Photo/Illutration At the Namahage-kan museum, visitors can view a wide variety of 150 Namahage masks actually used in New Year’s Eve rituals of each town and village in the Oga Peninsula. (Photo by Lisa Vogt)

Outside the arrival terminal of Akita Airport, I saw a panel of two rather kitsch, ogre-like demons, one with a blue and the other a red face, dressed in, how might I put it, a “fashionable,” somewhat Yamamoto Kansai-ish outfit.

Printed in English above the two creatures was “Any bad kids?” It took a few seconds for the meaning to register as I read again, “Any bad kids?” Then, I got it and cracked up!

What a great poster design! Whoever designed this gets a blue ribbon to pin to his or her resume. Displayed next to cutesy and huggable stuffed Akita dogs, the juxtaposition was sublime.

Any bad dogs? Well, yes, in the opinion of some. Akitas are considered an aggressive and dangerous breed and are banned or restricted in several cities in the United States as well as in Bermuda, Ireland, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore and Ukraine.

Every New Year’s Eve on the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture, frightful Namahage with horns, bulging eyes and mouths full of pointy teeth and wielding big knives descend from the mountains to terrorize villagers.

They barge inside homes frantically yelling, “Any bad kids?” These ogres scare the bejesus out of little children, who are often crying their eyes out in fear.

Kids who try to run are dragged back, kicking and screaming. Adults (sadists, if you ask me) get a kick out of this, and no doubt plan to use the threat of Namahage the next time the kids don’t put down their games to study or do their chores.

Carrots or sticks--I think I prefer the approach used by Ireland’s St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus: making lists of who’s been naughty and nice. I worry that the Namahage ritual is a form of child abuse, traumatizing kids for life. But perhaps children need a good scare once in a while to keep them right. Maybe we all do.

Namahage means “peeled blisters.” In snow country, lazy people who stay cozy in front of a fire instead of working get blisters from the heat to show for it. Namahage are equal-opportunity chastisers and go after adults, too.

Namahage can be appeased by giving them mochi rice cakes that have been roasted by Shinto priests.

If you can make it to Shinzan Shrine in Oga, Akita Prefecture, on the second weekend of February, you’ll encounter real Namahage. If not, check out the Namahage-kan museum to see the almost-real versions and learn all about this fascinating ritual.

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This article by Lisa Vogt, a Washington-born and Tokyo-based photographer, originally appeared in the Dec. 5 issue of Asahi Weekly. It is part of the series "Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan," which depicts various places across the country through the perspective of the author, a professor at Meiji University.

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