Learning about Akita Lore: ‘namahage’

Lecturers
The Shinzan ‘namahage’

Contents

Written by Fumiko YABUKI

Editor; former designer. Born and raised in Akita, she is a hardcore Akita native! She is Deputy Chief Editor for the free magazine “non-biri”.

Photography by Yōma FUNABASHI

3. “Are there any crybaby children here?”

New Year’s Eve 2016: the ‘namahage’ evening ritual. The young men taking part in the ritual have gathered at the local community center, and the ceremony to see them off has begun. Four men wearing ‘kede’ sit in front of the ceremonial food which has been prepared for them. A village representative ritually purifies them, blowing on their gold and silver masks with ritual sake in his mouth. The men put their masks on inside the community center. After they have run through and rehearsed the sequence of events for tonight’s ritual, the representative says prayers for them at Shinzan shrine, and they go off round the local houses, visiting each one by one.

Mr. Ginichiro Seki has been kind enough to let us come into his house to see the ‘namahage’ question and answer ritual.

Grrrr! Grrrr!

The shouts of the ‘namahage’ draw near.

Knock! Knock! (As they knock on the door, the ‘namahage’ stamp their feet in the porch, and then go inside.)

Grrrr! Grrrr!
Namahage
Grrrr! Old man, how are you doing? Grrrr! Grrrr!

(The ‘namahage’ enter in and walk round the house.)

Namahage
Grrrr! Little children, I know you’re hiding here somewhere! Grrrr! Grrrr! I can smell you, but there’s no sign of you!!
Grrrr! Grrrr!

Knock! Knock! Tap! Tap! (They bang on doors and posts in the house.)

Namahage
Grrrr! Grrrr!
Old woman! How are you doing? Grrrr! Grrrr!

(A lady brings out a tray of festive food.)

Seki
Welcome ‘namahage’, please take a drink!

(The ‘namahage’ stamp their feet in front of the food and sit down.)

Seki
Happy New Year!
Namahage
How’ve you been this year?
Seki
I’ve been doing OK. Thank you for asking.
Namahage
Glad to hear it. You need to keep the evil spirits away this year! It was hard work getting here. There’s a bit of snow in the field and woods, but it’s piled up two or three meters thick up in the mountains, you know.
Seki
(Pouring out sake) I bet.
Namahage
Ummmm! This is good sake, eh old man?
Seki
Yes it is, isn’t it? It’s good. It’s made from Akitakomachi rice.
Namahage
Yeah, it’s not bad at all, is it! I like it! How was the harvest this year?
Seki
It was a good harvest.
Namahage
We need to purify this place so you have a good harvest next year as well!
Seki
Please. As you wish.

(He pours more sake.)

Namahage
Now, old man! I can’t see the grandchildren, where’ve they gone?!
Seki
They were here a while ago. They were here, I’m sure of it.
Namahage
Old man, you’ve not hidden them away have you?
Seki
Well, I wonder where they are. They were around here just now.
Namahage
You’re not supposed to hide them just because you adore them! I know they’re here because I can smell them!
Seki
You’ve got a good sense of smell, haven’t you?
Namahage
Yeah, we’ve got good noses, good eyes and good ears! Children, if you’re hiding we’re going to find you pretty quickly, you know! Old man, haven’t you been drinking too much? Are you in good health?
Seki
I’ve given up drinking for now. I overdid it before and drank too much. But I’m going start drinking again next year (Laughs).
Namahage
You’ve got to do what the doctor says, you know! Just a little bit of alcohol is OK, but you mustn’t overdo it! It’s bad for you!
Seki
Yes. I understand.
Namahage
We’re going to have another look round for the children. You’re pouring out sake to distract us, aren’t you? We’re going to have a good look for them and take them away!

(The ‘namahage’ stand up and stamp their feet.)

Namahage
Grrrr!

(They look round the house again.)

Namahage
Grrrr! Where have the children gone! Grrrr! Where are they hiding? Grrrr!
Seki
Namahage, please let me apologize. I’ll make sure the children study hard. (The ‘namahage’ give a blessing.)
Namahage
OK. We understand. Look after yourself, old man! We’ll be back again next year! Grrrr! Grrrr! (They walk round house again and leave.)
Namahage
We’ve purified your home! Look after yourself!
Seki
Yes. I will.

Conversation with Ginichiro Seki
Every year, before the ‘namahage’ come, I have a wash to purify myself. I have a bath and then welcome the ‘namahage’ in. Every New Year’s Eve, this helps me get in the mood for when the ‘namahage’ come. Once they’ve gone, I think, ‘Well, that’s another year over!’ And then I’m ready to welcome in the New Year.

After that, we went to visit Mr. Saruta at his home. Mr. Saruta welcomed us in, with his wife, Kaori, and his little boy, Horo (5 years old).

Namahage
Grrrr! Grrrr!

(The ‘namahage’ walk around inside, and sit down in front of Horo.)

Namahage
Grrrr! Do what your mother and father tell you! Make sure you do! I bet you spend all your time doing video games, don’t you?!
Saruta
[To Horo] You’re a good boy, aren’t you?
Horo
Yes.
Namahage
Are you really!! I hope so!! Grrrr! Grrrr!
Saruta
‘Namahage-san,’ please sit down. Make yourselves comfortable.

(The ‘namahage’ stamp their feet and sit down.)

Saruta
Little boy of the house. We’re waiting, we want you to pour some sake for us. We want to have a drink.
Saruta
[To Horo] You’ve been a good boy, have you?
Horo
Yes.
Namahage
The ‘namahage’ are watching you from up in the mountains, you know! Do you do what your mother and father tell you?
Horo
Yes, I do.
Namahage
Really!? Are you sure?
Horo
Yes, I listen to them and obey them.
Saruta
You must be thirsty. Please drink.
Namahage
By the way, old man, how is your business?
Saruta
Thank you for asking. It’s quiet in winter, but in the summer, things pick up with all the tourists here.
Namahage
Is that so! Glad to hear it. We’re protecting you from the evil spirits this year!
Saruta
Thank you. We really appreciate that.
Sakidachi
I heard something. This boy’s been talking too much at kindergarten. Not listening properly. Chatting too much.
Namahage
Whaaat! Is that true?!!!
Sakidachi
Maybe you’d better take him back to the mountains?
Namahage
Grrrr!
Saruta
[To Horo] You listen and obey the teachers, right?
Namahage
Did you hear that?! Is that true?!!
Horo
(Crying)
Kaori
[To Horo] Will you promise the ‘namahage’ that you will be good?
Namahage
You’re crying, that means you are not listening?
Saruta
[To Horo] Doing what you’re told is what grown-ups do. You know that, don’t you?
Horo
I’m listening. (Crying)
Kaori
Promise the ‘namahage.’
Namahage
You are going to pour out some more sake for us?
Namahage
Do you promise?
Horo
Yes. I promise.
Saruta
[To Horo] Will you do it properly? Next year you’ll be in elementary school, won’t you?
Namahage
Do what your mother and father tell you! Otherwise, we’ll come down from the mountains and take you away!
Horo
Yes (Crying).

(The ‘namahage’ stand up and stamp their feet.)

Namahage
Grrrr! Grrrr!
We’ll be back again next year! Grrrr! Grrrr!
Saruta
Thank you very much for visiting!

Well, we’ve been lucky enough to see something pretty intense and action-packed! Please watch the video to see what happened!

Next time, we’re paying another visit to Mr. Saruta to get his thoughts on today’s events.

4. ‘The Rural Motherland of the Soul’

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