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Japan History, Things to do in Japan
The Five Bizarre Japanese Festivals
13
Jul
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Bizarre Japanese Festivals
When you think of Japan, the first thing you may imagine is its yummy food, Japanese festivals, temples, and the Samurai culture. Samurai fans around the world travel Japan to enjoy Samurai and sword experience too.
But there’s more to Japan than Samurai sword-wielding, Sakura, or Sushi. Japanese people also love to party!
Japanese culture is very symbolic and diverse. Its uniqueness exceeds the expectations of its tourists. From being magical down to straight bizarre, Japanese culture knows no limit.
In Japan, hundreds of festivals take place all the time. They call it Matsuri in their own language. These festivals are significant to their culture.
Not only that it attracts thousands of tourists, but it also bonds people together.
Matsuri creates memories that are so unique. These memories sometimes make you wonder how little you do know about life and people.
Japanese festivals are more than just a party and a gathering. It signifies their beliefs and religion, no matter how fun, weird and plain bizarre others can be.
If you are a brave soul, this specific experience is the one for you. Here is a list of Japan’s bizarre festivals.
Soma Nomaoi Matsuri
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
This festival might not be insanely weird, but hey, who rides a horse in a Samurai armor nowadays?
Soma Nomaoi festival is a three-day festival held yearly. It is a thousand-year-old practice of military training exercise during the Sengoku period.
Soma Nomaoi is a celebration of martial arts skills and horse riding. Founded by the Soma clan, this festival is yearly held at Minasoma City, Fukushima.
Hundreds of men and women take part in this festival. The participants wear Samurai armors with long katana swords on horseback.
These Samurai warriors conduct military exercises as their tradition done by their ancestors. After the military training, they will offer the horses to their deities, a tradition started by Taira no Masakado, the said founder of the Soma clan.
This festival relives the historical custom of Samurai heritage. Most importantly, it also gives locals the chance to celebrate their Samurai roots.
Akutai Matsuri
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Does your frustration or hidden anger bother you? Do you wanna vent it all out? If yes, then you should take part in Akutai Matsuri.
Akutai Matsuri is also known as “The cursing festival.” Locals celebrate this festival every third Sunday of December.
This festival is so strange and unique that you can cuss without getting slapped. You can also drop swear words without getting into trouble.
Akutai Matsuri is a hundred-year-old tradition of Kasama, in Ibaraki Prefecture. According to the locals, the Akutai Matsuri started in the Edo period.
It served as a way to cast out evil and release stress out of the people. Until now, this festival still continues to be Japanese people’s outlet for stress.
So if you wanna spill all that hidden anger out, make sure to visit and take part in the Cursing festival.
For foreign visitors, don’t worry, you can curse and insult in your own language too! Cool right?
Hadaka Matsuri
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Now, what can get pretty crazy than the Naked festival? Yes, you read it right! A festival filled with bare-skinned men, wild action and music.
Japanese culture is a colorful portrayal of diversity. They can have pretty important historical events going on. But, Japanese culture can also have weird festivals like the Naked festival.
Also known as Hadaka Matsuri, this festival is a thousand-year-old tradition held in both summer and wintertime. This festival is all about luck and happiness.
The Naked Festival in Okayama is likely the most popular of all. This festival gathers 9000 men at Saidai-Ji temple. These men, dressed only in a loincloth, also known as Fundoshi, will fight over two sticks.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, two sacred sticks!
During the festival, a Shinto priest will throw two sticks into the crowd of naked men. These men wrestle to grab the sticks from each other. According to their belief, this stick will bring good luck for the lucky person who keeps hold of it.
For some, this festival is crazy, but for these people, it brings them closer together.
Shukatsu Matsuri
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Just when we thought the Naked festival is bizarre already, Shukatsu Matsuri is yet to amaze you. If you are the type who wants to try coffins and death-like experience, then this festival will be fun for you.
While others avoid death as a topic, Shukatsu Matsuri is a different story.
Shukatsu Matsuri is also known as the “Try before you die funeral.” This festival prepares its participants for their death.
Death is an awful reminder of one’s limited time in this world. But come to think of it, isn’t death part of everyone’s lives?
And the Japanese people have amazingly embraced and accepted it!
This insane festival is a 2-day gathering of its participants. The participants can listen to Buddhist lessons and preparations. They can also lay down on coffin.
Quite scary, don’t you think? And the participants can also write down their last will to their families. Awesome experience! Scary, but awesome!
Though this may sound weird to some, this festival somehow makes sense. It teaches people that life is temporary. It also teaches the Japanese how to prepare when that time comes.
Japan is an aging country, and this kind of festival as much as it sounds weird, is also smart, don’t you think?
Kanamara Matsuri
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Japan’s strange festivals are interesting. It has its own qualities and identity. Kanamara Matsuri, in my opinion, is the most bizarre festival in Japan today!
Kanamara Matsuri, or most commonly known as the Penis Festival, is popular all over the world. It occurs every April at the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan.
This festival is so interesting that it intrigued foreign tourists and the media. Kanamara Matsuri is a hundred-year-old tradition that mirrors reality.
Why? Because it tackles awareness of different issues our society face today. Kanamara Matsuri may be fun and interesting, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. This festival gathers everyone to celebrate sex, positivity, fertility, and life itself.
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Kanamara Matsuri is a festival that pays tribute to men’s phallus. Its uniqueness caught the interest of many. In fact, there are about 50,000 attendees at the festival each year!
It became a tool for people to be aware of gender biases. Kanamara Matsuri also addresses STD issues for centuries now.
It also held prayers for fertility, success in marriage, and wealth. This festival also became a reason for the acceptance of the LGBT groups in Japan.
But what makes Kanamara Matsuri so great?
It celebrates all sexualities! It doesn’t matter if you’re male, female or gay! Because in Kanamara Matsuri everyone can take part.
If you plan on coming, be sure to prepare for phallic hats, huge phallus parade, floats and absolute fun!
And there you have it, the five bizarre Japanese festivals that everyone enjoys today!