Kyoto Festival: Naked Dance at Hokai-ji (Hadaka Odori)

At Hokai-ji Temple in south-eastern Kyoto, a ritual called the Hadaka Odori takes place on the last night of the New Year’s services, January 14th. Held to pray for an abundant harvest, the happiness of the locals, and the fulfillment of wishes, the Hadaka Odori, or “Naked Dance”, has its roots in the Edo Period some two centuries ago. The Hadaka Odori is a very local festival attended by community members from childhood on. Before the ritual begins, women from the area serve up a tasty soup made from sake lees to keep people warm. The priests begin with a procession, blowing large conch shells as they proceed to the Yakushi Hall. Once inside they begin the sutra readings lead by the head priest. Two groups participate in the dance, a group of boys from the local elementary school and a group of older men. The men taking part in the dance douse themselves with cold water drawn from the well in order to purify their bodies. Once they have done so they run onto the Amidha Hall stage and begin to jump ar