In Photos: Eccentric deities parade through Japan's Beppu hot springs area

A performer dressed as a mud deity, front, and others dance at the "mushiyu (steam bath) square" of Kannawa Onsen in the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Mainichi/Toru Oshima)

A group in eerie-looking costumes and masks are seen performing a Shinto ritual as they parade around the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Mainichi/Toru Oshima)

A group dressed as deities parades through a neighborhood in the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Mainichi/Toru Oshima)

A procession of eerie-looking deities, led by traffic control staff members in eccentric costumes, are seen in the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Mainichi/Toru Oshima)

Visitors watch deities offering prayers to a hot spring source, right, at Kannawa Onsen in the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Mainichi/Toru Oshima)

A group dressed as deities, including those resembling a tengu folklore creature and the sun, is seen parading through the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Mainichi/Toru Oshima)