Throughout human history, civilisations have battled all kinds of plagues and illnesses that threatened populations and spread at alarming rates. When the medicine that was available failed to limit such epidemics, people often turned to supernatural powers and practised spiritual rituals to be spared from sickness and other misfortune.
Now, as the world is battling another pandemic, this timely exhibition explores the ancient rituals that were tied to the Japanese legends of the marebito, supernatural beings who were thought to bring happiness and good fortune to villages around Japan.
This collection of photographs, taken by Naoki Ishikawa and Taro Okamoto, is an insight to how people perceive the mythology of the marebito in modern day, through the curious rituals and festivals that are still celebrated in some parts of Japan.