All About Japan

Men Bare Souls (& Bodies) for Good Fortune

Festivals Aomori Tohoku
Men Bare Souls (& Bodies) for Good Fortune

Men get naked for all kinds of reasons, but this one is quite divine! A festival as old as it is strange, Aomori's Hadaka Mairi (literally "to visit a shrine naked in winter") sees some 30 men strip down in the hopes of good health and good harvest.

This particular festival in Aomori has a history that's over 400 years old! It has a special place in the hearts of the local community, and men participate even when temperatures dip to below freezing.