A concert tour to Ishigaki island day 2

Our stay on Ishigaki island was 2 days and 1 night. First day was busy with arrival, rehearsal and night party after the concert. Night party ended past midnight. Okinawan people like parties and making friends over a few jugs of beer or "sake" (Japanese alcoholic drink made of rice).
Second day was full of fun. Among our group there were many people who visited Ishigaki for the first time, like me. For newcomers was scheduled a bus tour with a guide lady.

Nice ocean view from the hotel window.

Day 2 started with a nice view from my window and hot green tea. Breakfast was buffet style down in the hotel's restaurant.

Green tea is good in the morning!

 

Breakfast. Nothing special but fresh and good.

First we visited "Yaeyama palm tree grove", a famous spot of Ishigaki island. This palm tree grove located on the northern coast of Ishigaki, at the base of Mt. Omoto. Palm trees rise to a height of around 10 meters. It was interesting to know that most of that palm trees have age of more than 100 years. To calculate its age you should look at the horizontal rings on the trunk. Each year, when palm tree drops old leaves, a new ring adds to the trunk, so the number of rings approximately shows tree's age.

Our lady guide in the center. A funny guide and a wonderful person who really likes Ishigaki.

My teacher's blouse was a perfect match for the forest.

Is blue a color of the month? (Joke)

Next stop was Kabira beach with boat riding. Boat had glass bottom so you could see tropical fish, corals and sea fauna through it.

Our powerful guide again! Made all gentlemen dizzy! (With her jokes?)

We could play Sanshin together on the beach!

Kabira bay

Weather became worse. Forecast showed thunderstorms in the afternoon but at this point nobody believed that.

Kabira bay has beautiful beach but swimming there is prohibited because of the black pearl cultivation near the bay. I visited pearl showroom and shop. Pearl accessories were really beautiful.

Sign on the left says "Gifts from the ocean".

Last stop was at the "Minsa Textiles" museum and shop. The traditional weaving pattern known as "Minsa" was used in the past as an engagement gift. It has "Four-Five" pattern in the middle which in Japanese phonetically represents "Yours Forever More". Today Minsa has many ways of using in neckties, bags, table cloth, shirts and many more everyday items. 

At the entrance of the Minsa shop you can try on Ryukyu mnational costume and take a picture together with big wooden masks of Granny and Granpa, symbolizing long living.

On the blue sign you can see Minsa patterns of four and five squares, and the sign says: "I will love you forever". To whom should I send this message? Perhaps, to Ishigaki island? Yes, I would like to visit it again and spend more time there.

My teacher also took a "love message photo" but it was a secret to whom she would send it. Who is that lucky gentleman? She looks so naturally beautiful in Ryukyu traditional clothes.

Finally we got to the airport. Our powerful guide sang a farewell song and made everyone smile.

We will miss you, mrs. Keiko Sunagawa!

At the moment of our arrival to the airport terminal heavy rains had started. Our flight was delayed for 2 hours.

The plane arrived with delay but they loaded baggage very quickly and we were on board pretty soon after the plane's arrival. 

Landing in Naha. It's no place like home!

A concert tour to Ishigaki island day 1

In April 2016 I participated as a performer of Sanshin (okinawan three-string instrument) because I became a member of ”Nomura-style Ryukyu classical music preservation association" and there was a memorial concert on Ishigaki island celebrating 55th year of foundation of the association. Main performers were experienced teachers and they could bring his favorite students (apprentices) with them. That is how it happened I went on the stage to play Sanshin and sing.

In the morning all musicians and their students gathered at Naha airport. More than 60 participants were to go to Ishigaki memorial concert. We used JTA (Japan Transocean Air) flight which was very comfortable (Boeing 737). 50 min flight to Ishigaki.

Approaching the runway of Ishigaki island.

 Weather on Ishigaki island was as hot and humid as in Naha. My teacher who was brought up on Ishigaki said, however, that the wind smells different here and reminds her of her childhood years.

 Before the concert we had a rehearsal.

 All of them are very experienced teachers and performers.

Lunch was in "Bento" style, japanese lunchbox.

 Huge hall looked very intimidating even without the audience.

 To kill some time between the rehearsal and the performance we went around the town. Visited local library which is proud of largest quantity of books among all libraries in Japan. The concert hall had a small exposition of Chouhou Miyara, famous okinawan composer.
Here the photo of Sanshin score composed by Ch. MIyara, "Hashino Uta" (The bridge song)

 In front of the city library. (I look surprisingly fat in this shirt!)

 While we walked around the town we visited my teacher's relatives house. An old pinscher dog was clever enough not to bite me.

 Shopping mall in the center part of the Ishigaki city. "Minsaa" checker ornament on the pavement.

 Put on the performance uniform for the first time in my life. All belts were so tight I couldn't catch my breath.

 Performance went good. I wasn't the only foreign-looking person on the stage. It was nice to find out that people from another countries are also interested in Ryukyu classical music and their performance was on very high level.

 

This concert was mentioned in the morning newspaper. I'm sitting in the second row right behind the Koto players in blue kimonos.