This is what you would be seeing this time of year in Oga, Japan. There, Namahage demons run throughout the town on New Year's Eve. There are also plenty statues, such as the huge ones above, that remind people of the demon presence.
The Namahage Festival consists of dancers dressed as the demons in straw skirts with cooking knives, mops, pails and other household items--who scare children into their houses. While the parents are calming down there traumatized children, the demons are appeased with rice cakes and sake which, if accepted, will bring good luck on the town for the coming year. Oga's celebration is the most famous, but New Year's Eve Namahage celebrations take place all over Japan.
Sounds to me like a Cross between Halloween and New Year's Eve. I would be game, although Sake isn't exactly my thing...
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