he tiny town of Kuromori in northern Japan lies
forgotten throughout the spring, summer, and autumn. When winter comes, the farmers of Kuromori exchange
plowshares for wooden swords, to re-enact a 350-year-old tradition called winter Kabuki. The real
heroes of this yearly event are the spectators, who sit in the snow for nine hours while listening
to the players recite act after act in an ancient form of Japanese that few of them can understand.
At first the tight quarters in the dressing room felt like a problem — until I realized that
I could capture several layers of preparation by careful use of mirrors and angle. A wide angle —
I used my Nikon 20-35mm zoom lens — was essential.
ear
Mandalay, lies the ruined city of Inwa, capitol of upper Myanmar for 400 years
in the 14th century. We arrived at the ferry dock before dawn and convinced the
boatman to began early so as to reach Inwa at sunrise. Just as the early light
touched the beautiful brick and stucco balcony of Maha Aung Mye Bosan, a young
female noviate hurriedly passed by.
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