Before you get your pervy hopes up, the Ōhara Naked Festival (Ōhara hadaka matsuri) would be more aptly named the Ōhara “semi-naked” Festival. The dancers’ costumes are actually quite modest these days; they used to have buttocks bared, but now we have to settle for chests and shoulders only.
What happens?
On the first day of the festival, participants carry portable, shoulder-borne shrines (mikoshi) to the sea at 3 p.m. for a dunking — which goes a long way towards explaining the costumes. On both days processions make their way around the local area from morning till around 5 p.m. when the shrines converge on Togyo Shopping Street.
How to get there
Ōhara is on the east coast of Chiba. You can get there directly from Tokyo Station in around an hour and 15 minutes on the JR Wakashio Line Limited Express (trains are infrequent, so plan ahead).
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
