Have you been naughty or nice this year? Much like the West has Christmas and Santa Claus, Oga in Akita Prefecture has a similar ritual with namahage on New Year’s Eve. 👹 Although scary looking and very noisy, namahage are actually benevolent spirits who protect villages and bring families good luck. The locals welcome namahage into their homes and placate them with offerings of food and sake.
🎁 This ancient folk tradition is so unique it’s on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
📷 Remarkable photo by @estrella1868 #Tradition #VisitJapanAU
AloJapan.com