stupid or silly? Hmm, surely that is not the case. Let's see, an "ohaka" is a grave, so perhaps the Kanji printed above is the symbol for it. At any rate, I'm definitely driving those 300 meters to find out. I was excited about making this new, personal discovery. However, the road ended at a fishing port! There were 6-8 fishermen out that day, half were out braving the wind and rain, the others were in their vehicles, watching their previously cast fishing lines from a dry place. I approached the three men who were braving the elements and inquired about "Oranda Baka". The men informed me that they didn't know what the sign meant or where it referred to but they assumed that it was the grave of a Dutchman who had passed away long ago. Thanks guys, but I already thought of that! I left the scene still wondering what or where this place was. It wasn't until I reached the Nago City Museum and happened to ask the question that I found my answer.
At the entrance of the Nago Museum stands a statue of Tei Junsoku. According to the brief bio beside this statue, Tei Junsoku was a scholar and diplomat who is perhaps best known for his travels to China and bringing back the Rikuyu Engi, or "six fundamental precepts of ethics..." The book was presented to the shogun in Japan, translated to Japanese, and distributed throughout the entire country. Also included among his achievements is the establishment of the Meirindo, which as Gregory Smits states in his book Visions of Ryukyu, is "Ryukyu's first formal educational institution..."
Inside the museum, as I was paying admission, I asked about "Oranda Baka". I was told that it was indeed a grave site but it was not designated for a Dutchman who died there. Instead, it was the grave of a Frenchman. When the staff saw the look on my face, undoubtedly the look of confusion, they quickly informed me that back then the local villagers assumed that all foreigners were Dutch because the Dutch were the only people allowed to remain in Japan when the country closed it's borders to outsiders. I was also told that the grave site is very hard to find and that one must hike to get there. I am intrigued! And there we have yet another fascinating aspect of Okinawan history. I hope to find out more about the Airakuen Sanatorium as well as "Oranda Baka". This island prefecture never ceases to amaze me.