Six people were hospitalized and three lost consciousness during this year’s lively, but sometimes rough, ‘Naked Man Festival‘ in Japan.
Okayama City hosts the ‘Hadaka Matsuri,’ or ‘Naked Festival,’ every February on the third Saturday of the month. Thousands of men participate, competing for good fortune. Historians believe the festival’s origins trace back to the Muromachi period (1336-1573), making it a tradition over four centuries old.
For men to participate in the celebration, they must undress and wear only a white loincloth and white split-toe socks, essentially leaving them nearly naked.
It’s wild to watch! All the players come together in this huge group, and then they toss these special sticks – kind of like good luck charms – into the crowd. Then it’s total chaos! Everyone’s pushing, shoving, and really going at it to grab one of those sticks, and honestly, people sometimes get hurt pretty badly in the scramble.
Six men injured amid chaos in Japan’s Naked Man Festival
This year’s Naked Man Festival saw approximately 10,000 men compete for the title of ‘lucky man’.
According to NHK, six men were taken to the hospital after a disturbance, with three losing consciousness. Event organizers believe these injuries happened when the lights went out in the main hall and ceremonial sticks were thrown into the audience.
According to the Japan Times, three of the six men involved were taken to a hospital with injuries that weren’t life-threatening. The cause of their injuries is currently unknown, but getting hurt is fairly common at the Naked Man Festival, with incidents happening almost annually.
The Kofu Shrine Naked Festival is coming up next week, but the Okayama Naked Festival took place last night. The festival got extremely lively, resulting in six injuries and hospitalizations. Sadly, three of those injured lost consciousness. It was such an energetic event that it’s surprising more people weren’t hurt.
— T.AY 菖蒲敏太郎 (@1007tayame) February 21, 2026
Sadly, a participant died during the festival in 2007, and experts are concerned that Japan’s growing elderly population may cause the festival to stop being held.
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2026-02-23 23:49