Only in Japan

In life

There are certain things a man just has to do before he dies

After seeing the show today I hope that "HADAKA MATSURI" or naked men festival

is one of those things

I traveled three and a half hours from Tokyo to get to Okayama

Okayama is 537 kilometers

333 miles southwest from Tokyo

Takes 3.5 hours by bullet train

It's a beautiful city open sky wide avenues

and friendly people

It's famous for "MOMOTARO"

A folk hero who was born from a peach

To it old couple without children

MOMOTARO or peach boy

met's friendly talking animals on his quest to capture the ONI

Word team in on a nearby island

Okayama is also known for its delicious white peaches

KOURAKUEN is one of Japan's top three gardens

Okayama castle

is also known as the crows castle

due to its darker exterior

KOURAKUEN is a very relaxing place

and because a bit I slept very well the night before the festival

In a cozy capsule hotel near the station

Tonight is the night

Now you may think that the naked man festival is just a bunch of naked men

running around the temple

But that's not true at all has a deep religious significance

and it's rooted in history

It takes place SAIDAIJI temple which is not far

from here but twenty minutes by JR

Let's go

Just a few minutes outside of the city centre

Okayama charming countryside takes over the view

It's a dramatic change from the hustle

of Tokyo

Welcome to SAIDAIJI

This is where all the Magic's gonna happen

and in a few hours I'll be walking through the gates

into the grounds

Going over there towards the poor

Go through the pool here to cleanse ourselves

or around then we come back and go up

into the temple where it's a little bit warmer than out here

Effect it's freezing right now the winds picked up in it sure hope it's not like this

tonight

SAIDAIJI was built in the 18th century

and locals and tourists from all over the world come and visit

Many praying light candles

or incense and look for inner peace

I got a lot of advice from locals

This is the 540 year

The "HADAKA MATSURI" has been held

Making it one of the three oldest festivals in Japan

I had a chance to talk with one of the temples months

about the history "HADAKA MATSURI"

This is the opening where the throw all of the SHINGI lucky sticks at 10 p.m

and these SHINGI

holy sticks or lucky charms they're beautifully scented

When thrown at 10 p.m.

The whole area will smell beautifully like incense

The area is nearly set

There as a spectator seating area about forty meters from the temple

Prior to the main event at night

The temple holds a children's "HADAKA MATSURI"

The winners are placed it atop shoulders to show their pride in getting lucky stick

Even for the kids

The scramble for the sticks can get quite intense

Getting mostly naked and running through the streets at night

is a little bit strange for many cultures

so I as two fellow Americans

their feelings about this

Coming coming for San Francisco

Yeah, actually

It's maybe not

as strange as other parts the state's

I guess I don't really see this is a naked festival

Because you wear traditional clothes

Ah.., and I think you had me to be here in japan it's just not that big of a deal

Near by

There are many tents where people hoping to participate can by the TABI socks

and FUNDOSHI going claw and change

It's not necessary to register in advance

You can leave your things in the tent

The I was lucky to find a friendly company to host me

The group quickly accepted me as one of their own

and I had an experienced hand at helping me with my FUNDOSHI

%ah screen test experience

All right, (Thank you)ARIGATO

The group really knows how to have fun

I got FUNDOSHI whole set ready for

festival is really painful when they put it on

But I feel ok now

It's loosening up a little bit

Everyone's ready to go in a few minutes we're gonna go out to the call

and start festival

I'm feeling a little bit nervous

Because it's nice and warm in here and we get outside I think the first

You know fitted show that hits me just gonna knock me out

Are you ready

I am

Outside

The night temperature was around minus three degrees Celsius

and the best way to stay warm West keep moving and cuddle up with the other members

However hold water was thrown all over the group the resume to purify us

The to make a stop crazy

I supposed to water had both hips

Because you purchase a friend simply cannot stand still

The crowd around the temple was pretty big with all the photo flashes

cheering around me

We felt like rock stars

A member of the greenspan

Each local company group

Comes in

In ways

and must first be purified and the Holy found

The water is not heeded

I was crazy

WASHOI,WASHOI,WASHOI,WASHOI

WASHOI,WASHOI,WASHOI

The said participants lol

WASHOI,WASHOI

WASHOI,WASHOI,WASHOI..........

WASHOI,WASHOI,WASHOI,WASHOI,

actually

the unique

thing to me was that after a few minutes I no longer felt like I was a naked guy

running around

But a participant in a very spiritual event

To be honest I wasn't entirely sure what was going on

But I felt very connected to the group the temple

and to the experience

There was a deep sense of satisfaction being out here

cool warm up

One every way

So what that was the company introduction other

local companies all got together and they went through

Ah..., like you just saw

Lot of the employees are leaving now but the main event

is comming soon I decided to stick around for that

Federal gun is a little bit more dangerous where 9000 naked guys are

fighting site temple to get

sacred sticks for good luck

But the majority of the company workers here

are done

So,ah..

This the ball over UDON

is gonna keep warm me said

Warm me inside

Well

Because outside is cold

Cold

The main event

We arrive to an already full house

It's very difficult to pile into the crowded tough call

As people push on one side people topple down the steps on the other

No one stays down for long tho their

Right back up not wanting to lose their place

The center is the best place to capture one at the SHINGI

were lucky sticks

The air around the temple was very warm and humid

It dropped all of this SHINGI lucky charm group after the lights went out

The lights went back of people are scrambling everywhere

Their people jumping fighting ticket

Everything you can imagine that's World Wrestling

is a professional one

People are still running back for

It's really cold out here ran through water but crowds

I didn't get a lucky charm SHINGI

But I feel like really work pilots its highest

deep religious meaning to what

Doing these kinds of things in Japan although it seems a little bit silly

Really has it

Makes you feel part hunch

saw fit

come to Japan you here query Saturday

SAIDAIJI sure

I get back in there may be some what lucky charm