Japan allows 40 women to take part in 'naked man' festival alongside 10,000 males for the first time in its 1,250-year history (but they CAN'T strip off)

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  • Reading time:4 min(s) read

  • Participants fight to touch a nude man who is designated shin-otoko or ‘god man’
  • Women will remain fully clothed and not take part in the main part of the event

Women will be allowed to participate in Japan’s ‘naked man’ festival next month for the first time in its 1,250-year history.

A group of 40 local women in Inazawa, in the country’s Aichi prefecture, will join the annual Hadaka Matsuri at the Konomiya shrine after petitioning organisers.

The event sees thousands of men strip down to loincloths and clash in a huge scrum as they fight to touch a completely naked man who is designated the shin-otoko or ‘god man’, in the hope that it will bring them good fortune for the new year.

Women will participate in the festival’s naoizasa ritual, which sees participants carry bamboo grass wrapped in cloth into the shrine grounds.

But they will remain full clothed and will not be partaking in the crush of near-naked bodies the historic event is famous for.

The event sees thousands of men strip down to loin cloths and clash in a huge scrum as they fight to touch a completely naked man who is designated the shin-otoko or 'god man'

The event sees thousands of men strip down to loin cloths and clash in a huge scrum as they fight to touch a completely naked man who is designated the shin-otoko or ‘god man’

Men clean their bodies in a fountain before entering the Saidaiji Temple in a picture taken in 2016

Men clean their bodies in a fountain before entering the Saidaiji Temple in a picture taken in 2016

The men also battle over sacred wooden sticks called shingi which are thrown into the crowd by a priest

The men also battle over sacred wooden sticks called shingi which are thrown into the crowd by a priest

Activists have hailed the move as a welcome step forward for gender equality, albeit one which is ‘long overdue’.

Mitsugu Katayama, an official on the festival’s organising committee, told the South China Morning Post: ‘We have not been able to hold the festival like we used to for the past three years because of the pandemic and, in the time, we received a lot of requests from women in the town to take part.’

He added that while there was no active ban on women taking part in the past, they had opted not to join in with the festivities.

The festival is a celebration of harvest, prosperity and fertility, and is usually held in February.

Officials say some 10,000 people are expected to take part at this year’s event, which will kick off at around 3pm on February 22. 

Men who take part in the main event wear minimal clothing, donning nothing more than bandanas, a white Japanese loincloth called a fundoshi and a pair of white socks called tabi.

They parade through the town, throwing buckets of icy water over each other and swigging sake – Japanese rice wine – to stay warm.

Participants battle for find a sacred stick thrown by temple priests at the Naked Festival, or Hadaka Matsuri at Saidaiji Temple on February 16, 2019

Participants battle for find a sacred stick thrown by temple priests at the Naked Festival, or Hadaka Matsuri at Saidaiji Temple on February 16, 2019

Revellers cheer while gathered inside the temple building as wait catch a sacred wooden stick at the Naked Festival

Revellers cheer while gathered inside the temple building as wait catch a sacred wooden stick at the Naked Festival

Men pose as they prepare to take part in the ancient festival. The men wear only bandanas, loincloths and socks

Men pose as they prepare to take part in the ancient festival. The men wear only bandanas, loincloths and socks

Participants arrive to take a part at the Naked Festival, or Hadaka Matsuri at Saidaiji Temple on February 16, 2019

Participants arrive to take a part at the Naked Festival, or Hadaka Matsuri at Saidaiji Temple on February 16, 2019

Meanwhile the ‘god man’ is shaved from head to toe and stripped of his clothes before being released to the crowds.

The men carry ribbon-covered portable shrines on bamboo poles as they proceed to the main shrine.

There, they call out to the shin-otoko to appear, before rushing to touch him in order to pass over their ‘bad fortune’ as they aim to get good luck for the year ahead. 

After the violent struggle, the shin-otoko is pulled back into the safety of the shrine.

The men also battle over sacred wooden sticks called shingi, according to the Independent, which are thrown into the crowd by a priest.

The 20cm-long sticks are dispersed among bundles of twigs and are meant to bring  a year of good fortune to whoever is able to catch them.