The frightfully dressed men impersonating the oni-demons wearing masks, dressed in long straw coats or mino, … See more

The namahage's purpose was to admonish laggards, who sit around the fire idly and do nothing useful. One of the refrains used by the namahage in the olden days was "Blisters peeled yet?" (なもみコ剝げたかよ, namomi ko … See more

Although the namahage are nowadays conceived of as a type of oni or ogre, it was originally a custom where youngsters impersonated the kami who made visitations during the New Year's season. Thus it is a kind of … See more

The legend of Namahage varies from region to region. There are four theories or legends about the origin of Namahage on the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture.
The first theory is the Namahage creation, inspired by … See more

An obvious purpose of the festival is to encourage young children to obey their parents and to behave. Parents know who the Namahage actors are each year and might request them to teach specific lessons to t… See more

The tradition where the ogres are called namahage occurs in the Oga Peninsula area of Akita Prefecture.
Although the namahage of Oga has become the foremost recognized, cognate traditions o… See more

• Askeladden - Norwegian folklore character who abides by the fireplace
• Black Peter, a similar being who plays a similar role for Christmas celebrations in the Netherlands.
• Kasedori , where men dress in taper-headed str… See more