Japan s Naked Men Festival Succumbs to Aging of Population voanews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from voanews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A steam of sweat rose as hundreds of naked men tussled over a bag of wooden talismans, performing a dramatic end to a thousand-year-old ritual in Japan that took place for the last time.
Japan s centuries-old Sominsai festival, featuring naked men wrestling over talismans, concludes due to the ageing population. Organizing the event becomes burdensome for locals, prompting its cessation. The festival s end reflects Japan s broader demographic challenges, with rural communities particularly affected. Despite hopes for its return, changing norms and demographics lead to adjustments, with Kokuseki Temple planning prayer ceremonies instead.