Yamakasa festival binds communityYomiuri July 24
The first glimpse I had of a group of sweaty, loincloth-clad men in a Fukuoka street made me turn around and walk away in embarrassment. .... the Yamakasa festival, which dates back 760 years, is a symbolic reflection of the soul of Fukuoka's Hakata district, fulfilling important stress-relieving and cohesive functions... more than 8,000 men and children in loincloths and happi coats took part ...
..."The excitement of Yamakasa is so extraordinary that nothing else really excites me," said Kazuto Ino, 48, a ramen shop owner.. "It's like masturbation--you get this feeling of ultimate self-satisfaction and release."
Women and the bereaved have always been barred from participation out of a traditional belief that they were somehow impure. Prepubescent girls, however, are allowed to take part. Male participants are required to abstain from sex during the two-week buildup to ensure purity and avoid bringing bad luck....
...a historic decision was made to remove signs from each team's headquarters saying, "Impure people forbidden." But while the signs came down as a result of outside protests, women are still not allowed in any of the headquarters.....But ultimately women are in control of men. A perfect couple, we used to say, is made up of 'a crazy man and a smart woman.'"
