TOKYO – Three men were left unconscious during a traditional Japanese festival in Okayama involving thousands of nearly naked men competing for sacred talismans, local police said.
Okayama’s “Naked Festival” Injures Multiple Attendees
The incident occurred during the annual event, known as the “naked festival,” which dates back to the Muromachi period (1336-1573) and took place at Saidaiji Temple on the night of Feb. 21.
The cause of the injuries to the three men is currently unknown. Three other attendees were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Injuries are reported nearly every year at the festival, considered one of the country’s three major eccentric festivals. One man died during the event in 2007.
Participants purify themselves with cold water before donning traditional white loincloths. They then gather near the main hall, awaiting the dropping of sacred wooden sticks.
During the Eyo festival, men compete for two wooden sticks, measuring 4 by 20 centimeters, which have sacred talismans wrapped around them, according to the temple.
Approximately 10,000 people participate in the annual event, according to a local tourism federation.
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