 Most viewed - Inazawa 稲沢市 |
Konomiya Hadaka Festival, Inazawa, Aichi Pref.567 views
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A group of men carry a red and white pole in front of Inazawa Station, on their way to Konomiya Shrine.545 views
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519 views
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Gaijin girls had an easy time attracting men who happily tried to converse in English and bestow cloth strips.466 views
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Raising a pole in front of Inazawa Station417 views
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404 views
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Konomiya Shrine holds the Hadaka (Naked or Nude) Festival in early March, or Jan. 13 of the lunar calendar. Men in loincloths parade around the streets until they reach the shrine.399 viewsA Sacred Man (Shin-otoko) also appears in the shrine and the men try to touch him before he slips into the shrine's window. The festival's real name is Naoi-shinji 儺追神事 which is a rite to dispel bad luck. Photo: Nearest station is JR Inazawa Station on the Tokaido Line. 稲沢駅
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It was a pretty cold day, and these men were drinking all afternoon.386 views
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378 views
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Sometimes a man from the window jumps into the crowd to grab and take in the Sacred Man.370 views
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They zig-zag along the street, and they are filled with sake.357 views
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TV reporter with this year's Sacred Man (Kami-otoko), Kato Norihiko 神男：加藤 典彦355 views
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Maybe this is the Sacred Man being pulled into the window.340 views
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TV reporter with this year's Sacred Man (Kami-otoko), Kato Norihiko, from Ichinomiya 神男：加藤 典彦333 views
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Gaijin talking to gaijin. Sounded Australian. English teacher at junior high.332 views
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321 views
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316 views
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302 views
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299 views
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They get pretty crazy, getting more water.293 views
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Cloth strips (100 yen each) to ward off bad luck 厄除けの ”なおいぎれ” 初穂料 １本 １００円290 views
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Every once in a while, they raise their pole.288 views
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Raising a pole in front of Inazawa Station287 views
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The Sacred Man struggles to reach the small window.280 views
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279 views
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Closeup of giant mochi. Solid as a rock.276 views
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On the straight road from Inazawa Station to Konomiya Shrine.273 views
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Numerous groups of near-naked men (no women) proceed to the shrine all afternoon.273 views
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When the Sacred Man enters the window, everyone cheers.267 views
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Tree surrounded with cloth strips called Naoi-gire263 views
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Some of the men tear off strips from their handband and give them to bystanders.261 views
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Giant kagami mochi, rice cake in the Haiden Hall. Over 2 meters tall and over 2 meters diameter. Weighs 4 tons. They are to be cut into small pieces (with a chain saw) and given away the next morning.257 views
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The festival is over.251 views
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The men in the window give directions to the Sacred Man.250 views
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All the men want to touch the Sacred Man, believing that it will dispel bad luck.246 views
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246 views
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Konomiya Shrine torii and the long path to the shrine is lined with a large crowd.243 views
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The window where the Sacred Man entered.243 views
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This is the small window the Sacred Man has to enter. It has a sprinkler system.241 views
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Zig-zag to the shrine239 views
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The inner path to the shrine gets more crowded.234 views
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All the men look in the direction of the Sacred Man.228 views
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They are waiting for the Sacred Man.226 views
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More giant mochi offered to the shrine. Notice the forklift. 大鏡餅奉納226 views
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Giant mochi inside the Haiden hall. 大鏡餅奉納224 views
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Haiden Hall where the men offer their long poles. 拝殿218 views
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The men are shouting "Kami-o Kami-o" (another way of pronouncing the kanji for Kami-otoko). 神男218 views
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217 views
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Men with buckets come for a refill.212 views
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All the men look in the direction of the Sacred Man, but few can actually see him or touch him for good luck.209 views
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207 views
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After passing through this gate, the men enter the shrine grounds. Romon Gate 楼門202 views
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Another torii200 views
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199 views
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199 views
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Inside the shrine hall.196 views
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Men start to pour into the shrine.192 views
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189 views
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Now they start to splash cold water on the men, and some of the spectators.189 views
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Romon Gate 楼門187 views
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Banzai cheers when an extra-large pole was brought to the shrine.183 views
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182 views
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Water supply182 views
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Splashing water181 views
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Haiden Hall 拝殿179 views
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Now empty, this path will soon be filled with thousands of men in loincloths.178 views
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Stacking up the poles.178 views
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173 views
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