The Namahage: A Festival in the Northeast of Japan

a₁m a₁m agricultural Akamata Akita Akita Prefecture Amamehagi b₁ behavior bekke belief Bon Festival boys brides Bunkichi buraku called celebration ceremony Community Center costumes culture custom dekasegi disguised district drink sake existence farmers girls gokai hage Hamlet Festival headship honke honke-bekke relationship Hori household members Iinomori Ikko Inari Shrine inhabitants Iwate Prefecture January January 14 Japan Japanese kami Kaneji Koshogatsu Kunio Yanagita land magobekke mahage maki man-god marebito married masks Minzoku mukoyoshi Namahage festival Namahage observance Namahage type night Nihon northeast oaza Oga City Oga Peninsula organization Origuchi paddy participate past percent performed Prefecture receive religious rice cakes rich harvest ritual Ryukyu Islands Santaro Sanzaemon Sea of Japan shinrui Shogatsu social Sosenji spirits straw coats temple tion Tokyo village visitors Wa-aw wakaze Wakimoto women worship Yaeyama Islands Yamamoto Yanagita Year's Eve yoshi young men's association