“Paantu,” native Miyako demons who appear from the mangrove swamps along the Miyako Island coastline to admonish children to behave themselves, paid their annual visit to the homes of Miyako residents over the weekend. The tradition dates back hundreds of years and is designated as an official Important National Cultural Asset. The Paantu appear in pairs, covered with seaweed and mud and roam through the streets of local villages approaching any young child they encounter and try to scare the living daylights out of them, seemingly much to the delight of adults.
