Back in the U.S.S.R (and then some)

Of course I meant the US, but my fingers could not resist The Beatles in my head. No biggie.  Anyhow it’s been five days now in my elements and SLOWLY getting back into the swing of things.  It’s been a long time that I wanted to do something with feeling of “I’m gonna do it goooood” as I wake up in the morning.  It’s a good sign.

日本語クリック

Behind the Scenes of PJC’s movie project for her school

Sweet and loving couple.

Gentle with each other.

She finds another girl in his cell.

He kills her.

A dead woman.

The man feels terrible.

… then decides to save himself.

Last humanly contact with the dead.

Subconscious sees him.

Evidence of the dead.

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告１５ (撮影予定地視察)

撮影予定地視察は輝北ダムと沈んだ部落跡 (輝北ダム２００５年 竣工)

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告１４ (親鸞聖人７５０周年 報恩講)

Shinran Seijin 750th Anniversary Hōonkō

Shinran (May 21, 1173 – January 16, 1263) was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Kyoto at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period. Shinran was a pupil of Honen, and the founder of Jodo-Shinshu in Japan.

Hōonkō is anniversary for Japanese Jodo Shinshu Buddhism that observes the memorial of its founder, Shinran Shonin (1173-1263).  This anniversary is among the most important observed in the Jodo Shinshu tradition.

In the word hōonkō; ‘hōon’ means “return of gratitude” and ‘ko’ means “to clarify the meaning of” or “gathering”‘.

親鸞聖人７５０周年 報恩講
(しんらんしょうにん – ほうおんこう)

親鸞 (しんらん 1173年～1263年) は、鎌倉時代前半から中期にかけて活動した日本の僧である。浄土真宗の宗祖(開いた人)とされる

報恩講 (ほうおんこう)とは、親鸞の命日の前後に、宗祖親鸞に対する報恩謝徳のために営まれる法要のこと。

 

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告１３ (利神社)

利神社を甦らせる会  Bring Back Toshi Shrine Project
利神社 (としじんじゃ）は昔のような輝きがなくなっている。悲しい。誰も、世話する人いないらしい。僕らが小学校の頃よく掃除とかしてたのに、今はその小学校自体が無くなっちゃった。神主さんも氏子さん達もいないんだって。町も市も神社には手をださないそうなんですが、僕らが何とかできないものなんですか？　誰か知ってます？

It’s so sad to see this once beautiful TOSHI SHRINE deteriorate with time. There used to be proper personals such as a Shrine Priest & Shrine Parishioners, and my elementary school kids used to clean the Shrine and its property as one of our school events; however,now there is no more elementary school (moved) but also no Shrine Priest nor Parishioners of its own (died). The local government would not touch Shrines. Is there anything we can do to bring this shrine back to life? Do anyone know??

 

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告１２ (黒猫第四)

黒猫 (その四）Black Cat Part 4 (FB)

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告１１ 鹿児島おはら祭り part 1

KAGOSHIMA OHARA DANCE FESTIVAL 2011
平成２３年度 鹿児島おはら祭り (part 1)
25,000 people were out there dancing in the street of Kagoshima.  I was out there as a dancer that day when photographer-me took over my rehearsed-for-three-days-dancer-me, and the rest is history.  So technically it was more like 24,999 people dancing, and I too was dancing inside I’m telling you!

Who wants to be a part of it in 2012?  Contact me and we will organize a dance troupe and get down with the business.

  Additional 200 or so images in Part 2.  Stay tuned

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告１０ (山好き父ちゃん)

山好き父ちゃん Mountain my dad loves　
父ちゃんは山が好きだ。元気な時は山に行く。父ちゃんは草むしりも好きだ。少し元気がない時は、家の回りの草むしりをする。When my dad feels strong enough, he loves to go to his mountain.  He may not feels at his best, still he manages to weed around the house.

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告９ (94歳誕生日)

塚本婆ちゃん９４歳誕生日  Grandma Kikue 94th B-day

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告８ (空き家)

人の去った家  An Abandoned House (撮影予定地 Possible Session Site)

 

鹿児島紀行中間結集報告７ (いもがら採り)

いもがら採りに行くの図  Harvesting Elephant Ears
先日、親父の生まれ育ったの家の裏の土手に芋がらが生えていたよぉっと彼に伝えたら，じゃあ採りに行こうってことになった。別に育てようとしたものではなく、過去にすてられた種か苗から勝手に育ったらしい。My parents and I came to collect Elephant Ears at the back of my dad’s old house where he was born and raised (currently my aunt lives there).  I told him that I found them growing on the hillside.  They weren’t “grown” per se but grew wild on their own from discarded seeds or seedlings in the past. (Only the stem of them is edible)