English
English
By ATSUO BEPPU
Born in Tokyo in 1938. Passed his boyhood on Amami-oshima island. Moved to Amami again in 1974 from Tokyo. Interested in taking pictures, shooting videos and fishing.










yHAMAORE (Beach Party) and Hunting For Shellfish z

 
 
March 3 of the lunar calendar is said to be the day when the oean tide recedes to its lowest level of the year. Amami people used to make rice cakes called "futsumuchi" from mugwort, glutinous rice and brown sugar for this day. Then they went out to their favorite beach with futsumuchi and stacked boxes of homemade dishes. After enjoying gathering shellfish or trying to catch octopus on the reef they had a small party with their family members on the beach, sometimes joined by relatives and close friends. Perhaps this custom once meant a refreshing break from daily labor and praying for the health of everyone in the family by being exposed to the sea breeze.
 
  Beach parties aren't seen very often today, yet many people still enjoy hunting for shellfish. April 19 fell on March 3 of the lunar calendar this year. The weather turned
out very fine that day and quite a few people visited their destinations. I went to 
Tsuchibama Beach, Kasari-town, where I used to go fishing many years ago. There I found ten times as many people as usual, who were fishing or looking for shellfish.
 
  A turban shell called "katannya" is the most popular shellfish in Amami. But it isn't easy to find one, because it usually sticks to the wall or ceiling of a small labyrinthine hole of the reef. It is amazing to see people who caught ten or even twenty of them. You can not pick up this shellfish. If you try, it will attach itself to the inside wall of the hole so tightly that a special hook is needed to remove it. 
To enlarge, please click the photo.