NAMAHAGE in Tokyo
Etsuko Ichihara (JP), ISID OPEN INNOVATION LAB. (JP)
In Japanese folklore, there exists a beast-like deity called the Namahage. NAMAHAGE in Tokyo seeks to reconstruct and implement the NAMAHAGE system in a modern city. It translates and reinterprets for the urban context the ritual's functions, including maintenance of rural community through mutual surveillance, initiation into adulthood, and reinforcement of family bonds.
