Misbehaving children and lazy people watch out! If you don’t eat your vegetables or finish your homework, the Namahage will come to get you! Though these monsters are popular all over Japan, they originate from the Oga area of Akita prefecture in Japan.
なまはげとは？
The Namahage are huge demonic ogres in Japanese stories and lore. During traditional events in Japan, men wear huge ogre masks and straw capes around their bodies during the New Year season in Oga, Akita prefecture.
They usually have huge knives (fake knives) and carry a big pail with them. Although the colors of the mask may be slightly different, they are usually a bright red or blue color. Their purpose is to find kids who have been bad and lazy people. To do this, the Namahage go around during the New Year period to find misbehaving people.
なまはげの祭り儀式
You can find the Namahage in small groups, visiting all the houses and yelling phrases such as:
“Are there any crybabies around!?”
“Are there any naught kids around?”
While they yell these phrases, they wave around their fake knives, which scares many of the children. Though it may seem very mean to do so, the Namahage also teach the kids lessons such as helping around the house, doing their homework, behave, and to obey their parents.
But children aren’t the only ones that the Namahage search for! The Namahage’s role is also to teach lazy people lessons by making them admit their laziness. This can be things such as not studying hard for a test, being lazy about throwing out the trash, drinking too much, or not helping with the house chores.
After everyone in the house reflects on the things they regret about the past year, the next important custom is to offer the Namahage food and drink in order to ask for forgiveness and to send the off.
Experiencing the tradition of Namahage first-hand is definitely something that you won’t forget, and maybe it can help you with studying harder, helping out more, and getting things done on time better.
If you can’t make it out to Oga in Akita prefecture during the New Year’s season, then you are still in luck! You can visit the Namahage Museum in Oga city any time during the year. It’s a perfect way to learn more about the history of Namahage and why they are both welcomed, and feared!
Click below to take a reservation for having Namahage experience:
Namahage Museum
- Website: https://www.namahage.co.jp/namahagekan/
- Tel: 0185-22-5050
- Fax: 0185-22-5080
- Hours: 8:30AM – 5:00PM（Hours may differ during the New Year）
- Address: Mizukuisawa Kitaurashinzan, Oga-shi, Akita-ken 010-0685
Map
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