Saidaiji Eyo (Naked Festival)西大寺会陽

A New Year naked festival of Saidaiji Kannon-in. On the night that concludes the Shushoe rites, men in loincloths contend for sacred wooden talismans (shingi) cast down from the main hall.

Eyo is held on the final day of the Shushoe, a fourteen-day New Year observance conducted by priests from neighbouring temples. At night the shingi are cast from the main hall's window, and men in loincloths struggle fiercely to seize them. Whoever secures one plants it in a measure of polished rice at a receiving station; once it has been examined, he becomes the fuku-otoko, the man of good fortune.

This is a religious rite rooted in a shrine or temple. Please follow the guidance of the organizers and clergy, and take care not to disrupt the ceremonies.

According to the City of Okayama, the Eyo is said to date from the Eisho era (1504–1521) and was traditionally held on the night of the fourteenth day of the first lunar month as the concluding rite of the Shushoe.

Source: 岡山市(external site, opens in a new tab)

The Eyo concludes the Shushoe, a Buddhist New Year service. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property as a typical example of eyo, noted for its well-maintained transmission, its scale and its careful observance of the rituals surrounding the shingi.

1. 01

   Shushoe

   A fourteen-day Buddhist service that concludes on the day of the Eyo.

2. 02

   Shingi toka (casting of the talismans)

   At night the shingi are cast from the main hall's window.

3. 03

   Boys' naked festival and Eyo drums

   Held before the casting of the shingi.

The preservation body, per the City of Okayama, is the Saidaiji Eyo Hosankai.

At the February 2026 Eyo, two participants died in an accident. According to news reports, the Saidaiji Eyo Hosankai is weighing three options for 2027 — holding it as usual, cancelling the festival, or dropping only the contest for the shingi — with a decision due at its October 2026 board meeting. Always check Saidaiji Kannon-in's latest notices before planning a visit.

Traffic controls, seating and fees change every year. Always check the official website for the latest information.

Official website — saidaiji.jp(external site, opens in a new tab)

• Respect that this is a temple's religious service
• Follow the instructions of the temple and stewards

• National designation · 2016

  Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property

  Designated subject: Saidaiji no Eyo（Rite）

  Source: 西大寺の会陽 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)

1. 1.会陽行事日程と会場案内 | 西大寺(観音院)(external site, opens in a new tab)西大寺観音院 · Accessed 2026-09-26
2. 2.西大寺の会陽 | 岡山市(external site, opens in a new tab)岡山市 · Accessed 2026-09-26
3. 3.西大寺の会陽 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)文化庁 · Accessed 2026-09-26
4. 4.【2026年】西大寺会陽（はだか祭り）｜岡山観光WEB(external site, opens in a new tab)岡山県観光連盟 · Accessed 2026-09-26
5. 5.西大寺会陽 2027年の開催は3案を検討、10月に決定へ 2人死亡事故を受け 岡山 | KSBニュース(external site, opens in a new tab)KSB瀬戸内海放送 · Accessed 2026-09-26

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  Thousands of loincloth-clad men pack the grounds before the lit main hall of Saidaiji on Eyo night

  Photographer

  KQuhen

  Source

  Saidaiji Okayama Hadaka Matsuri 02.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)

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  Men in white loincloths pressed shoulder to shoulder beneath the eaves of the Saidaiji main hall

  Photographer

  KQuhen

  Source

  Saidaiji Okayama Hadaka Matsuri 03.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)

• 

  Participants reach upward beneath a red curtain as water is scattered from the balcony during the Eyo rites

  Photographer

  KQuhen

  Source

  Saidaiji Okayama Hadaka Matsuri 04.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)

• 

  Priests lean from the carved window of the Saidaiji main hall above the crowd during the Eyo ceremony

  Photographer

  KQuhen

  Source

  Saidaiji Okayama Hadaka Matsuri 05.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)