Amamehagi
アマメハギ(門前町五十洲・皆月)
Ancient Noto folk ritual where children masquerading as demons parade through streets to symbolically drive away laziness and encourage diligent work.
The old folk ritual known as "Amamehagi" involves children dressing up as demons and imitating danger by carrying fake knives and wearing traditional Japanese boots known as fukagutsu. They walk through streets shouting "Amame" in the dialect of Noto, which is believed to drive away laziness and encourage people to work diligently. The yell "Amame" means the same as "Amamehagi," which is the term used to describe getting one's hands and feet burned due to sitting close to a hearth for a prolonged period. In November 2018, this ritual was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
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