A visiting-deity ritual in Terasawa, with straw masks and distinctive sounds
Terasawa no Akumabarai
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- January 14
- Location
- Terasawa settlement; community center on the hill
- Area
- Akita Prefecture・Akita City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/22
In the Terasawa settlement in Yuwa, Akita City, Namahage wearing straw masks visit homes throughout the settlement. Local hopes are expressed in the event’s sequence, from making the masks and parading through the settlement to tying the masks to a tree as guardian deities.
About Terasawa no Akumabarai
Terasawa no Akumabarai is a visiting-deity ritual held in the Terasawa settlement in Yuwa, Akita City.
In the settlement, people make masks and kera from straw. Namahage, distinguished as male or female by details such as the number of horns, visit homes throughout the settlement.
The custom has been passed down as a way to purify homes at the start of the year and pray for the children to grow up healthy.
Source: 第145回 秋田県 寺沢の悪魔はらい ～子供たちの成長を願う来訪神行事～ | khb東日本放送 / 一年の計はナマハゲにあり！男鹿市、秋田市の来訪神行事（動画付き） - 秋田人形道祖神
Festival highlights
Highlights include the simple straw masks and the sight of a male-female pair of Namahage making their rounds through the settlement.
The masks are decorated with chili peppers and cedar leaves to ward off evil; 1 horn represents the male and 2 horns the female.
The male carries a metal tool used for pulling a horse fence, while the female carries a metal tool used for pulling a horse sled. They make a distinctive sound with every step.
A visiting-deity ritual in Terasawa, with straw masks and distinctive sounds
What to expect
Preparations begin at 10 a.m., when people from the settlement make kera and straw masks in a work hut.
They gather again at 6 p.m., and 2 Namahage parade through the village.
When they reach the community center on the hill at 8 p.m., they wrap the masks and kera they have been wearing around a cherry tree. A naorai gathering is then held.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Terasawa settlement, Yuwa, Akita City; community center on the hill
- By car
About 30 minutes by car from Akita Station
Address Terasawa settlement, Yuwa, Akita City
Dates and season
- Season
January 14
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Nearby attractions
あきた文学資料館
秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：Daigo35 / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
ノースアジア大学雪国民俗館
秋田県秋田市にある資料館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
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ポートタワー・セリオン
秋田港にあるポートタワー
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
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久保田城
秋田市に所在する城
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
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仁別森林博物館
秋田市にある博物館
写真：MWE / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
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千秋公園
秋田県秋田市にある公園
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
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彌高神社
秋田県秋田市千秋公園にある神社
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
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旧秋田藩主佐竹氏別邸
秋田県秋田市にある久保田藩主佐竹氏の別邸および庭園
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
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秋田城
秋田県秋田市にある古代城柵
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
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秋田大学附属鉱業博物館
秋田県秋田市にある博物館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
秋田市大森山動物園
秋田県秋田市の大森山公園にある動物園
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Terasawa no Akumabarai
According to a 2023 record, the Namahage finally wrap their masks and kera around a cherry tree; it is said that in the past they tied them to the sacred tree of the shrine.
The fact that they become beings who watch over the village as its guardian deities after the event also points to the ritual’s ties to local beliefs.
Terasawa no Akumabarai at a Glance
Terasawa no Akumabarai is a visiting-deity ritual passed down in the Terasawa settlement in Yuwa, Akita City.
In the morning, people make straw masks and kera; from 6 p.m., 2 Namahage make their rounds through the settlement.
After arriving at the community center on the hill at 8 p.m., the Namahage wrap their masks and kera around a cherry tree. The event is recorded as a ritual to dispel misfortune from homes and pray for the children to grow up healthy.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/22
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