Namahage Museum

Really great museum in a great area. It's cheap to get in and there are extensive exhibits that are well explained in English and are presented non-randomly in the manner of a story, something all too rare in Japanese museums. There is a re-enactment of a namahage visit held in an old farmhouse and you can even have some namahage cosplay photos taken for free, not the 1000 yen other places would charge. My favourite was actually the videos of namahage visits to real houses in Oga, showing families on New Years Eve with the tv on as the namahage turn up. Later in the evening, we went to see the Namahage taiko drumming show (held elsewhere at the hot spring area) which was also cheap and excellent, with more entertainment and crowd involvement/encouragement than other taiko performances I've seen. The people of Oga are obviously pushing the namahage tradition to encourage tourism, but is being done in what I think is a tasteful and friendly, welcoming way, without the grubby money-grabbing you see elsewhere. I came away with great respect for them. Ganbare Oga! We have a car, but rent one if you don't to go to places like this. Public transport just doesn't work in the Japanese countryside. You will see loads loads more with a car. There is simply no comparison.