The traditional event "Hadaka Matsuri" in Okayama City, where men in tight-fitting clothes scramble for the tree "Treasure Tree" that is said to call fortune, is fighting for "Treasure Tree" as a countermeasure against the infection of the new coronavirus. It was opened in no way.
About 10,000 men in tight-fitting people participate in the annual Hadaka Festival held at Saidaiji Kannonin in Higashi-ku, Okayama City, and 30,000 spectators visit.
As a countermeasure against the infection of the new coronavirus, this year, in order to avoid crowding, the general audience was not allowed to enter, and the battle for men to compete for the tree "Treasure Tree", which is said to call fortune, was stopped.
Participants were narrowed down to about 100 Fukuo who had "Treasure Tree" in their hands since Heisei, and on the night of the 20th, the participants visited in masks and lined up after measuring the temperature and disinfecting their hands.
The representative of the participants received the "Treasure Tree" at 10 pm, and after that, all the participants took turns and enjoyed the good fortune.
Then, the priests of the temple held a lottery to select the Fukuo of this year, and finally the two got the "Treasure Tree".
Among Fukuo of this year, Takuji Fujita (79), a doctor in Higashi-ku, Okayama City, said, "Because medical and long-term care workers around the world are doing their best in the corona sickness, the Buddha may have given it as a representative. I don't think so. "
It is the first time that the "Takaragi" battle has not been held at this festival, which is said to last for more than 500 years.