The Japanese cancel the naked festival because the population is too old (7 photos)

Japan is considering canceling its thousand-year festival of half-naked men. And all because the population is rapidly aging and the participants simply “do not carry out” difficult rituals.





Relax, this is not the world famous Hadaka Matsuri Naked Man Festival in Okiyama. But there are no guarantees that his turn will not come.

There are about seven “half-naked” festivals in Japan, and one is already consigned to history.



This is their uniform. These guys are so strong!

Goodbye naked Japanese

Did you think it wasn’t just for you to run around the city naked in a crowd? Somin-sai in Iwate consists of a number of deep traditions and rituals. But today, every 10 people in Japan are over 80 years old.

First, a crowd of men wearing only loincloths must walk through the entire city through the ice and February wind to the location of the celebration. From Kokuseki Shrine in Mizusawa to the frozen Ruritsubo River.



It looks like a scene from the movie Perfume, but only with men...

Then the central event of the festival takes place - naked men fight over a bag of wooden talismans. The one who finds it will receive good luck and health in the next 12 months of the year, so fight with all your might.

They people can no longer perform all the complex rituals. Apparently, the festival was held in such a complete form for the last time, this was noted by the temple employees themselves in Iwate.

Thousand-year tradition

It is not only difficult for the participants serving the cult in the temples in Iwata, but even for the spectators to stand the entire ritual on their feet and cheer the procession.



Old men cannot swim in the river in February, it is clear that it can be fatal for them

The situation in Tokyo is still good - young people from all over the country flock there for a vibrant life and work. But in rural areas and provinces the ratio of young and old is very disappointing.

It is in rural areas that small schools, shops, pharmacies, hospitals are closing at an incredible pace - there is simply no one to serve them, and there is no one to go to school.



One old woman even sews dolls to replace the inhabitants who left the village; it’s a rather creepy village, in which there are only dolls, dolls, dolls...

Since it was the locals who used to organize this half-naked race on their own, this tradition will soon change.

- You cannot remain blind in the face of difficult times. Nowadays it is almost impossible to organize a festival of this scale. Today was probably the last festival of this kind. Next year we will replace many rituals with prayers,” said the 49-year-old temple servant.



Oh, we’ll soon remember how fun those times were!

By the way! The Japanese news writes that for the first time in 800 years, women will be allowed to participate in the Hadaka Matsuri, the same “festival of naked men”! A revolutionary decision (and a dubious one too).

The applications of 40 women have already been approved, but they were told that they would not be allowed to completely undress. I don’t know what this means, but the festival will take place on February 22 – so we’ll soon find out for ourselves!



And wearing only socks, it’s too cold to look at

Hopefully by allowing women they will get participants and not shut down this festival like Somin-sai did in Iwate.

In what format do you think women will participate?