shrines

Video: Setsubun-no-Hi at Naminoue, Shrine

Video: Setsubun-no-Hi at Naminoue, Shrine

Good morning and Happy Sunday everyone in Okinawa. This weeks video about the Setsubun Festival at Naminoue Shrine is up and live on Youtube. In order for me to have my own channel name on YouTube, "ShootLighterTV", I need at least 100 subscribers. Please help me out and  subscribe to see more of my videos, and help me reach this first channel goal. Hope everyone has a great day, and I hope you enjoy the video.

Tokyo Color with the Fuji x100T Part 3

Tokyo Color with the Fuji x100T Part 3

My final full day in Tokyo combined Ginza, the Tokyo Dome area, and Taylor Swift fans. Ginza is one of those parts of Tokyo that I always feel out of place in, but I wanted to visit the Leica store there as I heard it's really nice and a must visit. Now that I can say that I've been there, looked at and held several Leicas, All I can say is, maybe one day. Enough said.  😊

Tokyo Color with the Fuji x100T Part 2

Tokyo Color with the Fuji x100T Part 2

Day two in Tokyo took me to Ebisu, for a short pit stop at a store in the station, Omotesando, where I was finally able to check out and try on the new Apple Watch, a walk in Yoyogi Park to see Meiji Shrine, and a short visit in Shibuya for my daughter to get in a little more shopping, because she was so deprived in Omotesando. 😀 All of the below images were shot in Aperture priority and Provia color settings.

MPro App Test 3 - A small local Shrine

A few snapshots with "MPro" on the iPhone 5 at the shrine.

Japan Photo of the Day - Waiting at The Shrine

Naha, Okinawa

Japan Street Photo of the Day - Naha, Okinawa

Happy New Year from Japan

New Year in Japan is one of the biggest holidays observed usually over several days involving visits to family, friends and shrines or temples.  Hatsumode  (The first visit to a shrine in the new year) is very popular and for many may be their only visit of the year.

People waiting in line to pray at Nominoue Shrine in Okinawa, Japan on New Year's day.

While at the shrine it's tradition to purchase Omikuji (Fortune-telling papers)  said to predict how ones year will unfold.  If the fortune is bad the paper is tied to a tree or  line at the shrine in hope that bad fortune will stay there. Some however also believe in leaving the fortune papers even if it is good.

A man purchases Omikuji (Fortune-telling papers) at a local shrine in Okinawa, Japan.

A woman ties her Omikuji onto a line at a shrine in Okinawa, Japan. Omikuji are traditional Fortune-telling papers purchased at shrines in Japan during Hatsumode (A person's first shrine visit of the year).