Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum

Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum is a facility on the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture where visitors can experience the “Namahage” culture in a vivid, immersive way. Together with the adjacent Namahage Museum, it offers a deeper understanding of the traditional Oga no Namahage event, a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of “Raiho-shin, ritual visits of deities in mask and costume.”

The building recreates a traditional house from the Oga region known as a “magariya,” an L-shaped farmhouse with the main house connected to a stable. With its thatched roof and irori hearth, it creates an authentic space that evokes the life of old farm households. The “Namahage customs learning course” is held in this irori room.

The program begins with an explanation of the New Year’s Eve Namahage ritual passed down in the Shinzan area. Next comes a faithful reenactment of the original ceremony, which is usually seen only by local residents. The Namahage of the Shinzan area wear hornless masks and visit homes in pairs. Before entering, a role called “sakidachi” asks the household head for permission to come inside, and upon receiving the signal, they burst in with a thunderous “Whoa!”

Their movements follow strict long-standing customs. Once inside, they stamp the floor seven times with their feet and then begin walking around the room. Shouting, “Is there any lazy person here?” and “Is there any crying child here?”, they stomp across the tatami and search the household. The host calms the unruly Namahage and serves them sake and food, but even before taking a seat, they are required to stamp their feet five times. After the exchange with the host ends, they pray for a good harvest in the coming year, the family’s health and safety, and the healthy growth of children, and before leaving they stamp their feet three times. This “7-5-3” foot-stamping pattern is a unique Shinzan-area custom and a symbolic act of wishing for happiness.

During the performance, powerful shouts and dramatic movements continue throughout, and the straw that falls from the costumes is said to ward off evil (it is acceptable to take home straw that falls naturally). Visitors can experience the intensity and ritual up close and come to understand Namahage not merely as a frightening figure, but as a visiting deity with its original meaning.

At the neighboring Namahage Museum, visitors can learn about the history of this event and its regional variations through diverse masks, costumes, video materials, and more from across the Oga region. Shinzan Shrine is also nearby, and many visitors tour the surrounding area together. Free parking is available, making this an essential highlight of any Oga sightseeing trip.