Saidaiji Eyo (Naked Festival)
Thousands of loincloth-clad men pack a freezing temple hall at midnight, surging to seize two sacred shingi sticks flung into the throng — one of Japan's wildest rites.
When · Where
- When
- 2027/02/20 13:00 – 2027/02/20
- Where
- Saidaiji Kannon-in Temple, Okayama（3-8-8 Saidaiji-naka, Higashi-ku, Okayama City, Okayama）
- City
- Across Japan
- Getting there
- 10-min walk from JR Saidaiji Station on the Ako Line.
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Saidaiji Kannon-in Temple
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- 10-min walk from JR Saidaiji Station on the Ako Line. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, groups of friends
Highlights
- 10pm release of the sacred shingi sticks
- Thousands of men in fundoshi loincloths
- Cold-water purification before the scramble
Background & story
Held over 500 years, the rite began when worshippers competed for paper talismans, later replaced by wooden shingi; the main event is the third Saturday of February.
Good to know
Bundle up — the hall is unheated and the rite runs near midnight in deep winter.