Namahage Festival in Oga City
The Namahage Festival is one of Akita’s most popular winter festivals and it’s my all time favorite! People from all over Japan come to Akita in February to enjoy this festival. It takes place at a very well known shrine in Oga. In 2018, this area was so full that people had to wait outside and watch the festival on TVs near the shrine. Thankfully, I was able to get in after only a short amount of time.
The point of the Namahage Festival is to scare little children into behaving for their parents. During the event, young men dress up as Namahage (or demons) like in the picture. A big bonfire is lit near the shrine which summons them. The Namahage come down from the mountains branding fake knives and torches while roaring and shouting “nakuko wa inee ga” which means “are there any crybabies around?” The whole festival consists of them running around and scaring children. Some kids really are scared but there are a lot that laugh and asked to be picked up by them. The only way to appease the Namahage is to give them mochi. After they’ve had their fill, they will sneak back up into the mountains and wait for next year. The real goal of these demons is to rid people of laziness (by scaring them) and bring them good health and abundant crops.
Another interesting aspect of this festival is picking up the straw that falls off of the costumes. It’s believed that the straw will bring good luck. During the festival, I saw people running to get to the pieces of straw before anyone else does. It’s almost like a competition! I always fear slipping and falling on the ice so I don’t run. If I happen to see a piece of straw near me, I’ll go and pick it up. I go to the Namahage Festival every February, so I’ve collected a lot throughout the years.
The Namahage coming down from the mountains. Are there any crybabies?
Mischievous Namahage
After the Namahage come down the mountain, the rest of the festival consists of interacting with them. Namahage love to mess around. I love that many of them will pose for pictures and even ask me to take a selfie with them. A memorable experience was when a Namahage chased me around for a good minute or two. I was exhausted because I couldn’t stop laughing due to him roaring and yelling the whole time. In the end though, he thanked me for being a good sport and took pictures with my friends and I. Another time I went, I was watching the Namahage walk out and scare children when one came up to me and randomly gave me a hug. I said it once and I’ll say it again, this is my favorite festival. It’s also a huge highlight of my time in Akita Prefecture. It’s nothing but pure fun and good laughs!
Blurry, but this Namahage really wanted a photo with us!
Other Entertainment
There are other things to do at this festival besides interacting with the Namahage and watching kids get terrorized. There’s always a taiko concert that happens here, and the Namahage will have their own concert at the beginning of the festival. Taiko are drums that create a deep, rhythmic sound when hit. It’s a powerful sound that resonates throughout the area. Colored lights will occasionally shine down on the drummers which really makes the performance all the more compelling.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of food here besides meat skewers and beer, so I usually eat before leaving for the festival. Despite the cold, I would’ve loved to have seen some Namahage ice cream here!
There are a couple of shops around the shrine that sell authentic Namahage merchandise such as the iconic masks, art, and charms. The are multiple good luck charms that represent different things like love, success, etc. Every time I go to this festival, I buy a good luck charm. They’re very pretty and each one has a Namahage face on it.
Taiko concert at the namahage festival
I speak highly of this festival, so obviously I’m going to recommend it to everyone who wants to take a trip to Akita. This is one of those unique experiences that everyone should have in rural Japan. Coming to Akita in winter is understandably a challenge due to the amount of snow but in my opinion the Namahage festival is totally worth it. For those who happen to be in Japan in February, I recommend trying to squeeze a little day trip to Akita for this fantastic festival. You won’t be disappointed!
If you’d like to see videos of the Namahage scaring children and hear them roaring, check out my instagram @shelby.abroad