Feb 15, 2011

Feb,19(Sat)Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival)in Okayama


Every February, on one of the coldest nights of the year, thousands of men parade around Saidaiji in Okayama Prefecture wearing nothing but fundoshi, getting geed up for a midnight battle for some lucky sticks in the main hall of Saidaiji Temple.




More on the Hadaka Matsuri

Links

* Survivor takes here and here.
* Account by someone who survived watching Hadaka Matsuri here.
* Amy Chavez on The Naked Festival
* Hadaka Matsuri videos on YouTube
* Hadaka Matsuri video on Japan In Motion

The Hadaka Matsuri takes place on the 3rd Saturday of February every year.

You can pick up a fundoshi for about ¥1000 and join in the "fun" or just go along and watch. The shingi sticks are released at midnight, but there are other events held at the temple from 6pm.

Access
Take the Ako Line to Saidaiji from Okayama Station (30 minutes).
From Hiroshima-Okayama(41min by hikari shinkansen)
The last train from Saidaiji sta to Hiroshima
saidaiji 20:48--22:34 Hiroshima
saidaiji 21:41--23:38 Hiroshima

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