Japanese festivals, also known as matsuri (祭り), are huge cultural attractions for both locals and tourists alike. While many of them are of Shinto origin, food festivals and scenic festivals–especially the illumination festivals during the winter holiday season, are especially popular.
In this three-part essay series, we will be taking a look at some of the lesser-known Japanese festivals. Because there are many of them, I have narrowed it down to nine in total. Each segment will focus on the festival’s origin/legend, the practice or notable rituals, and any first-hand accounts from attendees or participants in said festival.
Our previous essay focused on the “scarier” of the three festivals. Today, we will focus on three festivals where people let loose, so to speak: the Cursing Festival, where attendees berate priests and wrestle each other for good luck charms; the Belly Button Festival, where attendees paint their bellies and dance in troupes; and the Winter Naked Festival, where half-naked attendees gallivant in purifying waters and elbow it out for some lucky sticks.
Cursing Festival
Around mid-December, in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, people gather at Atago Shrine for the Akutai Matsuri, or the Cursing Festival. During this festival, 13 Shinto priests dressed in white travel to 16 small shrines in total to give offerings. As they travel, attendees shout epithets at them, mainly “bakayaro” (you idiot).
When they make a stop at a shrine, the priest says a prayer and places the offering on an altar. Usually, the offerings consist of rice cakes (mochi) and five-yen coins. After the prayer, attendees clamor for the offerings while cursing at each other.
At the end of the festival, the priests put on tengu masks and hand out rice cakes to the attendees. It is the only part of the festival that does not involve cursing, as the tengu are divine messengers in the Shinto faith. Then the festival closes off with a triple chant of bakayaro, parallel to that of a banzai chant.
The Legend
The Akutai Matsuri originates from the Edo period (1603-1868), specifically in 1700s Tsuchiura Domain (now known as Ibaraki). Every year, manual laborers such as farmers or kimono makers became frustrated with their working conditions. But due to the honne/tatemae culture of Japan, they could not express their grievances in their daily life. This led to residual resentment over time.
In order to avert an uprising, the Lord of Tsuchiura Domain designated one day out of the year for a cathartic event. Near the end of the lunar year, overworked commoners could curse, complain, yell and vent their frustrations at Shinto priests, who would pose as scapegoats.
The incorporation of tengu comes from the adjacent legend of 13 tengu who lived on Mount Atago thousands of years ago. Since the celebration of them coincided with what is now known as the Akutai Matsuri, the two observances were combined.
An Experience
Although this is an unusual and raucous celebration, even by Japanese standards, there are still rules. According to Kasama City’s official website, the three main rules are as follows:
- Wait until the end of the priest’s prayer before grabbing the offerings.
- Be aware that jumping the gun is an illicit act and the priest may strike you with a bamboo stick for it.
- When cursing people out, keep the targets anonymous. Don’t drop any names of people, workplaces, etc.
Also, fight for the offerings at your own risk. You can expect to be injured during the fray. Moreover, you can hear cursing and venting not just at the priests, but between acquaintances and loved ones, especially during the march up Mt. Atago such as:
「さっさと歩けよ、バカヤロー」
「給料あげろよ、コノヤロー」
「家事なんて面倒くさいよ、コノヤロー」
「来年から働きたくなんかないよ、バカヤロー」
“Walk faster, you idiot!”
“Gimme your salary, you bastard!”
“Housework is a pain, you bastard!”
“I don’t wanna go back to work next year, you idiot!”
-“One of Japan’s Three Great Festivals: Hurry to the Akutai Festival and Air It Out!” by Mac at Omatsuri Japan.
Because the attendees can say whatever they want without repercussions from the traveling priests and each other, many people see it as a great stress reliever.
Belly Button Festival
The Practice
Around mid-July, in Furano, Hokkaido, people gather by Hokushin Shrine for the Hokkai Heso Matsuri, also known as the Hokkai Belly Button Festival. Over a course of two days, over 4,000 people participate in the Hokkai belly button dance competition, which is the festival’s main event. Each participant–usually as part of a troupe–paint their bellies with creative facial expression. This practice is known as zubara (図腹).
As is common with most festivals, local vendors cook up some culinary fare for the attendees. However, what makes this special is that all the food is belly button-themed.
For the dance contest, every participant performs the Shoho-zu belly dance and is judged accordingly. It happens from 7 to 8 pm, and the winners receive 100,000 yen. Anyone is allowed to join, even on the day of the event.
The Legend
In the grand scheme of Japanese festival history, the Hokkai Heso Matsuri is relatively new; the first celebration took place in July 1969. The purpose of this festival was to foster goodwill within the city of Furano.
The belly button/navel motif was inspired by Furano’s geographical location. It’s at the center of Hokkaido, and is known as the prefecture’s navel. So the founders incorporated it into the general celebration.
While the festival started off slow at first, it grew in popularity even with the locals. The belly button dance was created as a humorous event to incorporate the zubara belly paintings. Most of the parade takes place at the Suzuran Shopping Center.
An Experience
Last year in 2019, a total of 3,000 people from 58 different groups participated in the Hokkai Heso Matsuri. As mentioned previously, the dance is called the Shoho-zu traditional dance, which features marching, high stepping, and belly wiggling.
The dance even has a theme song, known as the “Hokkai Heso Ondo”. The overall lyrics center around the navel (no pun intended) and makes references to the Tokaichi Mountains, chestnuts, and Ezo (the old name of Hokkaido). In addition to being played throughout the dance parade, it is also featured in the Heso Song Battle (へそ歌王決定戦) where participants have a chance to win 10,000 yen.
People of all ages are allowed to participate for a fee of 2,000 yen, with costume rentals going for an additional 500 yen. Groups must have a minimum of five participants in order to be part of the belly button dance.
Winter Naked Festival
On the third Saturday of every February, 10,000 people–mostly men–gather for the Hadaka Matsuri (裸祭り), or Naked Festival. While there are similar festivals that take place across the nation, the one at Saidaiji is the largest and most famous.
Dressed in nothing but loincloths (fundoshi), tabi socks and sandals, the participants perform a series of rituals to celebrate the “blessings of a bountiful harvest, prosperity and fertility”. The most important ritual is the water purification, where they run multiple times through a bath, before the main event.
At the stroke of midnight, the men gather into the main area of Saidai-ji Temple, where a priest throws more water on them, then throws 100 bundles of twigs and two lucky sticks (shingi) in the crowd. Whoever manages to rise above the fray and grab the two lucky sticks is promised a year of good luck and fortune.
The Legend
The Winter Naked Festival has been going on for over 500 years, since the Muromachi Period (1338-1573). Originally, the lucky talismans were made from paper, but they would get destroyed when participants would fight over them. Thus, the talismans were changed to sticks and bundles of willow.
According to some 1000-year old legends, nudity was believed to ward off misfortune. Similar to the scapegoat aspect of the Cursing Festival, a single naked man would be sent throughout the town to absorb all the bad luck and illness, and then banished.
An Experience
As with most festivals, there are smaller segments that lead up to the main spectacle. Before the late-night wrestling event, there are fireworks and a taiko performance by female drummers. In addition, there is a child-friendly segment where they can do a more low-key version of the purification rituals.
There have been some festivals where women can participate as well, albeit in white dresses, known as the onna-eyo. Generally, participants can expect to be very cold and exhausted – yet also exhilarated.
Would you attend these festivals? What lighthearted and/or unusual festivals have you attended, whether in Japan, your home country, or a different location altogether? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook/Twitter.
