大原はだか祭り Ōhara's (semi) naked man festival

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To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Everyone needs to do this every time.

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The Ōhara Hadaka Matsuri is an annual ‘Naked Man Festival’ that takes place in Isumi City, Chiba. Men wearing momohiki (longjohns). carry portable shrines into the sea as part of the city’s autumn celebration and prayers for a good harvest. The boisterous festival ends with light-up displays, singing, dancing, and fireworks.

This is a must-see for anyone who loves high-energy festivals.

Event blog
Event video
Official website 2024 event

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Hadaka Matsuri - 23rd September] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT
If you would like to bring a guest, please ask me via Line.

◾️参加されるイベントの名前(フルネーム)と日付を付けてマークにLINEしてください。
例:[Hadaka Matsuri - 23rd September] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT
定員の都合上、お連れ様がいる時は事前にLINEでご相談ください。

We will meet at Ōhara station BEFORE 12.10pm. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. There is a train departing Kazusa-Ichinomiya station at 11.40am, arriving at Ōhara station at 11.57am.

The festival is held every year on the same holiday weekend in September to pray for a bumper crop harvest and good fishing catch.

The highlight of the event is when local residents carry mikoshi (portable shrines) and wade into the sea in an energetic frenzy. This is called shiofumi in Japanese. It will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sept 23 at Ohara Beach.

This is followed by the Owakareshiki (farewell to the gods event) when the participants carry the mikoshi through the streets and run in a circle at 5:30 p.m. in the grounds of Ohara Elementary School, cheering in a loud voice.

The festival concludes with the mikoshi being lit up for the evening, singing and a fireworks display. At present, the schedule is not known. If the fireworks are scheduled to start late, it will be your decision as to whether you stay or not. We will officially end the event before 7pm regardless.

There will be plenty of food stalls and vendors along the streets.

Schedule (from AI): Please note times are slightly different so we will find out the exact information nearer the time.

9月23日

• 13:30頃〜：五穀豊穣・大漁祈願祭（大原漁港など）Grain abundance and big fishing prayer festival (Ohara Fishing Port, etc.)
• 14:30頃〜：汐ふみ（大原海水浴場） - 祭りのハイライト。十数基の神輿が一斉に海へとなだれ込み、荒波の中で神輿を高く差し上げる勇壮な姿が見られます。Shiofumi (Ohara Beach) - The highlight of the festival. More than a dozen mikoshi flooded into the sea all at once, and you can see the heroic figure of raising the mikoshi high in the rough waves.
• 17:00頃〜：商店街渡御 - 祭り唄（甚句）が響き渡り、夕闇のなかで熱気は最高潮に達します。Shopping Street Togo - The festival song (Jinku) resounds, and the heat reaches its climax in the evening darkness.
• 18:00頃〜：大別れ式（大原小学校） - 祭り唄を唄いながら、担ぎ手たちが別れを惜しむ感動的なクライマックスです。Farewell Ceremony (Ohara Elementary School) - It is a moving climax where the bearers regret saying goodbye while singing the festival song.

To get a good view of the festival, we need to get to Ohara port by around 1pm, a 25-minute walk from the station. Then we will in a good position to see all the fun close up and feel the energy as everyone gathers in the build-up to the festival.

To get a good view of the mikoshi in the sea, wear shorts and sandals and be prepared to walk into the sea.

Event fee:
¥1000 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 22nd September (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (23rd September) - please bring the correct money.

If you don't have PayPay, please ask a friend or coworker to do the transaction for you (give them cash!).

Cancellation policy:

• Full refund given if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE by 7pm on 22nd September.
• Reservation and then no-showing or late cancellation requires full payment of the event fee via PayPay within 24 hours. Further non-payment will result in removal from the group.

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After the event, you may submit a review/evaluation. Please kindly rate appropriately as a low evaluation has an impact on the group. Things you should clearly understand in advance:

1. I (Mark) am not a tour guide. For many events this will also be my first time, and events are mainly organised based on intensive internet research.
2. Nature cannot be guaranteed, so flower festivals may be impacted by the recent climate.
3. We aim to depart on time, however bus schedules might change. This is unavoidable.
4. We request participants arrive EARLY. In rare cases we might wait a few minutes if we do not need to take a bus.
5. The number of participants is not guaranteed. However we will not have large groups.
6. The event finish time might be earlier or later than advertised. The hiking time might be longer/shorter than anticipated. Return bus times are not guaranteed.