Prior to going to dinner we went to the Omokura-jinja Shrine where we received a blessing for safe riding from the shinshoku (priest). Following the blessing we were treated to a traditional drum-beating ceremony.

The Wajima coastal village was under threat from a samurai warlord seeking riches. Having no weapons, they donned terrifying masks 👹👺 vigorously beat their drums 🥁and “danced” in a fear producing manner. When the warlord’s samurai arrived by boat, they spotted gruesome monsters on shore, heard the overwhelming noise of the drums and were so frightened by the spectacle, they never disembarked. The people of Noto celebrate this 1576 victory in a mask-wearing, drum-beating ceremony.

Dinner was “western” style at L’Atelier de Noto, a fancy Japanese/French restaurant.