Namahage Saito Festival 2024 History, contents, and period explained!

Update date: 2024/01/17

Activity Japan Editorial Department

" Namahage Sedo Festival 2024 "teeth Akita Winter events that represent is.

In 2024 (Reiwa 6) 61st event .
The festival attracts many tourists every year.

This time Namahage Saito Festival 2024 history or Origin , Event period explain !
Powerful Namahage dance fascinates everyone who sees it.

Why not experience this heroic event that is unique to Akita x winter?

table of contents

1 History and origin of the Namahage Saito Festival
2 What is the Namahage Saito Festival 2024 content, location and period?
3 Let's go see the Namahage Saito Festival 2024!
4 Feature articles recommended by the editorial department

History and origin of the Namahage Saito Festival

Namahage Seibatsu Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura

Namahage Seibatsu Festival Kitaura, Oga City, Akita Shinzan Shrine will be held in winter festival is.

A Shinto ritual that has been held at Mayama Shrine on January 3rd every year for over 900 years. Saitosai Festival ” and folk events “ Namahage A winter tourism event that combines ``.
3 days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including the second Saturday of February every year Held on will be done.

Namahage What is for Oga citizens? Something that warns against laziness and brings good health, fruitful crops in the fields, bounty of the mountains, and bounty of the sea. .
On the evening of New Year's Eve, young people from each village dress up as Namahage and I don't want a child who cries, I want a child who doesn't listen to what his parents say. ” he went from house to house in the area, shouting loudly. Raigojin It is popular as

The Namahage Sedo Festival was held in 1964 (Showa 39) at the Snow Festival held at Hoshitsuji Shrine in Kitaura-Yumoto.
Planned to “invigorate winter tourism in Oga Onsen Village” It is said to have been adapted from the ``Seibatsu Festival'' held at Mayama Shrine under the guidance of Kannosuke Nara, a folklorist and former member of the Akita City Council.

Until the third time Hoshitsuji Shrine However, as the number of visitors increased and the venue became too crowded, the stage was moved to Mayama Shrine.
By the way, in the past, the festival had a more local content, with enka singers and folk singers appearing, and tug-of-war competitions between workplaces and local communities in Oga City.

The Namahage Saito Festival has gone through many changes like these to reach its current form.

What is the Namahage Saito Festival 2024 content, location and period?

" What can you do at Namahage Saito Festival 2024? "" What kind of content is it? ” I think there are many people who think that.

Below, Namahage Seibatsu Festival 2024 of Content or Venue/period Easy to understand explanation To do!

Chinkama Festival/Yunomai/Piazza Entrance (18:00~)

Namahage Seibatsu Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura Chinkama Festival Yu no dance Kagura Hot water making ritual Plaza entrance

Yu no Mai teeth Dedicated to the purification kagura unique to the Oga region .

Chinkamasai teeth Traditional hot spring ritual passed down from ancient times .
Water is boiled in a cauldron, and a priest stirs the water with a straw bowl while chanting words of exorcism.

In this hot water stand Faith that calms the waves and roughness of the sea there is.

Namahage soul/approach entrance (18:20~)

Namahage Seibatsu Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura Namahage Enthusiasm Approach Entrance Young people who have become Namahage Return to the mountain

Young people dressed as Namahage stand on the stone steps at the entrance to the shrine. Mask with god on it Receive and acquire the.

in this ceremony The young people turn into sluggards and return to the mountains. .

Namahage event reenactment/Kagura hall (18:35~)

Namahage Chaito Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura Namahage event reenactment Kagura hall Folk event Oga's Namahage New Year's Eve

All over Oga City New Year's Eve A folk event held on Oga Namahage ” that reproduces .

You can see the Namahage visiting homes and leaving behind instructions.

Namahage Dance/In front of the Saiba Tobi (from 18:55)

Namahage Saito Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura Namahage Dance In front of Saiba Toubi

The choreography was created in 1961 by the late Akita-born contemporary dancer Baku Ishii, and the music was set by his son, composer Kan Ishii. brave dance is.

Namahage Taiko/Kaguraden (19:05~)

Namahage Chaito Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura Namahage Chaito Festival Namahage Taiko Kagura Hall

Namahage and Japanese drum combined Oga's local performing arts .
" Family safety "" bountiful harvest ” and so on.

Namahage descent/kenpei/open space/approach (from 19:25)

Namahage Seibatsu Festival Mayama Shrine Akita Oga City Kitaura Namahage Shimoyama Kenkomochi Square Approach to the shrine

Namahage holding torches descends from the darkness of the snowy mountains to the audience and parades around the grounds.

Its heroic and fantastic appearance fascinates those who see it. climax of the festival .
Continue" Kenpei "teeth A ritual in which the goma mochi offered to the god is presented to the god's messenger, Namahage. is.

The large mochi, which is roasted under a lantern lit by a priest, is imbued with divine power, and Namahage cannot easily touch it.
The Namahage who finally got the goma mochi returned to the god.

Village Namahage Intrusion/Kagura Hall/Piazza (from 20:00)

Characteristics of each district in Oga City Namahage intrudes To do.

Namahage Seibatsu Festival 2024 (61st)

Venue	Mayama Shrine in Kitaura, Oga City, Akita
Event period (schedule)	February 9th (Friday) – February 11th (Sunday), 2024
open time	18:00～20:30
Admission fee (admission sponsorship fee)	1,000 yen Free for junior high school students and younger Advance application required for admission *Maximum of 2,000 people each day