American World Traveler Winter 2021-22 Issue

24
Happy Namahage New Year from Japan’s Mountain Ogres
Article and photography by Steve Gillick
It’s New Year’s Eve in Northwestern
Japan. The peaceful calm of a snowy
evening is about to be shattered. A dull,
unsettling moaning sound seems to get louder
as it approaches your home. Suddenly,
loud banging on the walls is followed by a
shocking CRASH, as the entrance door is
flung open and two terrifying figures tramp
into your house.
They’re dressed in coats of straw with their
feet bound in straw sandals. They carry a
small bucket in one hand and a menacing
carving knife in the other. Their faces are
obscured by colorful scowling masks conveying
horror and dread.
The intruders yell out questions in an accusatory
way as they clomp toward the stove or the
fireplace. “Are there any cry babies around”?
“Are there any naughty kids here”? ”Any lazy
people neglecting their work”? And mean-
American World Traveler Winter 2021-22
while, the children are either hiding in fear,
crying at the horrific spectacle, or nervously
laughing at the anticipated arrival of the
Namahage (pronounced Nom-a-hah-gay).
These scenes of trepidation occur in the villages
along the Oga Peninsula in Akita
Prefecture. It’s a little off the beaten path,
however the four hour train journey from the
city of Morioka is a relaxing ride past mountains
and forests. The Namahage Museum
Bus departs from the Oga Train Station. Our
first stop was a small building, dating to
1714, known as the ‘10,000 Buddhas of
Shinzan’. The walls and ceilings are covered
with miniature, carved, wooden Jizo statues
representing the Bodhisattva who decided to
postpone Buddhahood until all could be
saved. It’s a place of reverence, protection,
peace and comfort for troubled souls
From there it’s a 20-minute walk to the
Namahage Musuem.
The word ‘Namahage’ refers to heat blisters;
sores that lazy people get from idly sitting
around the fire for too long. The task of the
Namahage is to confront the guilty and get
them to change their ways before the New
Year. To do this, 2-3 young men dressed as
Namahage visit each household. If a child is
not doing their homework or a member of the
family is not pulling his/her weight in doing
the chores, then, with a bit of advance notice,
the Namahage build this into their frightening
talk. And afterward, they join the head of the
household for food, sake, and assurances
that those who need to change their ways, will
do so.
In the Namahage Museum, visitors can dress
up like an Ogre in straw cloak, shoes and
masks. After a few selfies, they enter the
exhibit hall filled with Namahage figures representing
New Years traditions in the different
villages on the Peninsula. An eerie soundtrack,
with whispers of ‘whoa, whoa’,
enhances the spooky, surreal atmosphere.
The days surrounding New Years represent an
occasion for many societies and cultures to
toss out the old, say farewell to bad luck,
promise to turn a new leaf and strive to attract
good karma for the New Year. The frightening
ogres of Namahage are part of this enamoured
tradition.