From the 1st to the 3rd of January you can see the Shuri Castle New Year Festival in Naha, Okinawa. Shuri Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an interesting place to visit on a normal day, but it is spectacular with hundreds of people dressed in traditional costumes. Here are some photographs from previous years. The second photograph of the Ryukyu Queen was taken backstage when I was one of the events official photographers. 

Shuri Castle New Year Festival, Okinawa, Japan

Ryukyu Queen at Shuri Castle New Year Festival, Okinawa, Japan

Ryukyu dancers, Shuri Castle New Year Festival, Okinawa, Japan