Ōhara Naked Festival

Before you get your pervy hopes up, the Ōhara Naked Festival (Ōhara hadaka matsuri) would be more aptly named the Ōhara “semi-naked” Festival. The dancers’ costumes are actually quite modest these days; they used to have buttocks bared, but now we have to settle for chests and shoulders only.

What happens?

On the first day of the festival, participants carry portable, shoulder-borne shrines (mikoshi) to the sea for a dunking — which goes a long way towards explaining the costumes. On both days, processions make their way around the local area from morning till around 5 p.m. when the shrines converge on Togyo Shopping Street.

Schedule

Here’s the schedule for both days this year:

Tuesday September 23

• In the morning, each of the three mikoshi is taken around its respective district (Ōhara, Naninwa, Tokai), with a gathering at Naniwa Elementary School at 10 a.m.
• At 1:30 p.m., a prayer service is held at the beach at Ōhara Beach
• At 2:30 p.m., the shrines are taken into the water
• The shrines are taken through the shopping district at 5 p.m.
• A farewell ceremony takes place at Ōhara Elementary School at 6 p.m.
• The final procession happens around 9:50 p.m.

Wednesday September 24

• Each of the Ōhara, Naniwa, and Tokai districts has morning processions
• The shopping district tour starts at 5 p.m.
• A farewell ceremony takes place at Ōhara Elementary School at 6 p.m.
• The final procession happens around 9:50 p.m.

How to get there

Ōhara is on the east coast of Chiba. You can get there directly from Tokyo Station in around an hour and 15 minutes on the JR Wakashio Line Limited Express (trains are infrequent, so plan ahead).