Seeing Japan's Unique Naked Festival, Hadaka Matsuri

Illustration (Sorasak/Pexels)

JAKARTA - There is a unique festival that is celebrated every year by the citizens of the State of Sakura, namely Hadaka Matsuri. The word Hadaka means naked while Matsuri means celebration or festival. So, Hadaka Matsuri is a nude celebration or a nude festival.

Hadaka Matsuri is celebrated by dancing naked and is only performed for men. Even more extreme, this naked festival is held in winter. These men are naked and only use a thin cloth to cover their genitals with a cloth called Fudanshi or Mawashi.

Hadaka Matsuri is routinely held every year. It is celebrated every January or February when winter arrives.

This naked festival in Japan is not without reason. This is a ritual performed by the Shinto religion. In their Shinto belief, the ritual is a collective prayer for prosperity and safety.

This celebration has existed since the Nara period, around 710 to 794 AD. Once upon a time, a king strongly believed that to cleanse and purify themselves from their sins was to do this festival.

The celebration begins with people carrying bamboo sticks to a shrine that the Hadaka-otoko dancers have been waiting for. These dancers are chosen people who are directly selected by Shinto leaders. What usually becomes the center of attention is when these Hadaka dancers are paraded out to join the crowd of naked people. The biggest celebration ever held at the Saidaji Temple which at that time involved up to 9,000 people.