Oga Peninsula Namahage and Geopark

Certified as a Japan Geopark, the Oga Peninsula offers both the Namahage tradition and dramatic coastal scenery in a single day. Experience living culture and the making of the land at once.

Course Route

9:30 Start at the Namahage Museum and Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum In the Shinzan area, view real Namahage masks, then watch a re-enactment of the New Year house visits at the folklore museum. The two facilities stand side by side and can be toured together with a combined ticket.

11:00 Visit Shinzan Shrine Walk the quiet cedar-lined approach of this old shrine, said to be the birthplace of the Namahage.

12:00 Coastal lunch Savor seafood such as Oga hot-stone soup and shottsuru hot pot.

13:30 Head to Godzilla Rock and Unosaki Beach Photograph the jagged rocks and the shallow beach that turns mirror-like at low tide.

15:00 Finish at Cape Nyudo Take in the Sea of Japan from the cape, with its black-and-white lighthouse, wide meadow, and open horizon.

Highlights

The Namahage is a nationally designated important intangible folk cultural property. The Oga Peninsula is shaped by volcanoes and the sea, with geological sights dotted across the Oga Peninsula and Ogata Geopark. Cape Nyudo is a sea-cliff cape marked by the black-and-white striped Nyudozaki Lighthouse.

Access and Tips

From Oga Station, travel is mainly by car. A road follows the coastline, so going clockwise lets you tour efficiently.

Practical Travel Notes

• Time needed: About 30 minutes each for the Namahage Museum and folklore museum, and roughly half a day to tour the coastline. The course fills a full day overall.
• Getting around: The gateway is Oga Station on the JR Oga Line. Since the Shinzan area and coastal sights lie away from the station, a rental car, taxi, or sightseeing loop bus is the basic option. It helps to allow extra time when planning around the folklore museum performances.
• Admission and hours: The Namahage Museum charges 660 yen (students 330 yen), opens 8:30 to 17:00, and is open year-round. A combined ticket with the adjoining Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum is 1100 yen (students 660 yen). Folklore museum performances typically run 9:00 to 16:30 at 30-minute intervals from April to November, and 9:30 to 15:30 at hourly intervals from December to March.
• Avoiding crowds: Apart from the real Namahage ritual on New Year's Eve, performances can be enjoyed year-round. Along the summer-to-autumn coastline the sunsets are beautiful, and Cape Nyudo at dusk is especially popular.
• Note: The cape is often windy and coastal weather can change quickly, so a jacket is reassuring.

A Quick Tip

The cape is often windy, so a jacket helps. At dusk Cape Nyudo glows as the sky turns, a truly special sight.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Shinzan Shrine (worship hours): The shrine is open for worship from 8:30 to 17:00.
• Shinzan Shrine (goshuin / shrine office): Goshuin seals designed with a Namahage and the sacred kaya (Japanese nutmeg) tree are distributed on paper. An original goshuin book (1,500 yen) is also available, woven with the shrine hall on the front cover and the Namahage Sedo Festival on the back cover.
• Oga Shinzan Denshokan (admission): In addition to a combined ticket with the Namahage Museum, there is an admission fee for the Denshokan alone: 770 yen for general visitors and 660 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students (the same rates apply in the winter season from December to March).
• Nyudozaki Lighthouse (tours and fees): Tours inside the lighthouse are usually limited to the period from early April to early November; in 2026 they are scheduled for April 4 to November 8. Tour hours are 9:00 to 12:00 in the morning and 13:00 to 16:00 in the afternoon (until 16:30 in the afternoon on weekends and public holidays only, from early April to mid-October). Last entry is 20 minutes before the tour closing time. The tour donation is 300 yen for junior high school students and older, and free for elementary school children and younger, for holders of a disability certificate and for one accompanying person. Tours may be suspended due to bad weather or construction work.
• Inquiries: 0185-33-3033 (Shinzan Shrine office) / 0185-24-9141 (Oga City Tourism Division)
• Official information: Shinzan Shrine official website, the "Lighthouses Open to the Public" page of the Tokokai (Japan Lighthouse Association), and the Oga City website (Tourism Division)

Note: The above is a guide based on information published by the individual facilities and local government. Hours and fees are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.