A bizarre ancient festival in the city of Okayama brings together lucky amulets, wooden sticks and men in white diapers, like the ones worn by Sumo wrestlers.
Vagabondish is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read our disclosure.
In ancient Japan, the festival marked the culmination of the 14-day New Year festivities, during which monks presented paper amulets to the elders of the community. The demand for the amulets led to throngs of people gathering at the temples, and the ensuing scuffle would see clothes being torn off. Over decades the paper amulets were replaced by wooden sticks.
In its modern incarnation, the festival attracts thousands of men, including plenty of pale skinned tourists clad only in white diaper-like pieces of cloth, fighting themselves into a frenzy when the amulets are released into the crowd at the stroke of midnight.
Check out the bizarre video at TravelPod.com.