Historic Shift! Japan Breaks Tradition, Allowing Women to Join 1,250-Year-Old 'Naked Man' Festival

The Konomiya Shrine in Japan, which has hosted a "naked man" festival for over 1,250 years, will now permit women to take part in its rituals.

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Women still excluded from festival's central event

While women can participate in various activities, they are still excluded from the festival's central event, where men in loincloths aim to touch a naked man, known as shin-otoko or "godman," for good luck, South China Morning Post reported.

Despite its limitations, local women and gender experts view the decision as a positive step towards gender equality.

The Hadaka Matsuri festival, traditionally restricted to men, is set for February 22 and approximately 10,000 people are expected to participate, with an equal number of spectators.

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Following a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the festival's dynamics transformed, with women in the town expressing interest in participating.

Mitsugu Katayama, an organising committee member, stated that although women were not explicitly prohibited from participating in the festival, no groups of local women had shown interest in doing so before.

About 40 women have now formed a group to partake in the ritual offering of bamboo at the shrine.

'I could have participated if I were a boy'

Ayaka Suzuki, one of the participating women, expressed her long-standing desire to be involved in the festival since childhood, stating, "I could have participated if I were a boy."

Women's rights advocates and experts have praised the decision, hoping it marks a broader shift towards inclusivity.

Sumie Kawakami, an instructor at Yamanashi Gakuin University focusing on women and gender issues, sees the shrine's decision as a positive sign of progress in Japan.

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She hopes the new imperial era will include women in all aspects of Japanese celebrations. She cites other areas of Japanese life, such as the ban on women entering sumo rings, where gender restrictions still exist.

Kawakami suggests that the decision to revitalise rural communities by preserving unique local cultures may be influenced by the need to involve more women in traditional events. This is particularly important due to ageing populations and the departure of young people to urban areas.

History of 'naked man' festival

The festival's roots can be traced back to when the locals sought assurance of good luck during plagues and diseases.

During the festival, participants would wear only loincloths and parade through the town, performing various rituals before converging at the shrine. The highlight of the festival involves a rough scrum where onlookers try to touch a designated naked man to receive good luck.

Other traditional festivals in Japan, such as the Katsube Fire Festival, have also witnessed changes, enabling women to participate for the first time. This indicates a broader trend of reconsidering gender roles in cultural events.

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