It's the Hadaka Matsuri.
The Naked Festival.
Almost.
Hard to believe that it's 22 degrees outside.
But the taiko drummers are really just introducing the main act.
It's the other preparations that have me a bit concerned.
Over 500 policemen have gathered on the temple grounds
and more are coming every minute.
This is what they're waiting for.
Young men take off what little they still have on
then charge into the arena below the main pagoda.
Some 200 of them in all.
Meanwhile the head Shinto priest is making a very different kind of entrance
with all the proper pomp and accessories.
He finally appears on the second floor and begins the ceremony
while the half-naked men wait patiently below.
They're each hoping to catch two small wooden sticks
that the priest will eventually toss down to them.
The winners won't earn any money
but they do get immense prestige.
In the meantime it's very cold.
The ceremony drags on
and things start to go wrong.
Apparently these young men are here for more than just the competition
They're also out to settle old debts.
They tell me that some are members of the local mafia
though only the youngest are allowed into the festival
the ones who don't yet have visible tattoos.
This is their chance to seek out their rivals
and even scores.
The priests know all about it
but they'd rather that happened in the festival
than out on the streets.
At last, they're ready to begin.
You couldn't pay me to be the lucky fellow who just caught that stick.
Latecomers have to resort to some rather unorthodox techniques.
They're packed so tight that if someone decides
to poke a rival in the eye
or pull his hair
or worse
there'd be nothing they could do.
There's no time to waste -
The entire match lasts only 15 minutes.
An impromptu huddle decide what to do
but it's too late.
Time's up.
They'll have to wait until next year
Same time, same place
to settle their debts.
The losers wander off to find their clothes
and the winners gloat.