Published October 20, 2026 at 7:06 PM JST

On the Oga Peninsula in Akita, masked straw-clad Namahage come down a snowy mountain with torches in a winter festival built on a New Year's Eve custom.

Quick answer: The Namahage Sedo Festival is a winter evening festival held at Shinzan Shrine in Oga, Akita Prefecture. It is typically held over a Friday to Sunday in the second weekend of February, with organizers confirming the dates each year. It combines the sacred bonfire ritual known as Sedo with the Namahage tradition, in which masked deities in straw capes bring blessings and playful warnings.

A winter festival with a masked tradition

Every February, a corner of the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture glows with firelight. At Shinzan Shrine in the Kitaura area of Oga, torches, drums and a large bonfire set the stage for the Namahage Sedo Festival, an evening event that draws visitors who want to see one of northern Japan's most distinctive traditions in the middle of winter.

The festival is a blend of two things. One is the Sedo ritual, a sacred fire ceremony that Shinzan Shrine holds every year on January 3. The other is the Namahage custom of Oga, a New Year's Eve tradition in which masked figures visit homes. The festival brings them together in a form that can be enjoyed in the evening by visitors from outside the region. A tourism listing notes that the festival itself has a history of over sixty years.

The evening is lively and dramatic, and it gives visitors a chance to feel the energy of a mountain deity tradition up close.

Who the Namahage are

Namahage are figures in demon-like masks, shaggy straw capes and straw boots. Traditionally, on New Year's Eve, young men of Oga dress as Namahage and visit homes, calling out in the local dialect to ask whether any lazy or crying children are about. The head of each household welcomes them politely with sake and special food, and the visitors give New Year's blessings before heading back to the mountain.

According to a nippon.com article, the Namahage are raihoshin, deities who come from outside the village to visit households. They are folk figures rather than gods from written scripture, and their visits encourage children to work hard and be good while also driving away illness at the start of the year. The knives they carry are models today, and the whole encounter is meant to be a blessing.

Because the Namahage of Oga are a living custom, the mask styles differ from district to district. The Namahage Museum in Oga exhibits more than 150 masks from different parts of the peninsula, and no two are alike, according to a regional tourism lecture page.

Official recognition

Namahage have received national and international recognition. The Oga no Namahage custom is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, according to a Japanese festival guide. In 2018, UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as one of ten Japanese rituals in the group called Raiho-shin, which means ritual visits of deities in masks and costumes. The decision was made by the UNESCO committee on November 29, 2018.

It is the custom itself, rather than the festival, that carries these designations. The Sedo festival is a presentation that lets visitors experience the spirit of it in a single evening.

The evening program

The festival runs for roughly two and a half hours in the evening, with start times listed around six o'clock. Listings differ slightly on exact times, so check with the executive committee for the year you plan to attend.

The evening begins with sacred rituals. Priests perform the Yunomai, a ceremonial dance, and the Chinkamasai, a hot water ritual in which hot water is sprinkled to purify the area and the visitors. Then comes the Namahage consecration, in which young participants purify their costumes at the shrine so that they can become fierce deities.

Next come performances. A staged retelling shows how the Namahage visit a home on New Year's Eve, and there are Namahage dances and taiko drumming. The best known moment follows, in which Namahage with torches come down from the snowy mountain behind the shrine, signaled by a conch shell horn, and walk across the grounds in a procession.

The ritual offering of mochi comes next. Rice cakes toasted in the sacred fire are offered, and the Namahage receive them from a priest before returning to the mountain.

The finale and the lucky straw

In the closing scene, Namahage from various districts of Oga burst in one after another, each with its own distinctive mask and manner. They pose for photographs, and in the playful spirit of the custom, they may approach children to give them a gentle fright. A regional guide notes that some children cry, and that it is part of the fun for families.

There is a pleasant belief tied to the costumes as well. Straw that falls from the Namahage outfits is considered a good luck charm, so many people tuck a piece away to take home. After the Namahage retire, charm mochi called goma mochi and a photo session are held in front of the kagura hall, according to one festival guide.

Getting there and enjoying the night

Shinzan Shrine is in the Kitaura area of Oga. A temporary paid shuttle bus runs from JR Oga Station, a trip of about thirty minutes, and from the Oga Onsen Village, according to a festival listing. By car, the shrine is about thirty three kilometers from the Showa-Oga Peninsula interchange on the Akita Expressway, and temporary parking is set up near the venue.

February in Akita is cold and snowy, so dress warmly in layers, wear waterproof boots and consider a hat and gloves. Arriving before the event starts is helpful, since the grounds become crowded, and large screens may be set up for viewing. After the show, special shuttle buses run to places such as Oga Onsen Village and Oga Station for a limited time, so keep an eye on the last service.

Museums and experiences nearby

Visiting the festival can easily be combined with a little time spent learning about the custom, which makes the evening more meaningful. A regional tourism page also notes that families in Oga believe mochi given by the Namahage helps protect against colds, a small detail that shows how warmly the visits are regarded.

For more of the tradition, the Namahage Museum is nearby, and the Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum is also close. The Shinzan Denshokan, a thatched farmhouse more than a century old, gives visitors a chance to experience the New Year's Eve visit in a household setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Namahage Sedo Festival?

It is typically held on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the second weekend of February, with evening events. The 2026 dates were February 13 to 15. The executive committee sets the dates and times each year, so please confirm them before you travel.

What does Namahage mean for visitors?

The Namahage are masked deities who bring blessings, encourage hard work and chase away illness. The festival shows this in a lively way, with dances, drums, torches and a playful finale. Visitors are welcome to take photos and enjoy the spirit of the evening.

How can I get to the venue in winter?

Take a temporary paid shuttle from JR Oga Station or Oga Onsen Village, which are described as running during the festival. If you drive, use the temporary parking near the venue and allow extra time for snowy roads. Check the festival executive committee for current transport information.

Further reading: the Good Luck Trip page for the Namahage Sedo Festival, the Akita green tourism page on Namahage and the festival and the nippon.com article on masked bringers of fortune.

Keep exploring: Yokote Kamakura: Glowing Snow Huts, Warm Amazake and a Water Deity Altar; Sapporo Snow Festival: How Six Snow Statues Became a Winter Spectacle; Aomori Nebuta Matsuri: Glowing Paper Giants, Haneto Dancers and Fireworks; Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Matsuri: A Mountain Village's Winter Fire Prayer.