Tradition or Madness? Japan’s Long-Running Bizarre Contest

① Naked Festival: Saidai-ji Eyo

Every country has its unique culture, and experiencing the cultural differences while traveling abroad can be fascinating. Despite being a neighboring country, Japan has distinct cultural aspects that might appear bewildering to foreigners. Japan holds some unusual festivals among its cultural peculiarities that can bemuse foreign visitors.

Japan hosts many eccentric festivals annually. One of Japan’s three major bizarre festivals is “Saidai-ji Eyo,” often called the “Naked Festival.” This festival is an event where men strip down completely.

Designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government, Saidai-ji Eyo takes place at Saidai-ji Temple in Okayama City. The festival has its roots in the belief that lucky amulets distributed by the temple in the early 1500s were effective.

To accommodate the large number of visitors to the temple, they decided to throw sacred wooden sticks from the temple’s window. About 10,000 men, dressed only in loincloths known as “fundoshi,” gather at the temple on a freezing winter night to compete for the two sacred wooden sticks thrown from the window.

If someone grabs the wooden stick, people believe they are guaranteed a year of happiness. This festival starts with a young boys’ competition called “Hadarikiki” and culminates at 10 PM.

While you can enter for free, you can also pay for seats to get a closer view of the event. From a spectator’s point of view, this festival may appear dangerous, and injuries occur every year. To participate, attendees must carry a nametag indicating their blood type in case of emergencies.

Originally, they held Saidai-ji Eyo on January 13th of the lunar calendar, but they moved it to the third Saturday of February to attract tourists.

② Unique Japanese Traditional Competitions

Another peculiar festival that continues in Japan is the “Naki Juzo Baby Crying Sumo Contest.” Shrines across Japan have held this contest for 400 years to identify the first or loudest crying baby.

Sumo wrestlers hold babies aged 6 to 18 months and attempt to make them cry. If one baby cries first, they declare it the winner. If a baby stays silent, they sometimes use an oni (demon) mask to provoke it.

This competition is based on the Japanese saying, “Crying babies grow fastest,” which suggests that a baby’s loud crying can drive away evil spirits and ensure a healthy, long life. People believe that it delivers the baby’s cries to the gods.

Many babies participate in this event yearly, and it’s open to people of all ages. It’s a quirky yet popular contest in Japan.

In Japan, there is even a competition where they overturn dining tables. They initially conceived it as a promotional event in Iwate Prefecture in 2008, and it gained significant popularity.

People once described it as fathers overturning dining tables in a patriarchal manner. This image originated from the 1970s popular manga “Star of the Giants” and left a lasting impression.

Every year, a Japanese shopping mall holds this competition where participants literally overturn dining tables. The person who yells the loudest about their anger and throws the toys from the table the farthest wins.

Additionally, judges consider the aesthetics of the dining table flying through the air and the remarks participants make before overturning the table when selecting the winner. Anyone, regardless of age or gender, can participate in this competition. It has gained popularity in Japan as an event where people can release stress.

③ Bald Men’s Competition in Aomori

Aomori Prefecture, Japan, has a “Bald Men’s Competition.” Organized by the National Bald Association of Japan, this event features men who are bald or have lost their hair. The town of Aomori holds it as part of the annual “Festival of the Steel Bowl.”

Participants with shaved heads compete in a game called “Pulling the Steel Bowl on the Head.” This involves two bald men, each wearing a headband with a metal bowl attached by a rope. The goal is to pull the bowl off the opponent’s head while protecting one’s own.

The event isn’t just a physical competition; participants also take quizzes where they guess the famous bald person being described. The National Bald Association aims to boost the confidence of bald men and change the perception of baldness.

This quirky festival, initiated in 1989, has 65 members nationwide and aims to change perceptions about baldness. Participants and organizers hope that “Pulling the Steel Bowl on the Head” could become an officially recognized Olympic sport one day.

Though unconventional, these festivals and competitions in Japan have their roots in tradition, folklore, and local customs, making them a unique aspect of Japanese culture.

By. Seo Seong-min (fv_editor@fastviewkorea.com)