Kids Web Japan

Namahage is a centuries-old tradition that is observed throughout the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture. The ritual takes place on New Year's Eve, when fierce creatures are believed to come down from the mountains to visit people's homes.

On December 31, young male villagers dress up as namahage, wearing coats made of straw and fearsome masks and holding wooden kitchen knives and buckets. Namahage are not actually considered oni; there are various theories about how they evolved, but their true origins are not well known.

Those dressed as namahage purify themselves at a local shrine before visiting each house in the village. They open the door and storm into people's houses yelling "Woah! Woah!" at the top of their lungs. The loud noise and the shouting is believed to force evil out of each home.

The namahage demand to know if there are any lazy kids around. Those who haven't been behaving are frightened and try to hide, but they are soon found out.

"We'll take kids who don't do as their parents say back with us to the mountains," the namahage scream as they try to snatch the young children away. Many kids get scared and even burst into tears.

The parents appease the frightful guests by offering them food and drinks, pleading with them not to take the children away. They tell the namahage how everyone in the family has been doing over the past year and ask that the coming year is filled with good fortune. The namahage promise that it will indeed be a good year as long as everyone gets along with each other. They then leave the house and return to the mountains.

The word namahage is believed to come from namomi (reddening of the skin from exposure to fire) and hagu (to peel off). Since namomi is a sign that one has been lazily sitting in front of the hearth too long, the namahage tradition is a way to "peel off" the red skin and to encourage everyone to work hard.

Even though namahage have a frightening appearance, they come to each house to ward off evil and offer blessings for the well-being of the family, so they are considered gods and are revered by local villagers.