A Japanese tradition of cleansing the soul and praying for a new year. Namahage is known throughout Japan. This festival is held every year in February in Oga, Akita.
This video is of the Namahage playing taiko - a traditional Japanese drum.
The first of my semi final bouts. It looks like I lost this bout, but after the fight was over the judges conferred and decided that somehow David hit the ground first! Sweet!
After climbing Mt. Ch?kai in perfect weather, just as we decided to leave it started to get cloudy, cold and windy. I took this video as Amelie and Abby started the decent.