Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri

Every February, the otherwise quiet town of Konomiya erupts into one of Japan's most visceral festivals. Thousands of men wearing only loincloths jostle through the streets toward Konomiya Shrine, competing to touch a designated "naked man" (shin-otoko) who absorbs the community's bad luck for the year. The energy is raw and communal, participants chant, push, and douse each other with cold water in the winter air. If you visit during the lunar new year, it is an unforgettable window into a tradition stretching back over a thousand years.