A Tourist's Perspective - Namahage (Zowie)

On October 12, 2018, I traveled to Oga Peninsula with Professor Furukawa and Gray. During our time there we visited Godzilla Rock, Akagami Shrine Goshado and climbed its 999 steps, the tip of the Peninsula to eat lunch at a delicious restaurant, and the Namahage Museum. Even though Oga is only about an hour away from my university I felt like I had been transported to a completely different place.

The shrine allegedly has 999 steps that were built by the Namahage 

The trees that grow up the side of the mountain appear to be stripped of their leaves and the buildings were dusted with rust from years of salt water eroding the metal. These harsh weather conditions are a reflection of how Oga was formed as a landscape, as a people, and the traditions that came about. And yet, there is still something absolutely breathtaking about this area regardless of its rugged appearance.

Godzilla rock stands fiercely next to the sea.

While in Oga I wanted to look into how the Namahage traditions are being kept alive, as the population decreases. Specifically, I focused on how Oga is marketing to tourists and what has changed as a result of trying to preserve this tradition. While the Namahage has a few different stories about their origin their main purpose is the same. During the New Year Holiday, they come down to the villages to scold and threaten lazy children and sometimes even family members. They come into the house scolding the lazy people and try to take them back to the mountain in a sack. Many kids cry to their parents in fear and run into their protective embrace as it can be quite frightening. However, after eating and drinking sake the Namahage leave good wishes for the family and leave the house only to return again the next year.

At the Namahage Museum you can see the different types that are located in this area. Some Namahage masks are intricately carved while others are made from paper mache or even wood bark.

Fast forward to today, the purpose of the Namahage has shifted in numerous aspects in order to adapt to the new conditions which mostly comes down to the lack of people. Apparently, there are only a dozen, or so, children in Oga and they probably won’t stay to carry on the tradition. Therefore citizens in Oga are forced to adjust the tradition or watch it fade away along with the people. There is a divide between many citizens, some want to create a nicer version of the Namahage as a way to attract tourists and check on the elderly during the winter months; however, some refuse this and would rather have the tradition stay within the community.

I bought a keychain souvenir with the cuter image of the Namahage. This image can be seen in numerous products when marketing to tourists.

The nicer Namahage image popped up often as we traveled around the peninsula. There are cute versions posted on fliers and items such as souvenirs are paired with popular characters such as Hello Kitty and Tamago making them appear much less terrifying then they are intended to be. Even during the performance I watched which is supposed to replicate a night with a Namahage, they didn’t act as they would during a local home visit. They greeted me with good evening and didn’t act out trying to take someone from the home. It was much less fearful than I thought it would be. The other tourists seemed to be smiling and laughing, enjoying the performance, rather than feeling afraid.

There are numerous reasons behind the attitude shift towards how the Namahage should be presented to “outsiders”. But it is apparent that the nice Namahage is the most popular. In the future, I wonder if the Namahage tradition will be sustained as there are less people to take over and what other aspects the community is willing to change in order to keep it alive.