Japanese Devils Scare Lazy Children on New Years
Japanese Devils Scare the Laziness out of Kids Namahage – Japanese Devils with a Strong Work Ethic Namahage – the bane of lazy children “ Twas the night before my skinning…” Imagine you were a young child living in the Northwestern part of Japan on the small peninsula of Oga. It’s the holiday season and instead of waiting eagerly for fat jolly old elf with a sack full of toys to bring you presents, you’re dreading the arrival of a bunch of hairy scary devils with a handful of butcher knives who threaten to peel off your skin if you’ve have been lazy all year. It makes the lump of coal Santa Claus leaves with naughty children pale in comparison. If you can get your head around that, perhaps you can understand this bizarre bit of psychological child abuse known as the Namahage. Part of the Oga Welcoming Committee Namahage come in a variety of shapes and colors throughout Oga The Namahage are Japanese devils who visit villages on the Oga peninsula every New Year’s Eve. They wear s...