Farewell to Somin Festival: A Look Back at 1,200 Years

Feb 18, 2024 | News On Japan

IWATE, Feb 18, 2024 (News On Japan) - One of Japan's "three great strange festivals," the Somin Festival, where men in loincloths clash fiercely, has concluded its 1200-year history on Saturday, February 17.

JR East's Refusal to Display Poster Sparks Controversy

The festival gained nationwide attention 16 years ago due to a controversy. In 2008, the city created a poster for the Somin Festival featuring a bearded man with chest hair as the main visual. JR East Japan refused to display it at stations, citing it as "distasteful."

Loincloth-Clad Men in the Cold of Iwate

The festival takes place at Kuroishi Temple in Oshu City, inland Iwate Prefecture. Despite the warm winter, men in loincloths brave the single-digit temperatures, purifying themselves with cold water while shouting. The highlight of the festival, which prays for bountiful harvests and good health, is the scramble for "Somin bags," believed to bring blessings.

Lack of Successors Leads to Conclusion

The Somin Festival, with a history of over 1200 years, attracts around 3,000 visitors annually. However, it was canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic and only partially revived last year, with the main event, the scramble for Somin bags, being omitted.

This year, despite a full revival, the festival has come to an end due to a serious lack of successors.

Daigo Fujinami, Chief Priest of Myokenzan Kokuseki-ji Temple: "The region is aging significantly, and there are no future successors, making it difficult to continue the festival in its traditional form."

The temple plans to continue prayers and other rituals to maintain the faith.

Website: Kokuseki-ji Temple

Source: ANN

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