Japan folk rituals approved as UNESCO intangible heritage

A set of Japanese folk rituals, in which people dress up as gods and visit homes, was approved Thursday for addition to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, a committee of the U.N. body said.The rituals featuring "Raiho-shin" -- meaning a visiting deity -- stem from folk beliefs that gods visit their communities to usher in the New Year or new seasons with good luck. Those to be listed include "Oga no Namahage" in the northeastern prefecture of Akita, one of the most popular among such customs.During a meeting of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Intergover…READ FULL ARTICLE