常盤平さくらまつり2017年 Tokiwadaira Sakura Festival – Japan
Posted on April 2, 2017
Really enjoyed this weekend’s Cherry Blossom Festival in Tokiwadaira, Chiba. Here are some photos. Hopefully they would provide an idea about the spirit of this festivity attended by thousands of people over the last two days. There was ample amount of food of any kind. Children got their share playing games and winning small plastic toys. It was a happy Saturday and Sunday for all, away from daily choirs and duties.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Preparing for the parade.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Carrying this heavy Omikoshi requires strength and coordination. It also requires a healthy amount of sake.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Let’s get this Omikoshi moving. Many are there to help, even if only through mental support.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – fitting such a parade through all these people and narrow sakura dori is a work of art.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Ayu, a trout like fish seems to be the focus of attention even from the neighboring stand owner.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Colorful plastic things.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Barbecued Soba Noodles
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Hard work results in great food.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – All these choices…
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Air, sweet tasting trout like fish, is on the menu here.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – These guys for sure have the right matsuri spirit.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Cotton Candy !!!
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – These whistles were the same ages ago. The only difference is the built in blinking lights.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Even Philadelphia Cheesesteaks are available
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Don’t mess with the music!!!
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – One more round up-, and down the street. Beautiful sunny Sunday at the Matsuri.
Blizzard Forest Walk
Posted on March 15, 2017
Living in Bethel, Connecticut for the last year or so offered several chances to experience nature from various angles. Just today, I had the opportunity to explore my backyard forest during a blizzard.
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Walking through about one foot of snow, the wind in the trees sounded like a large ocean liner passing by. Branches squeaked and squealed, and occasionally, a tree fell with a loud crack. Later, the snow turned into ice, mixing its sound, generated by thousands of ice crystals, into the ongoing fortissimo of the forest blizzard symphony.
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – No sounds, very peaceful, looking into an endless forest, March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
The only signs of life were a small squirrel, as well as a variety of animal tracks.
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – Many others seem to travel this highway – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
This time, I used my Nikon 1 V3 with a variable wide-angle lens (Manual mode, f/9, 1/500 sec, 400 ISO). It is a mirrorless camera that is relatively small, offering reduced target size to the unforgiving elements.
Here are some photos describing a few hours of peace in a blizzard wonderland.
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, – On the top, somewhat obscured by snow is a boulder sometimes looking like a gigantic turtle. CT – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – March 2017. Named this boulder Turtlehead Rock because it looks like a gigantic turtle head © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – It is hollow inside, and one can enter on one side and exit on the other – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – The backside of Turtlehead Rock -It’s a great place to overlook parts of this forest – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – A river, wind, or the sea must have carved out this passage many unthinkable years ago – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – Lost in a beautiful forest – March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Blizzard Outing in Bethel, CT – I name this tree the Queen Tree, as it looks truly majestic with its branches reaching towards the sky in almost a spiraling way. It also seems that most forest pathways pass this tree. I always had the impression that this tree was watching this section of the forest. Walking past it many times, it just felt like it. March 2017. © Hans Nagl – HansNagl.com
Cambridge River Festival — Running into Japan
Posted on June 13, 2014
On Saturday, June 7, 2014 the Cambridge River Festival was held. It was a hot day with many people streaming past booths representing cultural aspects of Japan. Crafts, vintage kimonos, charitable activities and more were represented there. Many of these Japanese organizations are related to JREX, the Japanese Resource Exchange.
Tewassa (related story), (Tewassa Website), an organization raising money towards aiding earthquake and tsunami victims in Tohoku sold almost all of their goods consisting of kimono and other craft items.
Without too many words please take a look at these photos to find out about this great day in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Japanese businesses related to food also found an amazingly strong interest.
Please feel free to leave any comments here:
Your message has been sent
Philadelphia’s Sakura Sunday – Hello Spring !!!
Posted on April 20, 2014
Philadelphia’s Cherry Blossom Festival, better known as Sakura Sunday, was recently held at Fairmount Park on April 13, 2014. It was organized by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP). Beautiful spring weather and an outstanding program featuring a variety of artists from Japan and the United States contributed to the success of this event.
Without too many words the following photos will hopefully communicate the spirit of Sakura Sunday. Below are four gallery sections featuring Doshinkan Aikido, Tamagawa University Taiko Drum and Dance, La Siana, and, finally a couple of random photos from around the venue.
Doshinkan Aikido (AANA)
Members of the Aikido Association of North America (AANA), founded by Yukio Utada Sensei, delivered a beautiful and breathtaking demonstration. All age groups were represented. Many of the students make a lifetime commitment to the practice and refinement of this art involving a very dynamic life philosophy. Sometimes they live far away from the training hall or dojo, and, for the most part, training then takes on a different dimension keeping the positive spirit and energy alive. For me, who lives far from the main dojo located in Philadelphia it is always great to know that Utada Sensei and these dedicated students keep the dojo lights on for anybody far away or close by. For more information please visit the website of the AANA.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Next are some images of the Tamagawa University Taiko Drum and Dance Performance
A powerful and spirited way of communicating Japanese traditional arts of Taiko drums and dance. Watching the students of Tamagawa University perform was a very energizing experience. Harmonizing, happy, smiling performers drew the audience very close into their rhythm. Even now, after the festival, looking at the photos I can hear the Taiko drums and feel the spirit of their show.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Here are some photos of La Siana
These five ladies showed a very vibrant, high energy program without speed limit. Moving, dancing and singing while staying synchronized almost without effort was worth seeing. It was hard to get close to the stage because of the attention La Siana received from the Philadelphia audience.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Finally here are some random images from beautiful Sakura Sunday
I took these images without thinking too much about composition or other aspects of photography. They happened in a very spontaneous way. The entire event was a microcosm of small experiences happening not only on stage but also among the audience. It seemed as if the entire Sakura Sunday was a performance where everybody played a role. Via the camera I was able to freeze situations showing the beautiful spontaneity of moments involving wonderful people.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Thank you to the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, all the participants, whether on or off stage for making this Philadelphia Sakura Sunday such a beautiful memorable event.
City Hall in Philadelphia
Please feel free to leave a comment:
Your message has been sent
Cafe Gute Katze & GoodTimes English 