Nakedness Festival at Saidaiji Temple
Near: Okayama (Event is Free)
Event Date(s):
Feb. 20, 2025
(Third Saturday of February)
Dates are subject to change without notice. Check with the official organizers before making travel arrangements.
Naked Festival! Just hearing that you want to go right!? the "Saidaiji Temple Naked Festival" (in Japanese; Sai Dai Ji Hadaka Matsuri 西大寺 はだかまつり) is held at the Saidaiji Temple in Okayama Prefecture the Third Saturday of February. No... nobody's really naked but thousands of men are are in skimpy loincloths, maybe a good festival to pick out a husband? The ultimate "reason" for the festival is to "win" happyness for a year! And, how do you do that? Well... a priest throws two small sticks into the thousands of naked men and it becomes a Free-for all! In order to "win", you have to grab these sticks (shinji) and thrust them upright in a wooden box (masu) which is full of rice. Sounds easy right? Not when thousands of other men are trying to do the same thing and stopping you from trying to do it! About a hundred sticks (shinji) are thrown so, if your tough enough, you might have a chance.
The festival starts off with these guys walking in mass to the temple. It's cold! February... and they are only in loincloths but the fervor is so high, they don't feel the cold (really?). Once they have amassed at the temple, all-of-a-sudden the lights are turned off and the sacred sticks are thrown into the crowd! Then all #$ll breaks loose! Want to give it a try?
1-chome-1 Saidaijikami
Higashi-ku, Okayama 704-8112 Japan
