F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-216
Hofu Tenmangu Goshinko Festival (Hadakabo Matsuri / Naked Men Festival)
防府天満宮御神幸祭（裸坊祭）ほうふてんまんぐうごじんこうさい（はだかぼうまつり）
A thousand-year-old autumn 'rough festival' at Hofu Tenmangu Shrine in which roughly 5,000 white-robed 'hadakabo' (naked men) carry a sacred wickerwork palanquin (go-ajiro-koshi) on a round trip to the Katsuma-no-Ura resting ground, a site linked to the enshrined deity Sugawara no Michizane. Its origin lies in a rite to console Michizane's spirit and proclaim his innocence; in the late Edo period commoners purified themselves in cold water and served in white robes, giving rise to the nickname 'Naked Men Festival.' The climax comes when the roughly 500 kg palanquin is rushed down the more than fifty stone steps from the tower gate amid a surging crowd and roaring chants. One of western Japan's largest and most intense men's festivals, it preserves the folk traditions of Tenjin worship of the deity of learning.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01A surging crush of about 5,000 white-robed 'hadakabo' carrying the sacred palanquin
- 02The roughly 500 kg palanquin rushing down the great stone steps — the festival's most dangerous and dramatic moment
- 03A nighttime round trip to the Katsuma-no-Ura resting ground driven by the chant 'Kyodai wasshoi!'
D E E P D I V E
Deep Dive
R E F E R E N C E
References
- https://www.hofutenmangu.com/event/gojinkou/
- https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/event/detail_14765.html
- https://visit-hofu.jp/event/%E9%98%B2%E5%BA%9C%E5%A4%A9%E6%BA%80%E5%AE%AE%E3%80%80%E5%BE%A1%E7%A5%9E%E5%B9%B8%E7%A5%AD%EF%BC%88%E8%A3%B8%E5%9D%8A%E7%A5%AD%EF%BC%89/
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/H30-01050.html