Hadaka - Home

For most of us, a chilly January morning conjures up images of snuggling under blankets in flannel pajamas, sipping hot chocolate by a cozy fire, or schussing down the slopes in snug Gore-Tex jumpsuits and puffy goose-down parkas. But for a large number of questionably sane individuals in Japan, it seems that getting naked in public with a few hundred of their closest friends is the only way to spend the day.

One of the earliest of the year is the Hadaka Mairi, held at the Komatsu Jinja on the first of January in the town of Bungo Takada in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. Over 150 years ago, upon completion of the Komatsu shrine, the men of the Heike clan came dressed in loincloths on New Year's Day to offer humble prayers for success in war by purifying themselves in cold water. The ritual has since become an annual event.

In Japan, the month of January is a time of ritual purification, and for proving one's manhood by enduring frigid temperatures to compete for a coveted prize. During the winter season, clad in nothing more than narrow strips of cloth (variously called shitaobi, mawashi or fundoshi) bound around their loins, countless thousands of men and boys take to the streets and shrines of Japan's many provinces to celebrate the New Year in this uniquely Japanese way. They're called Hadaka Matsuri, and the entire month of January features dozens of these naked festivals.

Thursday, 01. January 2009		Hadaka Mairi
Thursday, 01. January 2009		Meanwhile, down at the harbor in the same town, early in the morning on January first, a ceremony called Horan-enya is held to pray for a safe, prosperous New Year and a bountiful catch for the fishermen of the town.
Saturday, 03. January 2009		A couple of days later, on the morning of January 3, residents of the nearby city of Fukuoka hold an annual festival called Tama Seseri.