F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-114
weird
Noto Amamehagi Visiting-Deity Ritual
能登のアマメハギのとのあまめはぎ
D A T E2026-01-02 — 2026-02-03
A Little New Year visiting-deity ritual performed across villages of Monzen-machi in Wajima and parts of Noto Town. Young men wearing masks visit homes and mime peeling off 'amame' — the heat blisters that form on the legs of those who doze too long by the hearth — symbolically rebuking laziness. The rite is a component of the nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property 'Raiho-shin: Ritual visits of deities in masks and costumes' (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage).
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property (1979)
- 02Component of the UNESCO ICH element 'Raiho-shin: Ritual visits of deities in masks and costumes'
- 03Masked, straw-mantled visitors mime peeling 'amame' from villagers
- 04A Little New Year rite rebuking idleness and warding off misfortune
- 05Practiced in multiple districts (e.g. Minazuki on Jan 2, Akiyoshi on Feb 3)
D E E P D I V E