In the annual contest for a pair of lucky sticks, 9,000 men engage in grappling while clad only in loincloths.
Though it may seem unusual, the Hadaka Matsuri festival represents a unique and sacred tradition in Japan, where almost-naked men compete for ownership of the wooden sticks known as shingi.
A priest casts these sticks into the eager crowd, and the individual who successfully secures the shingi and places them upright into a wooden box is believed to receive an entire year of good fortune.
Celebrated at the Saidaiji Temple in the city of Okayama, this 500-year-old festival also involves other lucky items being tossed into the throng, including bundles of willow strips.
As the clock strikes midnight, the lights go out and the 20cm-long sticks are hurled into the gathering, with the men shouting ‘Wasshoi! Wasshoi!’ as they strive to snatch the sacred treasures from each other.
Known as the Naked Festival, this event takes place each year on the third Saturday in February.
Centuries ago, participants initially competed for talismans crafted from paper, but due to their fragility, the items were later replaced with more durable alternatives.
