Saidai-ji Eyō

Overview

Saidaiji Eyo is a naked festival (hadaka matsuri) held at Saidaiji (Kannon-in) in Higashi-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. Each February, thousands of men in loincloths fiercely compete for two sacred wooden sticks called shingi, said to bestow good fortune, in a brave festival known nationwide as one of the great unusual festivals of Japan and one of the Three Great Unusual Festivals of Japan. It is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, and its history spans more than 500 years. The sight of naked men shoving and jostling to seize the shingi when they are dropped from the Gofuku window in the dead of night is overwhelming; unfolding on a midwinter night where heat and cold intersect, it is one of the naked festivals representative of Japan.

History and Origins

The history of Saidaiji Eyo is said to reach back to the distant Nara period. Its source is said to lie in the Shushoe rite founded by Jitchu Shonin, a high disciple of the priest Roben of Todaiji. The Shushoe is a Buddhist service in which, at the start of the new year, one repents the year's transgressions and prays for the peace of the nation, bountiful harvests, and good health. At Saidaiji too, the Shushoe was held at the start of the year, and as the event of its kechigan (final day), there was a custom of bestowing protective talismans upon worshipers.

It is said that the direct origin of the Eyo lies in people eventually coming to compete for these protective talismans. The talismans, at first made of paper, tore amid the fierce competition, and so are said to have changed into wooden shingi. The one who obtains a shingi is said to receive good fortune, and this faith was handed down across the ages, developing into the present form in which naked men compete for the shingi. Said to have a history of more than 500 years, it has been protected and handed down as a festival representative of Okayama, gathering the faith of many people over long years.

The reason the Eyo is called an unusual festival lies in its distinctive and powerful form, in which under the cold midwinter sky, thousands of men become naked but for a loincloth and fiercely compete for the shingi. The essence of the Eyo lies not merely in its bravery but in its being a festival of faith rooted in a Buddhist event praying for new-year repentance and good fortune. Its designation as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan shows that this festival is highly valued as a precious event conveying the folk culture of Japan.

Highlights

The greatest highlight of Saidaiji Eyo is, above all, the scramble for the shingi that unfolds in the dead of night. At the festival's climax, the two shingi said to bestow good fortune are dropped into the darkness from the Gofuku window of the main hall. At this signal, the thousands of naked men filling the precincts all at once fiercely grapple in search of the shingi. The sight of the steam-rising naked crowd swirling and pushing in search of the shingi is filled with a heat unimaginable for midwinter, overwhelming the viewer. The one who obtains a shingi is called the fuku-otoko (man of fortune) and is said to receive that year's good fortune.

The men taking part in the festival perform kori-tori, purifying themselves with cold water, and head to the main hall with body and mind made pure. In the figures of men praying for fortune while enduring the cold, the sincerity of faith shows through. Also, prior to the dropping of the shingi, a Shonen Eyo (boys' Eyo) by children is held, giving it the aspect of an event handed down by the whole community. The call of Wasshoi, Wasshoi echoing through the precincts and the heat given off by the naked crowd have a distinctive power not to be tasted at other festivals. The Eyo, where faith and strength collide under the winter night sky, is a festival worth seeing at least once, befitting its name as one of the Three Great Unusual Festivals of Japan.

Event Information and Access

Saidaiji Eyo is held on the night of the third Saturday of February, usually, with Saidaiji (Kannon-in) in Higashi-ku, Okayama City, as the venue. The dropping of the shingi, the festival's climax, is held around 22:00 at night. Prior to it, the Shonen Eyo and various events are held from the evening, and as the night deepens, the heat of the festival rises. As it is held on a midwinter night, ample cold-weather measures are necessary when visiting to watch.

For access, Saidaiji Station on the JR Ako Line is the nearest. From Saidaiji Station to the venue of Saidaiji (Kannon-in), one can access on foot or by bus. From central Okayama City, one heads east by JR or bus. On the day of the festival it becomes very crowded and traffic restrictions are imposed in the surroundings, so use of public transportation is recommended. As the area around the venue is crowded with spectators, it is best to aim to arrive early. As the holding date, the time of the shingi dropping, and event details may change from year to year, it is reliable to confirm through official information such as the tourism information of Saidaiji and Okayama City before visiting. If one wishes to participate, it is necessary to research the method of participation and etiquette well in advance.

Around the Area

Okayama City, the venue of Saidaiji Eyo, is the prefectural capital of Okayama Prefecture and a city with many attractions. A noted place representative of Okayama is Korakuen, counted as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. A vast feudal-lord garden created in the Edo period by the lord of the Okayama domain, it offers beautiful scenery of the four seasons. Adjacent to Korakuen towers Okayama Castle, also called Ujo (Crow Castle) for its black exterior, a noted place to visit together with the garden.

A little farther afield is the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, known for its beautiful townscape lined with white-walled storehouses. The townscape retaining the atmosphere of the Edo period and cultural facilities including the Ohara Museum of Art are its appeal, making it a standard spot for Okayama sightseeing. Okayama is also known as the land associated with the Momotaro legend, and ancient shrines connected to the legend, such as Kibitsu Shrine and Kibitsuhiko Shrine, are scattered about. Under a mild climate facing the Seto Inland Sea, it is a land blessed with fresh seafood and with renowned fruits such as white peaches and muscat grapes. Together with viewing Saidaiji Eyo, one can enjoy a journey touring the history, culture, nature, and food of Okayama.

Related Information

Details on Saidaiji Eyo can be found in the tourism information of Saidaiji (Kannon-in) and Okayama City. This festival is said to have its source in the Shushoe rite of the Nara period and is a naked festival with a history of more than 500 years, designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. As a brave event in which thousands of naked men compete for the shingi said to bestow good fortune, it is counted as one of the great unusual festivals of Japan and one of the Three Great Unusual Festivals of Japan, its name known nationwide. It is a festival of faith rooted in a Buddhist event praying for new-year repentance and good fortune, protected and handed down by local people over long years. When viewing the festival, or when wishing to participate, one should bear in mind that this is a traditional event rooted in faith, and approach it with respect. The power of the scramble for the shingi unfolding on a midwinter night will let one experience the depth of Japan's festival culture.

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