The Namahage Sedo Festival is one of the Michinoku Five Great Snow Festivals and is held at Shinzan Shrine on the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture. The festival is held every year on the second weekend of February and runs from Friday through Sunday.

Namahage Sedo Festival

The exact origin of Namahage is unknown, but there is a local legend in Akita that Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty visited Oga and was escorted by five demons. The Japanese festival is believed to be over 200 years old and is registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Red Namahage at Namahage Sedo Festival | 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Namahage refers to the messengers of the gods that wear strange, scary masks and costumes made of straw. They are considered visiting deities that warn against laziness and bring good health, bountiful harvests, bounties from the mountains, and bounties from the sea.

Blue Namahage at Namahage Sedo Festival | 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the night of the festival, young men from each village dress up as Namahage, descend from the mountains and run around the village telling children to behave, listen to their parents, and not be lazy. These messengers go from house to house, casting out evil spirits and rebuking lazy people.

Namahage Sedo Festival | 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Namahage are also invited to search some homes for lazy people and disobedient children. The family members dress up in formal attire and greet them politely. The father then explains the misdemeanors that the family has committed in the past year, and serves sake and food before sending them off.

Namahage at Namahage Museum | Douglas P. Perkins, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The festival is not only a traditional folk event, but also a means of education for young children. Parents use the experience to warn children of the possibility that the Namahage will return when they are bad, or lazy.