Japan: Traditional “nudist festival” that welcomed women for the first time in 1,250 years

Aside from the crowd of men, there is a group that is about to become the first women to participate in the event.

It doesn't mean they haven't been there before.

“Behind the scenes, women have always worked hard to support the men at the festival,” explains Atsuko Tamakoshi, whose family has worked the event in Konomiya for generations.

But the idea of ​​actually participating in the festival – in which men try to ward off evil spirits, before praying for happiness at the shrine – appears to have never occurred to them before.

According to Naruhito Tsunoda, there was no actual ban at all. It's just that no one ever asked.

When they asked, the answer was simple.

“I think the most important thing is to have a fun festival for everyone. I think God will be very happy about that too,” he told Reuters news agency.

But not everyone in the community was so welcoming.

“There were a lot of concerned voices (about our participation), saying: ‘What are women doing at a men’s festival?’ This is a men’s festival, seriously,” says Tamakoshi, 56.

“But we were all united in what we wanted to do. We believed that God would take care of us if we were honest.”

Women who wait their turn to participate are honest. What they are not is naked.

Instead, many of them wear purple happi – a type of long traditional robe – and white shorts, instead of men's aprons, while carrying their bamboo offerings.

They will not participate in pushing the men to the shrine, nor will they pile on top of each other to touch Shin Otoko, the “male god” – the man chosen by the shrine. Touching it, tradition says, is meant to ward off evil spirits.

But this does not negate the meaning of this moment.

“I feel like times have finally changed,” Yumiko Fujii told the BBC.

“But I also feel a sense of responsibility.”

These women are not just breaking down gender barriers with their participation. They also keep the tradition alive.

Last week, another nudist festival – held at Kokuseki Temple in northern Japan – reported that this would be the last year the event would be held. There simply weren't enough young people to continue the festival.

Japan has one of the fastest aging populations on the planet. Last year, for the first time, more than one in 10 people were 80 or older. Meanwhile, the birth rate is only 1.3 per woman, and only 800,000 babies were born last year.

It is now time for women to go to the sanctuary.

They form two parallel lines and carry long bamboo poles wrapped in interwoven red and white fabrics.

Atsuko Tamakoshi leads the procession – she blows the whistle for them to begin the rhythmic chant they have heard the men repeat for decades.

The women shout, “Wash, roast.”

They are focusing on movement and rhythm, as they have been practicing for weeks. They know they need to do it right.

Realizing that the attention of the media and viewers is on them, they also smile with a mixture of nervousness and emotion.

Shouts of support could be heard from the watching crowd, some chanting “Maneuver!” (something like “move on”) as they made their way through the freezing temperatures.

They enter the courtyard of the Konomiya Shinto shrine and, like the men, are doused with cold water. It seems to energize them more.

After their offer is accepted, the women end the ceremony with the traditional greeting of two bows, two claps and a final bow.

And then, the greatness of the moment emerges. The women start clapping, jumping, and hugging each other while crying.

“Arigatogozaimasu! Arigato!” (Thank you so much! Thank you!), they say to each other, and the audience now applauds them.

“I was crying so hard,” says Michiko Ikai. “I wasn't sure I could participate, but now I feel a sense of accomplishment.”

When leaving the shelter, the women are stopped by members of the public who want to take pictures with them – and by media outlets who want to interview them. They answer happily.

“I did it. I'm very happy,” Mineko Akahori tells the BBC.

“I am very grateful that as a woman I can participate for the first time.”

“Being the first to do something like this is amazing,” adds her friend and colleague Minako Ando.

“Times are changing,” says Hiromu Maeda. His family runs a local inn that has been hosting festival-goers for 30 years.

“I think our prayers and desires are the same. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman. Our passion is the same.”

For Atsuko Tamakoshi, who had played such an important role throughout the day, it was time to reflect on what they had all achieved together. She is happy and relaxed.

“My husband has always participated in this festival,” she told the BBC.

“I've always been a spectator. Now I feel grateful and happy.”