Yasuo Higa 比嘉康雄; 谷川健一 - Kamigami no shima 神々の島 - 1979

A scarce title by the well-known Japanese photographer Yasuo Higa in excellent deep gravure printing.

Condition: very good, hardcover with firm binding, inside clean, no foxing, no markings, no creased pages, minor stains only on last text page. The dustjacket is complete without tears, protected by a mylar sleeve. Comes with the original cardboard slipcase and complete obi, also protected by a removable plastic sleeve.

Kamigami no shima (Island of Deities) is a renowned 1979 photo book by Japanese photographer Yasuo Higa, documenting sacred, rarely seen traditional rituals and shamanic priestesses on Kudakajima Island, Okinawa. Higa (1938–2000) dedicated his life to capturing the spiritual culture and "mothers" (priestesses) of the Ryukyu Islands, fearing their extinction by modern life.

Yasuo Higa is not only one of the most renowned photographers in Okinawa (book "My native Island: Okinawa"), but he is also famous for his significant contribution to the field of ethnography. After the B-52 crush at the Kadena Air Base in 1968, Higa resigned from his job as policeman and decided to become a photographer. He is a photographer who symbolizes Okinawa in a turbulent era when events such as the Vietnam War and the “Restoration” to Japan stirred the region.