The Last Feast of Harlequin

Anthropologists are people too, and nothing human is alien to them—including strange hobbies. The hero of the story, who studies the image of a clown in cultures around the world, also doesn’t mind hiding his face behind bright makeup and a ridiculous grin.
One day he learns that in a provincial town called Mirokawa there is a strange holiday that falls on the longest night of the year—winter solstice. During the festivities, clowns are somehow involved…
Hoping to chase away seasonal depression and add to his collection of anthropological oddities, the hero goes to the place where it all happens. But the cheerful celebration has a dark underside—darker than the darkest night itself…