Namahage Museum/Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum

Famous throughout the country, the Oga no Namahage rituals have been designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Though the rituals take place all over the Oga Peninsula on New Year’s Eve, the faces and materials used for the masks, the items they hold in their hands, and the details of the legends vary from village to village based on location and the local industry. At the Namahage Museum, you can learn about the legends as well as view the many different masks. At Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum you can experience the New Year’s Eve ritual of the Shinzan District yourself. Furthermore, the museum is housed in a reconstructed residence dating back to 1907, which has been designated a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property and showcases the characteristic features of the Oga regional farmhouse architecture.