Oga Namahage Sedo Festival: Midwinter Strange Festival Where Fire and Demons Perform Together

Namahage Sedo Festival

Held the second Friday through Sunday of February at Shinzan Shrine in Oga, Akita, the Namahage Sedo Festival combines the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage "Oga Namahage" tradition with Sedo Kagura sacred dance performance.

Highlights

- Torch Procession: Namahage and torch-bearing procession descending the shrine slope - Saito Fire: Great bonfires lit on the shrine grounds - Namahage Dialogue: Call-and-response between namahage and the year's special representative - Sedo Kagura: Traditional Oga sacred dance - Namahage Procession: Namahage walking through the snow

What Are Namahage?

- Deity-like figures who visit each home on New Year's Eve to admonish the lazy - Famous for the cry "Are there any crying children?!" - Inscribed on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2018

Getting There

- From JR Oga Line Oga Station by local bus to Shinzan Shrine (express buses on festival days) - From Akita Station by car: about 1 hour

Tips

Midwinter event — thorough cold-weather protection is essential. Temporary parking available. Tickets (paid) recommended for advance purchase.