What is an Onakama? An "Onakama" is a folk shaman (fugeki) who performs spiritual mediumship, incantations, and divination, primarily in the Mogami and Murayama regions of Yamagata Prefecture. They are similar to Itako and Mikosama in other parts of the Tohoku region...
Aoiwa
Located in the mountainous area of Ayaori-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, the "Gohyaku Rakan" (Five Hundred Arhats) is a group of stone Buddha statues erected in the late Edo period. While now a well-known tourist spot in Tono City, its background...
When I visit a city known as a castle town, in addition to the castle itself, I'm always drawn to visiting the burial grounds and family temples of the castle lord's family. While you might imagine that these family burial grounds are all concentrated in one place, there are actually several...
Aoiwa
Hinoemata Village is located in the southwesternmost part of Fukushima Prefecture. It is situated in the mountainous region between Mount Hiuchigatake, Mount Aizu-Komagatake, and Mount Taishakusan, the highest peaks in the Tohoku region...
Aoiwa
Aomori Prefecture has only a little over 30 Paleolithic sites, which is extremely few compared to other municipalities. The reasons for this are detailed in "[Paleolithic Sites in Aomori Prefecture: Part 2]". Among those, I'd like to highlight...
I was surprised by the news report that "there were lions in Japan too" (announced by the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in January 2026). Originally, Paleolithic artifacts (approximately 125,000) have been unearthed in Aomori Prefecture...
Aomori Prefecture suffered extensive damage from heavy snowfall in the winter of 2026. The average winter temperature is around 2°C even during the day, making it extremely cold. Even 6,000 years ago, during the Jomon period, the average temperature during the coldest winters was around 2°C...
The Esashi Jinku Festival, held annually on May 3rd and 4th in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, will feature a grand performance of the folk art "Shishiodori" (deer dance), known as "Hyakushika Taigun" (Hundred Deer Grand Group), on May 4th, 2026, the second day of the festival.
Aoiwa
In Towa-cho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, there is a shrine that enshrines a massive rock as its sacred object, and also worships a local pioneering deity, a practice not seen in other regions. Incidentally, the title "animism" refers to the worship of non-human beings...
Aoiwa
Examples of Itako Spells: As mentioned earlier, Itako chant various incantations, or spells, when performing shamanistic rituals such as spirit mediumship. But what exactly are these incantations like...?.
