Saidai-ji Kaiyō (Naked Festival) Viewing

Kaiyō, held every February at Saidai-ji in Higashi Ward, Okayama City, is one of Japan's Three Great Unusual Festivals with a history of over 500 years. The spectacular sight of thousands of men in loincloths competing for the sacred wooden stick thrown down from the main hall in the middle of the night is breathtaking. In the midst of winter's cold, the passionate heat of their colliding bodies rising with steam overwhelms those watching. Public viewing is also possible, offering a precious opportunity to experience the energy of Japanese traditional culture up close.