Emergency services received a call at 10 p.m. on 21/2, reporting injuries at the "nude festival" held at Saidaiji Kannonin Temple in Okayama, western Japan.

Upon arrival, medical personnel found six people injured who required hospitalization, with three of them unconscious.

This traditional event, known as Hadaka Matsuri (Nude Festival), involves men purifying themselves with cold water before donning white loincloths. They then enter the main hall, forming a dense crowd as they await the throwing of sacred wooden sticks, which are believed to bring good fortune.

A dense crowd attends the nude festival in Okayama, Japan, on 21/2. Photo: Kyodo

Organizers reported that approximately 10,000 people attended this year's festival. Injuries likely occurred when the lights in the main hall went out at 10 p.m., as monks began throwing the sacred wooden sticks into the eager crowd.

The festival atmosphere is typically tense and chaotic, with thousands of participants jostling in a confined space. Almost every year, people sustain injuries at the event, which is considered one of Japan's three most "peculiar" famous festivals. In 2007, the festival recorded one fatality.

Despite the risks, local residents view Hadaka Matsuri as a significant ritual of purification, a prayer for peace, and a traditional start to the New Year. The festival has a history spanning over 500 years and was recognized by the government as an intangible cultural heritage in 2016.

Duc Trung (According to NHK, Kyodo, Mainichi)