News > Ageing Japan ends iconic thousand-year-old 'Somin-sai Naked Men festival'
Ageing Japan ends iconic thousand-year-old 'Somin-sai Naked Men festival'
19/02/2024 04:43 PM | Click to read full article
Japan’s iconic ‘Somin-sai’ festival (Naked Men festival) in Iwate bid its final farewell on February 17. For generations, this festival drew crowds to witness nearly unclothed men vying for possession of a hemp bag filled with charms, braving the harsh chill of the Tohoku winter. The Kokusekiji temple revealed that the advancing age of participants and a dearth of successors necessitated the decision to discontinue the festival.
