Japoński budowniczy tradycyjnych łodzi Sabani z Archipelagu Ryukyu

Part of the massive coral reefs of Sekisei Lagoon connect the Yaeyama Islands of Iriomote (top right), Taketomi's Kondoi Beach (lower left) and Ishiga...

Peering below the surface at the coral below Yoshida Tomohiro's sabani boat off the northern coast of Ishigaki. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clea...

Yoshida Tomohiro, traditional sabani boat builder, sails with his wife in a sabani he built in the coral seas, off the coast of northern Ishigaki. Yo...

Yoshida Tomohiro, traditional sabani boat builder, sails with his wife in a sabani he built in the coral seas, off the coast of northern Ishigaki. Yo...

Yoshida Tomohiro, traditional sabani boat builder, sails with his wife in a sabani he built in the coral seas, off the coast of northern Ishigaki. Yo...

Palm tree, Ishigaki. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats were born out of necessity and nascent environ...

Kunioka Kyoko, first female sabani boatbuilder, consults her plan for a new sabani boat, as she prepares to mark Japanese cedar (crytomeria) planks fo...

First female sabani boatbuilder, Kunioka Kyoko's first sabani boat she ever build, set under pandanus trees on Iriomote Island in the Ryukyu Archipela...

Yoshida Tomohiro has labeled wood that will be used to build sabani boats at his workshop in the north of Ishigaki Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan...

Students of Yoshida Tomohiro building miniature sabani boats at his workshop, to learn the process. Ishigaki, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean...

Coral reef in the Ryukyu Archipelago. Japan. The islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago are fringes with coral and a barrier reef, called the Sekisei Lago...

Coral reef in the Ryukyu Archipelago. Japan. The islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago are fringes with coral and a barrier reef, called the Sekisei Lago...

Traditional dancer at the Tanadui Matsuri (Festival) on the coral island of Taketomi. The Tanadui Masturi a 600 year history on Taketomi Island and h...

Performers leave the Tanadui Matsuri (Festival) through the sandy streets of the coral island of Taketomi. the Tanadui Masturi a 600 year history on...

Various kinds of coral line a walkway in Takitome Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats were born...

Bougainvillea graces the gardens and lanes of Takitome Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats were...

Woman wearing traditional clothing walks through Taketomi during the Tanadui Matsuri (Festival) on the coral island of Taketomi. The Tanadui Masturi...

Ryukyu-style akagawara (赤瓦) roofing tiles held down with mortar because of the frequency of typhoons in the Ryukyu Archipelago. Taketomi Isl...

The backstreets, lined with walls of coral, on Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats wer...

Typical compound of a traditional house in Takitome Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats were bo...

Mangroves in a river emptying into Funauki Bay. Iriomote Island in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani bo...

Iriomote resident shows off her water buffalo with its massive horns. Near Yobu Island on Iriomote. Only the Yaeyama Islands have water buffalo, hin...

Local resident of Iriomote with her water buffalo that draws carts across the shallow waters that separate Iriomote Island from Yufu Island a short di...

Storm passes over beach in the northern part of Ishigaki Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats we...

Trail through Iriomote's interior rainforest, part of the Iriomote Ishigaki National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan...

The lush interior rainforest up the Urauchi River in Iriomote Ishigaki National Park, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Iriomote Island. Ryukyu Arc...

Buttressed roots from a rainforest tree in the interior of Iriomote Island, part of the Iriomote National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ryuykyu...

Thick rainforest crowds the banks of the Urauchi River, part of Iriomote Ishigaki National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Iriomote, Ryukyu Ar...

The Urauchi River penetrates into Iriomote's pristine rainforest interior. Iriomote Ishigaki National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ryukyu Arc...

The Urauchi River, longest in the Ryukyu Archipelago, cuts deep into Iriomote's pristine interior rainforest, part of Iriomote Ishigaki National Park...

Sabani boatbuilder, Kunioka Kyoko, Japan's first female sabani boatbuilder, with her partner, Apache at her workshop in the pandanus forest, on Iriomo...

Wood that Kunioka Kyoko, Japanese first female sabani boat builder, will use to build her next Sabani. Iriomote Islangd. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan...

Sabani boat builder, Kunioka Kyoko, Japan's first female sabani boatbuilder, at her workshop on Iriomote Island in the Ryukyu Archipelago. Japan The...

Sabani boatbuilder, Kunioka Kyoko, Japan's first female sabani boatbuilder, pencils a Japaneses cedar (cryptomeria) plank that will be one side of the...

Sabani boatbuilder, Kunioka Kyoko, Japan's first female sabani boatbuilder, pencils a Japaneses cedar (cryptomeria) plank that will be one side of the...

The beach that is sabani boat builder, Kyoko Kunioka's front yard. Iriomote Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditi...

Sabani boat builder, Kunioka Kyoko, Japan's first female sabani boatbuilder, shows the first sabani boat she ever build, set under pandanus trees on I...

A mangrove forest crowds the banks of the lower Goyoshi River in Iriomote. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Saban...

A looking-glass mangrove tree (heritiera littorralis) in the rainforest of Iriomote Island. Ryukyu Archipelago. Japan Their clean lines conceal how...

An Utaki, indigenous holy site, built on a beach on Ishigaki on Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani b...

Traditional wooden house on Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Taketomi, drafted The Charter of Taketomi Island where traditional houses o...

Stone walls line a quiet lane on Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Taketomi, drafted The Charter of Taketomi Island where traditional house...

Traditional stone walls on Taketomi Island. Taketomi, drafted The Charter of Taketomi Island where traditional houses, and compounds, of the main vil...

Turtleback tomb on Takitome Island. Turtleback tombs, believed to be brought over from Fujian Province, the gateway to trade with China for Ryukyu, w...

Stone wall on Taketomi Island incorporating coral. Taketomi, drafted The Charter of Taketomi Island where traditional houses of the main village we...

An Utaki, indigenous holy site, built in coral stone wall on Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sa...

One of the owners and chef at Grill Garden Taruriya on Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani b...

Yaeyama soba at Grill Garden Taruriya. Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan Their clean lines conceal how traditional Sabani boats were born...

A birds nest fern and dragon fruit growing out of a traditional stone wall on Taketomi Island. Ryuku Archipelago, Japan. Taketomi, drafted The Chart...

A traditional Ryukyuan "shisa" guardian lion/dog (believed to protect against evil spirits) sits on a stone wall on Taketomi Island. Ryukyu Archipel...