Shioya;Okinawa;Japan

Two dancers at the school grounds in Shioya, Okinawa, celebrating the Festival for the Sea God (Umigami). Description provided by photographer Roy Simonson reads: "Dance by pair of women in unlike costumes, unusual in the program because most were costumed in pairs."

Two dancers at the school grounds in Shioya, Okinawa, celebrating the Festival for the Sea God (Umigami). Description provided by photographer Roy Simonson reads: "Dance by two women with hands up over their shoulders. The gestures, headdresses, and dark kimonos all suggest the Balinese dancers so often illustrated."

Two dancers at the school grounds in Shioya, Okinawa, celebrating the Festival for the Sea God (Umigami). Description provided by photographer Roy Simonson reads: "Dance by pair of women in flowered kimonos with poses and headdress reminiscent of pictures of Balinese dances. Hands are above shoulders."

Two dancers at the school grounds in Shioya, Okinawa, celebrating the Festival for the Sea God (Umigami). Description provided by photographer Roy Simonson reads: "Dance by two women in pantaloons; right hands out toward audience and right foot up and forward."

Two dancers at the school grounds in Shioya, Okinawa, celebrating the Festival for the Sea God (Umigami). Description provided by photographer Roy Simonson reads: "Dance of two women in dark costumes, with straw hats, somewhat decorated, outstretched toward camera."

Description provided by photographer Roy Simonson reads: "Nearer view of the white silk flag used by the one section of the village of Shioya (Kaneku) for the festival. The nearby mountains mark the horizon below the flag. The rampant figure is supposed to be a dragon, with ideas from the giraffe, goat, and horse. It stands between stalks of rice below a bright orange sun. The streamer is supposed to symbolize the tail, whereas the 'horns' are from the old Samurai headdresses for war."