Wednesday Weirdness: Kagura (?) Masks and Crotch-Thrusting in Kurume

To paraphrase the great Bart Simpson, Japan is where weirdness comes from.

Nana and I see a lot of weird stuff over here. On Wednesdays, when we remember, we'll turn the spotlight on some of that weirdness, sharing it with you the same way Japan has shared it with us: with lots of head scratching and little explanation.

Here's a video clip from a yakitori festival we went to last weekend in Kurume. Half an hour of internet research later, I'm reasonably certain these are, um, kagura masks? Maybe?

The pelvic thrusts remain unexplained.