Naked Festival

Well, not quite. It should have been called the 'Almost Naked Festival' or the 'Lots of Bewildered Men with Wedgies in the Winter Chill' festival, but the attention grabbing credentials won, and the 'Naked Festival' was born.

Its February and one of the coldest, chilliest days that I have experienced in Japan, and what does a group of a hundred or so men do? Strip off, don buttocks-baring loincloth, aka. the fundoshi, to protect their modesty, run through the streets carrying a pole, climb up it , take it to the temple, and then fall over each other to reach the completely naked man.

I hear you asking 'why?!!'. Dont worry, I asked the same question and luckily, a Japanese lady was nearby with the following explanation: back in the early 16th Century, priests at the temple distributed an amulet which proved to be highly effective and so men began to queue up outside for one. Priests began to throw them out into the crowd and the men would clamber about trying to get one. The naked part I am not sure about, but the festival is supposed to be a purification process, a rite of passage, and simply a macho display of brute and masculinity. Alas, men will be men.

Officially, women are allowed to participate though I dont think a woman has actually ever stepped forward for the challenge. Its ridiculously cold even in clothes let alone sporting nothing but a flimsy loincloth. Brrrr! Did I also mention that part of the purification process involves having barrels of iced water thrown over them as well? Jonathan, Frank and Jan took part in the Naked Festival, but I dont think anybody had told them about that part of the procession either.