Japan: Thousands attended the annual "Naked Festival"
Every year, believers gather in a temple in Okayama in the southern state, where, according to the belief, those who manage to grab from the crowd sticks or bunches of twigs receive a year of good luck
Try their luck. Participants at the Naked Festival yesterday (Photo: Reuters)
Naked festival in Okayama, Japan February 15, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)
Thousands of people attended the fierce cold yesterday at the annual "Naked Festival" in Okayama, southern Japan. The event, which is called "The Thin Matsuri" in Japan, takes place every year on the third Saturday of February in Saidaiji Knonin Temple, which is a half-hour drive from the central city.
Despite the name, the participants are not completely naked, and are covered in their bottom with "fondue" and are wearing a pair of white socks called "tabby." The festival, which celebrates blessings for fruitful harvest, prosperity and fertility, also includes a separate event for young people, to attract interest among the younger generation.
"We hope they can keep the tradition alive in the future," local tourism spokeswoman Mike Itano told CNN.
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To the full article(Photo: Reuters)
Naked festival in Okayama, Japan February 15, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)
(Photo: Reuters)
Naked festival in Okayama, Japan February 15, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)
In the evening, participants run for an hour to two hours around the temple in preparation for the event, dipping in frozen water for purification, and then cramming into the main building.
At 10pm, when the lights go out, a cleric throws a hundred bunches of twigs and two 20-inch shingles into the crowd, which is supposed to catch something. According to the belief, anyone who succeeds in the task wins a year of good luck. The sticks are the most coveted prize. The entire ceremony lasts about 30 minutes, and the participants leave it with bruises, cuts and dislocations.
Viewers of the ceremony come from all over Japan, and some also from abroad.
