Where: Japan
When: February
"Wasshoi! Wasshoi!" chant the mass of bare-bottomed men approaching the Kounomiya Shrine where a furious battle to touch the naked man ensues.
Drunk on saki, the raucous crowd of up to 10,000 men, adorned only in loin cloth, brave the coldest night of the year for a chance to touch the shin-otokoa (naked man) and expel their bad luck.
Steam rises from the sea of frenzied males as buckets of freezing water are thrown over the crowd, purifying their bodies and fuelling the wild atmosphere.
Encouraged by the fervent spectators, the shin-otokoa bravely enters the violent scene and men fight amongst themselves, desperate to touch his naked body. Some are trampled to death in the process.
The shin-otokoa must make his way through the crowds and to the shrine where he prays to the gods then is symbolically banished from the town, taking all the bad luck with him.
The ancient festival began in AD767 to expel a plague killing the Japanese people. It was believed that by touching the naked man all bad luck is transferred to him and then he is evicted from the town to remove all evil.
Spectators watch from the outskirts of the temple to experience the excitement from a safe distance. However there are always some tourists who participate - but never twice!
3 Comments
10,000 naked men running to touch another naked man...Wow... And I thought the gay pride parade was interesting.
ReplyI will bare all if the earthquakes stop immediatly , and Mayor Bob sacks the CEO .A small price to be paid to go nude. Haha
ReplyJudging by the amount of bad luck still being experienced by the Japanese nation, the ceremony seems to have less magical powers than the Wizard of Christchurch who has tried/failed stop the Earthquakes in Canterbury. Still we must commend those that refuse to give up trying to make a difference, because prayers can be answered, and wishes can come true. Even Prince Charles has his time with the early morning cold showers at Boarding School.
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