There’s something cathartic about abandoning convention and common sense, which is perhaps why the Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival) continues to entice nearly 10,000 enthusiasts some 500 years after the custom is said to have begun. On the third Saturday of every February, men and boys clad only in fundoshi (loincloths), douse themselves with icy water, and pile into the temple hall at a density that would make fire marshals weep.
At 10:00 pm, the lights are extinguished and a priest tosses a pair of sacred sticks (shingi) from a window high above the fray. Below in the dark, the men commence to struggle en masse for possession of the sticks. Just to keep things exciting, a hundred willow bundles are also tossed among the throng, perhaps to confuse or console those who fail to claim the ultimate prize. The men who are able to seize the shingi and thrust them into a cypress box filled with rice are blessed with good fortune for the coming year. Kind of like a Shinto version of the Super Bowl.
Which leads me to speculate on the origins and meaning of this rite. First, while it takes place in a Buddhist temple dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of mercy, the hadaka matsuri has all the trappings of a Shinto ritual: the nakedness, the maleness (although women have tried to join the festival), the purification by water, the oracular aspect of holding a contest of strength, the symbolism of men thrusting long sticks into a vessel filled with the grain representing fertility and life. It’s said that in ancient times, hadaka matsuri consisted of beating bad fortune into a hapless naked fellow who was then banished from the village.
Whatever the truth may be, the Hadaka Matsuri is a not-to-be-missed adrenaline rush. Spectators crowd the periphery to watch the action, but seating is also available. As with all such rites, it is preceded earlier in the day by parades, ablutions in the river, a junior version of the festival held of young boys, drumming, fireworks, and all the trappings of typical matsuri. The splendid garden and museums of Okayama nearby provide worthy diversions.
What: Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri,
When: 3rd Saturday in February. Date subject to change. Check website for updates.
Where: 10 minute walk from Saidai-ji station, on the JR Ako line from Okayama station.
Tickets: Y500-1,000 (standing) to Y5,000 (seats)
Join the fray: Males only. Fundoshi and white tabi socks can be purchased on site, and a changing area is provided. Please review the rules carefully here.
Instructions for those who would like to participate in the Hadaka Matsuri!
