Each year on the first Sunday of January, the Aoshima Shrine Hadaka Matsuri sees hundreds of participants dressed solely in white fundoshi loincloths wade into the cold sea off the palm-fringed Aoshima Island to be purified by the waves. The ritual, believed to date back 1,200 years, is dedicated to Yamasachi-hiko, the god of the sea and good fortune. The setting on Aoshima—a small island connected by a footbridge and ringed by otherworldly 'devil's washboard' wave-eroded rock formations—makes for a visually unforgettable spectacle.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- Early January
- Region
- Kyushu
- Prefecture
- Miyazaki
- City
- Miyazaki
Highlights
- ◆Ancient 1,200-year purification rite in the Pacific Ocean
- ◆Hundreds of participants in white loincloths braving cold winter surf
- ◆Unique setting on Aoshima Island with 'devil's washboard' rock formations
- ◆Dedicated to the sea deity Yamasachi-hiko for prosperity and safety
- ◆Sub-tropical palm-lined island atmosphere unique in mainland Japan