Namahage Museum

The Namahage Museum sits on the Oga Peninsula in Akita, the heartland of one of Japan's most striking folk customs. On New Year's Eve, young men don fearsome ogre masks and straw capes to become Namahage — visiting deities who burst into homes growling 'Are there any lazy people here?', startling children and idlers before being welcomed with food and sake to bless the household for the year ahead. Recognised by UNESCO in 2018 as part of the 'Raiho-shin' ritual visiting-deity traditions, the custom is brought to life here through a hall of more than 150 Namahage masks gathered from villages across the peninsula, each with its own colours, horns, and expression that reveal surprising local variety. The museum stands beside the Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum, an old thatched farmhouse where live Namahage reenactments are staged year-round so visitors can experience the dramatic encounter for themselves. Together with the adjacent Shinzan Shrine, it makes the best single place to understand a tradition normally seen only on one night a year — and the fiery Namahage Sedo Festival held here in February is the most spectacular time to come.