Journeys in Japan

Namahage New Year's Rite (4x4)

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On this "journeys in japan" our reporter Deborah Ten experiences the rings in the New Year's in northern Japan. She visits Oga Peninsula, in Akita Prefecture, to see an unusual New Year's Eve rite. During the folk ritual, known as namahage, demon-like incarnations of the mountain gods go from home to home in the Oga area.