matsurii on Ishigakijima 石垣島の祭り

Matsurii（まつり） or festival is a very important part of Japanese life. Most Japanese people see at least one festival a year be it the firework shows at the start of August or new years. The festival period in Ryukyu (Okinawa archipelago) Starts at the end of July and finishes at the end of August. The matsurii can be religious or just for fun.

The most common type of Matsurii （まつり）in Ryukyu （琉球）is Hounensai. Hounensai is a harvest festival and is aimed at asking the dead elders (ancestors) for the yearly blessing for good crops. There are many shrines located on Ishigaki that often have no main Kami (god) but are for the 死んだ人々の神　Shinda hitobito no kami(spirits of the dead). They give offerings of food, saka, dance and play music. Each Shrine has a Torri and a Kami dana (god shelf a kind of shrine), but for most of the year the kami dana lay empty. So are even locked up.




I was asked to partake in a matsurii　（まつり）. The matsurii （まつり） I went to was it the middle of no where. This Jinja (shrine) only got used three times a year. I helped clean up at the end. The dojo I was training with also did a demonstration. I got to preformed a shotokan kata kanku sho　（観く）. Kenoh Sensei did kata also and then he broke baseball bats with his arms and legs. There was dancing and taiko, taiko is a type of drum that is often used at festival. There were also flags. The flag said about working together to make a great harvest.

Ryukyu (Okinawa) no Ishigaki Jima

Ishigaki Jima (Ishigaki Island) is and one of over 60 in the Okinawan archipelago sometimes called Ryukyu. Ishigaki is on of the larger island and is home to some 46,000people. There is only One high school on the island and a number of lower schools that often take students from 6-15 all in the same school.

Ishigaki jima has a health and growing coral reef, it brings in many tourist interested in diving and see life. Divers can see every thing form clown fish to manta ray. The reef makes up most of the land mass and most of the Ryukyu islands (stone on the is land is compacted dead coral, I believe the base base is volcanic). The coral give Ishigaki amazing white beach's set against colorful and noise jungle and mangroves.

The people of Ishigaki are very different form main land Japan. They are friendly and kind people how have a tropical island life style(laded back). Most of the Islanid is home to farmers how grow pineapples and sugar kane. They have some local kami called Shisa (like a cross between a lion and a dog).You see them often guarding the house of Okinawa. They have local instruments called Tikko and Shamisen and a very unique type of music. The island see is home to See snakes, manta and sharks. There are main types of lizards and snake and the Ishigaki island is home to a very dangerous snake called a Habo. (If he bites you you have 2hours to get to a hospital or you are dead. lol)

The Hidden Meaning of Sado. Part 1

This is the first part as i need to study this deeper and the amount of rules would make this text very heavy.


Behind every part of Japanese life there is a hidden meaning. This is no more true than in Sado. Sado is a Japanese tea ceremony. Sado was once the pass time of men only, but the modern Sado is preformed by both sexes. Sado in its self is simple, it is the making and drinking of Tea with others. As for the proses and the means behind Sado, well they are hard to under stand and very Deep.



There is a saying in Sado that is used every time a new section begins. (きょう　わ　この　ひとときを　たいへん　たのしみました. KYO WA KONO HITOTOKI O TAIHEN-N TANOSHIMI-MASITA.) The translation is "I enjoy this sigle moment in time". This saying was started in the early Edo period and is about the way in witch the warrior class lived. Man couldn't bring weapons into a tea house, and every man how wished to study and drink tea must enter through a small door. This door would make the users bow very low. This meant no man or women in a tea house was greater than any one else, this also went for Shogun and Samurai. So the time spent in a tea house was one of peace and distance from the war toren fuddle Japan that waited out side.

Also the code of Bushi can be found in Sado. Bushi or Bushido is the code of the Samurai. The code tells Samurais how to live. So when Samurai come together to make planes for war the first type of tea they drink is a shared cup. Each participant drinks a small amount from the cup and the pass the cup to next. If the tea has been poisoned then all how share the cup will die. This act covers many parts Bushi Gi, Makoto, Meiyo, You and Rei. (rectitude, honesty, honor, courage and respected )


Sado also has a deep rooting in Buddhism. A life time spent working on the perfect ceremony not just in practice but in meditation. The ceremony also is a time where the mind can be truly empty (enlightenment). A true Samurai has an empty mind at all times but in reality this is hard to do, as the battle field is a hard place to keep a clear mind. The practice of Sado with its clear rules and structure can help the mind find control. The task is automatic through practice, but the task needs timing and attention therefore the mind is empty but is not allowed to walk.