Walking up from the station you would be forgiven for thinking that this is just another town winter matsuri, with food stalls lining the roads. But the closer you get to the Bishamon Temple, the stranger things get. The chanting gets louder, there are processions of men wearing little more than loincloths ( there is snow on the ground!) being escorted by similarly dressed men with giant candles and everyone seems to be drunk.
The loincloth-clad celebrants jump into a pool of icy water for purification, then dash into the main hall of the temple to join the throng of other half naked men to try to force their way into a small opening in the inner temple to obtain a blessing. The mob in the main hall are a steaming pile of bodies and it is quite a sight.
It is pretty out there as a festival and is a great night out. There is a real festival atmosphere and there is lots going on in and around the temple. Even if you don't fully know what is going on, you can't help but be blown away by this celebration that has an incredibly long history. The temple itself is a pretty amazing building and definitely worth a visit at another time.
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