"Namahage
are the embodiment of the loneliness inherent in snowy lands.
Raising
a terrifying voice, they seek out and attack living things.
If
you cross paths with one, you should play dead.
They
regard the lazy as friends and are lulled into a false sense of
security.
They say you should play dead
if confronted by a Namahage, but it can be quite fearsome to hide in
plain sight of an armed foe. A legend tells of a samurai that tried
to banish the Namahage. He attacked its blade with a nearby brush
while it was distracted. Without its weapon, it grew afraid and left,
promising to reform."
-Okami (Nintendo Wii)
Once
upon a time, I came across this creature in an excellent video game.
And so, I decided to search for where it came from and find out more
about it.
That somewhere is Akita
prefecture: specifically the Oga peninsula, an hour north of Akita
city by train.
