Hadaka Matsuri, also known as Japan’s Naked Festival, is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of February at the temple Saidaiji Kannonin. In 2023, the Hadaka Matsuri festival falls on Saturday, February 18. The festival is also known as simply ‘matsuri’, during which people wear minimum clothing. The men participating only wear a fundoshi and tabi (traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear). The Hadaka Matsuri festival first began at the famous Saidai-ji temple in Okayama, where over 10,000 men and boys participated. It is believed that people participating in the festival get blessed with good luck for the coming year. The festival celebrates the blessings of a bountiful harvest, prosperity, and fertility.

Hadaka Matsuri - History

Naked festivals are held in various places across Japan, but one of the biggest, oldest, and more famous festivals are Inazawa's Konomiya Naked Festival. It is held annually since the year 767 to dispel evil spirits and disease and drive out bad luck and welcome in the good. One of the biggest and oldest festivals is the Owari Okunitama Shrine Hadaka Matsuri is held in Inazawa. The festival originated over 1300 years ago there and is commemorated every year. Men participate in this festival in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year. In this region, there’s no age restriction, and even male infants can be a part of the festival. The most famous festival is the Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri held in Okayama, where the festival originated over 500 years ago. Every year, over 9,000 men participate in this festival[3] in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.

Hadaka Matsuri - Significance

The Hadaka Matsuri festival has great significance in the history of Japan. It celebrates the blessings of a bountiful harvest, prosperity, and fertility. The important part of the Hadaka Matsuri festival is when the ‘shin-otoko’ 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 it. At night, all the bad luck is transferred in a charcoal-colored giant mochi which is then buried in a secret location in the nearby forest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 18, 2023 11:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).