A is a type of
Japanese festival
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance to ...
, or ''
matsuri
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance ...
'', in which participants wear a minimum amount of clothing; usually just a
fundoshi
is a traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males and females, made from a length of cotton.
Before World War II, the was the main form of underwear for Japanese men and women. However, it fell out of use quickly after the war with the ...
loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece garment, either wrapped around itself or kept in place by a belt. It covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks. Loincloths which are held up by belts or strings are specifically known as breechcloth or ...
, sometimes with a short
happi coat, and rarely completely
naked
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
.
Naked festivals are held in dozens of places throughout
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
every year, usually in the summer or winter.
Konomiya
One of the biggest and oldest festivals is the
Owari Ōkunitama Shrine Hadaka Matsuri held in
Inazawa, where the festival originated over 1300 years ago. Every year, men participate in this festival in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year. The most famous part of the festival is when the "shin-otoko" (神男) enter the stage and has to find a way back to the shrine, called "naoiden". The participating men must try and touch the "shin-otoko" to transfer their bad luck to the "shin-otoko". During the night time ceremony, all the bad luck is transferred in a charcoal coloured giant mochi. The black mochi is made with rice mixed with the ashes of the burned
Omamori
are Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dedicated to particular Shinto as well as Buddhist figures, and are said to provide various forms of luck and protection.
Origin and usage
The word means 'protect ...
from last year. The mochi is then buried in a secret location in the nearby forest.
The men participating only wear a fundoshi and
tabi
are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century.
History
Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like r ...
.
Saidaiji
The most famous festival is the Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri held in
Okayama
is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is .
The city is ...
, where the festival originated over 500 years ago.
Every year, over 9,000 men participate in this festival
in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.
See also
*
Fundoshi
is a traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males and females, made from a length of cotton.
Before World War II, the was the main form of underwear for Japanese men and women. However, it fell out of use quickly after the war with the ...
*
Go Topless Day
Go Topless Day (variously known as National Go Topless Day, International Go Topless Day) is an annual event held in the United States to support the right of women to go topless in public on gender-equality grounds. In states where women have ...
*
Tamotsu Yatō
was a Japanese photographer and occasional actor responsible for pioneering Japanese homoerotic photography and creating iconic black-and-white images of the Japanese male.
Biography
Yato was born in Nishinomiya in 1928 as Tamotsu Takeda. He w ...
References
Festivals in Japan
Shinto festivals
Cultural festivals in Japan
Japanese culture
Okayama
Sexuality in Shinto
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