Okayama · Okayama
Saidaiji Eyō (Naked Festival)
西大寺会陽(裸祭り)
In midwinter, near-naked men contest two sacred wooden batons dropped into the crowd.
Next
20 February 2027
120 days away
Every year, the 3rd Saturday of February
Future dates: 20 February 2027 · 19 February 2028 · 17 February 2029
Origin
The talismans consecrated at the New Year rites were handed out to the faithful until the handing-out turned into a scramble; the form settled into receiving them stripped. What survives here is a festival where fortune is seized rather than distributed.
What to look for
Late at night the batons are thrown down from the temple window into a press of thousands. The steam, the water and the density of bodies are so extreme that you forget it is February.
How to watch
Taking part requires advance registration and its own protocol. Spectators watch from designated areas; stand at the edge of the scrum and you will be pulled into it.
Where
Saidaiji Kannon-in
Okayama, Okayama
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