 Image search results - "konomiya" |
A group of men carry a red and white pole in front of Inazawa Station, on their way to Konomiya Shrine.
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Raising a pole in front of Inazawa Station
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Raising a pole in front of Inazawa Station
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They zig-zag along the street, and they are filled with sake.
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Every once in a while, they raise their pole.
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On the straight road from Inazawa Station to Konomiya Shrine.
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Konomiya Shrine torii and the long path to the shrine is lined with a large crowd.
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Numerous groups of near-naked men (no women) proceed to the shrine all afternoon.
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Zig-zag to the shrine
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Another torii
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Romon Gate 楼門
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After passing through this gate, the men enter the shrine grounds. Romon Gate 楼門
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Haiden Hall where the men offer their long poles. 拝殿
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Haiden Hall 拝殿
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Now empty, this path will soon be filled with thousands of men in loincloths.
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Some of the men tear off strips from their handband and give them to bystanders.
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Gaijin talking to gaijin. Sounded Australian. English teacher at junior high.
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Gaijin girls had an easy time attracting men who happily tried to converse in English and bestow cloth strips.
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The inner path to the shrine gets more crowded.
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It was a pretty cold day, and these men were drinking all afternoon.
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Banzai cheers when an extra-large pole was brought to the shrine.
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Stacking up the poles.
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Men start to pour into the shrine.
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They are waiting for the Sacred Man.
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Now they start to splash cold water on the men, and some of the spectators.
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Water supply
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Splashing water
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Men with buckets come for a refill.
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They get pretty crazy, getting more water.
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Konomiya Hadaka Festival, Inazawa, Aichi Pref.
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All the men look in the direction of the Sacred Man.
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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.
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The Sacred Man struggles to reach the small window.
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The men are shouting "Kami-o Kami-o" (another way of pronouncing the kanji for Kami-otoko). 神男
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This is the small window the Sacred Man has to enter. It has a sprinkler system.
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All the men want to touch the Sacred Man, believing that it will dispel bad luck.
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The men in the window give directions to the Sacred Man.
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Sometimes a man from the window jumps into the crowd to grab and take in the Sacred Man.
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Maybe this is the Sacred Man being pulled into the window.
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When the Sacred Man enters the window, everyone cheers.
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The festival is over.
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The window where the Sacred Man entered.
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Inside the shrine hall.
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TV reporter with this year's Sacred Man (Kami-otoko), Kato Norihiko, from Ichinomiya 神男：加藤 典彦
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TV reporter with this year's Sacred Man (Kami-otoko), Kato Norihiko 神男：加藤 典彦
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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.
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More giant mochi offered to the shrine. Notice the forklift. 大鏡餅奉納
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Giant mochi inside the Haiden hall. 大鏡餅奉納
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Closeup of giant mochi. Solid as a rock.
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Tree surrounded with cloth strips called Naoi-gire
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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
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Hiroshima is also famous for okonomiyaki.
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