Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidai-ji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Okayama on Feb. 15, 2025. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man."

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidai-ji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Okayama on Feb. 15, 2025. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man."

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidai-ji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Okayama on Feb. 15, 2025. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man."

New Year tea ceremony

New Year tea ceremony

NARA, Japan - Worshipers at Saidai-ji, a temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture, enjoy green tea served in cups with a diameter of 30-40 centimeters and weighing about 5 kilograms, at an annual New Year tea ceremony on Jan. 15, 2014.

New Year tea ceremony

New Year tea ceremony

NARA, Japan - Worshipers at Saidai-ji, a temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture, enjoy green tea served in cups with a diameter of 30-40 centimeters and weighing about 5 kilograms, at an annual New Year tea ceremony on Jan. 15, 2014.

Hadaka Matsuri at Saidai temple in Okayama

Hadaka Matsuri at Saidai temple in Okayama

About 9,000 men wearing only traditional Japanese "fundoshi" loincloths jostle over a pair of lucky sticks, 4 centimeters in diameter and 20 cm long, thrown into the crowd during Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival) at Saidai temple in Okayama, western Japan, on Feb. 20, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Hadaka Matsuri at Saidai temple in Okayama

Hadaka Matsuri at Saidai temple in Okayama

About 9,000 men wearing only traditional Japanese "fundoshi" loincloths jostle over a pair of lucky sticks, 4 centimeters in diameter and 20 cm long, thrown into the crowd during Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival) at Saidai temple in Okayama, western Japan, on Feb. 20, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in the cold in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidai-ji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in Okayama, western Japan, on Feb. 15, 2020. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man." (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in the cold in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidaiji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in Okayama, western Japan, on Feb. 15, 2020. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man." (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in the cold in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidai-ji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in Okayama, western Japan, on Feb. 15, 2020. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man." (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Naked festival at western Japan temple

Men wearing only loincloths jostle in the cold in a bid to grab two sacred wooden sticks during the over-500-year-old Saidaiji Eyo festival at Saidai-ji temple in Okayama, western Japan, on Feb. 15, 2020. A person who gets a stick is called a fukuotoko, or "lucky man." (Kyodo) ==Kyodo