Hadaka Matsuri

Hadaka Matsuri ("naked festival") is a general term for festivals handed down across Japan in which male participants take part nearly nude, wearing loincloths (fundoshi) or similar, or close to fully naked. Often held in the coldest season, they are known as spirited and sacred rites in which men jostle fiercely amid extreme cold.

Many naked festivals are based on the idea of "misogi"—purifying body and mind to draw near to the divine. By casting off clothing and taking on the most innocent form of nakedness, it has been believed that one drives away impurity and approaches a sacred state. Representative examples include the Saidaiji Eyō in Okayama Prefecture, the Kōnomiya Hadaka Festival in Aichi Prefecture, and the Somin-sai in Iwate Prefecture—all traditional events with histories of several centuries.

The festival's greatest highlight is the spirited scene in which naked men vie for a sacred tree or an auspicious object called the "shingi" (sacred stick). Whoever obtains it is said to receive a year of happiness, and the sight of thousands of men jostling with all their might is overwhelming in its intensity. The rising steam and the men's fervor scorch the midwinter night. Hadaka Matsuri is a uniquely Japanese festival culture symbolizing the religious devotion of the Japanese, who endure the cold and offer prayers to the deities, and the solidarity of the community.