Naked Men Festival

On Saturday night, Dec. 9, we went with Matt and Chelsea to the Naked Men Festival at the Nagara River down the street from our apartment! We had the best time! This festival is a Shinto ritual which has been practiced for 600 years. About 100 men dressed in white loincloths and headbands walk down the street with 1 man who wears a red loincloth and headband, who is sometimes tossed into the air. The man in red is chosen for the fact that his family has donated the most money to the shrine for the year. They begin at the shrine and then walk down the street huddling together and chanting.

After walking down the street, they run into the freezing Nagara River to purify themselves and pray for their wishes to be fulfilled. The temperature outside was in the low forties, which is a lot warmer than a typical December night. This festival is actually called the Ikenoue Misogi Matsuri.“Misogi” means to purify oneself with sea or river water in order to wash away sins and impurities. We ended the festival by eating at some of the street vendors set up along the street. They sold french fries, corn dogs, candied apples, as well as many "fishy" Japanese foods!