Japan: Women Join Japan's 1,250-Year-Old 'Na**d Festival' For the First Time | Oneindia News
Witness the groundbreaking inclusion of women in Japan's ancient 'Na**d Festival' for the first time in its 1,250-year history. Learn about this historic departure from tradition and the significance of women's participation in this revered cultural ceremony.
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#Women #Japan #JapanNews #NakedFestival #JapanNakedFestival #JapaneseWomen #JapanWomen #JapanEconomy #Oneindia
~PR.274~ED.103~GR.124~
Transcript
00:00 In a historic moment, women have officially joined a revert tradition known as the Naked
00:10 Festival at a shrine in central Japan.
00:16 This ritual, steeped in 1,250 years of history, marks a significant departure from tradition
00:23 as women clad in purple robes take part in the age-old ceremony.
00:31 Seven groups of women enthusiastically engage in the ritual, which is believed to ward off
00:37 male-volant spirits and invoke blessings for happiness.
00:41 Contrary to its name, participants are not actually naked.
00:45 Instead, they wear happy coats and shorts, while men don loincloths reminiscent of sumo
00:51 wrestlers.
00:54 "I heard that women could participate, so I definitely wanted to take part to help bring
01:01 excitement to this town and festival," said 59-year-old civil servant Emi Taishibana,
01:08 one of the participants.
01:10 Naruhito Sonoda, a priest at the shrine, said there had never been a ban on women participating
01:16 and some had even made small offerings as individuals before.
01:21 However, when a woman's group inquired last year if they could join saying yes, was easy.
01:28 "I believe the most important thing is for there to be fun festival for everyone.
01:33 I think God would be happiest about that too."
01:37 However, women did not partake in the festival's main event, citing physical constraints.
01:43 While the inclusion of women marks progress, opening up this aspect of the festival remains
01:49 challenging due to its physical demands.
01:52 Japan, known for its rich cultural heritage, has been grappling with gender disparity.
01:58 Despite efforts by the government to improve women's participation in society, the country
02:04 still struggles to narrow the gender gap, as evidenced by its low ranking in the World
02:10 Economic Forum's Gender Parity Index.
02:14 As Japan embraces change and tradition, the Nikkei Festival stands as a symbol of evolving
02:20 customs and inclusivity.
02:22 -END-