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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Women in Japan allowed to take part in ‘naked festival’ for first time

Thousands of men dressed only in loincloths gather for Japan's annual Hadaka Matsuri, also known as the Naked Festival
Thousands of men dressed only in loincloths gather for Japan's annual Hadaka Matsuri, also known as the Naked Festival Photograph: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images

Women in Japan have been permitted to take part in an ancient ceremony, known as the naked festival, for the first time in the event’s history, albeit with modifications.

Every February, thousands of men dressed in next to nothing take part in the hadaka matsuri at a Shinto shrine in Inazawa, a town in central Japan, to drive away evil spirits over the coming year.

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