Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival) | Inazawa City | Aichi Prefecture | Official Site | Sightseeing Information | Directions | Parking | Details | AichiNow-OFFICIAL SITE FOR TOURISM AICHI

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Inazawa-City Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri
(Naked Festival of Owari Okunitama Shrine)

Date : 02/03/2023


  • [Only Shrine Rituals Held in 2022]Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival of Owari Okunitama Shrine)
  • [Only Shrine Rituals Held in 2022]Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival of Owari Okunitama Shrine)
  • [Only Shrine Rituals Held in 2022]Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival of Owari Okunitama Shrine)

Baring All at Konomiya Jinja Shrine's Naked Festival

Every freezing cold February, thousands of warmly dressed spectators line the avenue to the ancient shrine known as Konomiya Shrine, to watch thousands of naked men perform the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival. The battalions of men, their manhood barely concealed by light, white cotton loincloths, are splashed with cold water as they carry portable shrines, or try to touch the "Lucky Man" as he makes his way to the inner shrine. This is the 1,200 year old Naoi-Shinji, or Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival), held at the Owari Okunitama Jinja Shrine in Aichi Prefectures' city of Inazawa.

Only naked men participate (there are no naked women!), and the men that do participate are not always the sexiest examples of Japanese manhood either. That being said, the festival still manages to draw huge crowds to the precincts of the ancient shrine.

Naked festivals are held in various places around the country, but one of the biggest, oldest and more famous festivals is Inazawa's Konomiya Naked Festival, held annually since the year 767 to offer invocations to dispel evil spirits and disease, and drive out bad luck and welcome in the good.

Groups of participants mostly of the ages considered unlucky for men, and dressed only in light, white cotton fundoshi loincloths carry colorful portable shrines mounted on long, ribbon covered poles and long stalks of freshly cut decorated bamboo to the chants of Washoi! Washoi! Washoi! The only other thing they wear are colored cotton headbands. These are later torn into strips and passed out. Receiving one or two of these strips is said to bring good fortune. As the groups of naked men pass by certain points, people with buckets of ice cold water splash them as part of the purification process. It's a raucous, riotous festival where the sake flows freely, and towards the end of the day, there can be some rather embarrassing moments when the loincloths of the more inebriated start to come undone.

A young local man is chosen to be the annual Shin-Otoko, or Lucky Man. He is completely shaven of all hair,…even his eyebrows are removed, and he runs the course completely naked, chased around the shrine by hundreds of loincloth clad participants, all eager to touch or hit him, passing their bad luck onto him, and bringing luck to themselves. After battling the masses, the Shin-Otoko makes his final prayers at the shrine before being driven out of town, taking all the bad luck bestowed upon him as he goes.

As with all Japanese festivals, there are plenty of food and drink stalls around the area, and many great photo opportunities too! If you find yourself in Aichi during the cold February months, about the time of the second moon, make sure you experience Inazawa's Konomiya Shrine Naked Festival.

EVENT OVERVIEW

  • Souvenirs
  • Restaurant
Date : February 3 (Friday), 2023
* Annually in February.
Holding time : 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Place : Owari Okunitama Shrine, Konomiya Sando Approach Road
Location : 〒492-8137
1-1-1 Konomiya, Inazawa-City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
(Owari Okunitama Shrine)
Fee : Admission free of charge
Parking : Traffic restrictions in place around the shrine for three days before and after the Naoi-Shinji rituals. The shrine parking lot cannot be used, so please use public transportation as best as possible.
Restrooms : Available
Phone number : 0587-23-2121 (Owari Okunitama Shrine Office 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM)

Note: This page may not be current due to update time differences between site databases.
Should accuracy be critical, please verify this information using a direct source, whenever possible.

ACCESS

  • Access by public transport
    Access by public transport
    From Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line bound to Ichinomiya and alight at Konomiya Station. Upon exiting the station building by the West Exit, take the underground passage to your left in order to cross to the east side of the station. After climbing the stairs, walk 5 min. northeastwards to Owari-Okunitama Shrine.

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KeywordKeyword
#Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri
#Naked Festival
#Konomiya Shrine
#Owari-Okunitama Shrine

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