Historical background

The term Namahage originates from Akita’s local dialect. People describe it as Namomi in their dialect, a fire pattern that appears on the hands and feet when they stay warm for a long time at the hearth. Namomi-hagi, which means preventing such laziness, was translated into Namahage at the end. The Namahage event used to be held on January 15 on a full moon night because Namahage is considered a god who prays for a rich harvest and large catch of the year. Today, people welcome Namahage to their houses on New Year’s Eve. Actually, the Namahage event customs differ in areas. In the Oga peninsula, nearly eighty villages have inherited their original Namahage event until today. In the past, only unmarried men could play the role of Namahage because they were regarded as non-impurity. Recently, however, due to the decline in population, not only unmarried men but also married men are allowed to pray Namahage. Before going to the house, they have to attend a ceremony in Shinzan Shrine to purify their body and mind. Like this, the Namahage tradition is associated with impurity, that is,  Kegare, and thereby, women have been prohibited from performing Namahage. Regarding historical records of Namahage, the oldest one was made by Masumi Sugae (1754~1829), who recorded instructions and pictures of Namahage. Also, Namahage was featured by Kunio Yasuda (1875~1962) or Taro Okamoto (1911~1996) from the folklore perspectives. In 1953, Oga’s Namahage was registered as an important intangible cultural asset. Moreover, on November 29, 2018, Namahage was officially designated as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. 

Characteristics

Local Namahage events are held in Oga City on New Year's Eve. On that day, men act Namahage and visit each home in the village, growling, “Are there any crying children?”, “Are there any misbehaving children?.” Also, Namahage asks about, Yome, a new wife in the home, "Does the wife in this house wake up early?” with the aim of encouraging her to become a community member and be accustomed to a new life and custom of the town soon. The head of the family calms Namahage down and offers specially prepared food and drink, called Namahage-zen, to welcome Namahage. They serve a sake, namasu, or hatahata with prates corresponding to “seven-five-three.” And, Namahage and the head of the family exchange ritual questions and answers in a traditional proper way to ask about the health condition of a family and the harvest of the previous year. Finally, Namahage leaves the house after promising a good harvest and warning the children to behave well and obey what Namahage says and what their parents say. Kede, which refers to what covers Namahage, is believed to be sacred. When Namahage leaves the home, Kede is scattered all over the house, but people keep it as it is without cleaning up. On the next morning, people wind Kede around the head or the affected part to cure a disease. For a family, the Namahage event is important to prepare for a new year and celebrate the coming year by driving away the previous year's bad luck. Actually, the act of Namahage, such as growing up with a big voice and stamping their feet on the floor, is meant to get rid of evil spirits. Overall, the Namahage event is important for residents in Oga City to pray for a peaceful new year.