3 Tips for Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival in Hokkaido, Japan
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Yanno, I did not visit Hokkaido with the intention of visiting the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival. All I wanted to do was go to the Sapporo Snow Festival, eat Hokkaido dairy, and maybe go down a slope once or twice. Nothing really fancy at all. But then I learned my friend Yishyene from SmallCrazy was going to be in Hokkaido the same time I was. Obviously, we had to meet up.
“Wanna go to the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival?” she asked.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised that would be the backdrop of our first time meeting in person, bahahaha. After looking into the dates and details of this so called “naked man” festival, and overlapping our itineraries, we were both able to make it work for that one event, even though we’d both be branching off to opposite sides of Hokkaido after. Us, heading to Niseko, and them to Sapporo after already being in Hokkaido for nearly a month.
But for two days, we both arranged our schedule for a celebration that…neither of us could’ve cooked up in our wildest dreams hahahah. Spoiler, it was…SOMETHING. Bahahah. Similar to the Sapporo Snow Festival, I didn’t find too much information from a personal POV on the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival. So if you’re someone who likes to plan their trips like I do, hopefully this post will help you determine if this is something you’d like to add to your itinerary, and if so, how to do it easily!
Table of Contents
What is the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival
So let’s start from the beginning. The festival’s official name is the “Noboribetsu Onsen/Hot Spring Festival” or 登別温泉湯まつり (Noboribetsu Onsen Matsuri). It takes place in the small onsen town of Noboribetsu in Hokkaido, Japan.
Just for geography purposes, Japan is made up of four main islands. The northernmost of these four main islands is the island of Hokkaido. In comparison, Tokyo is on the largest and most populated island of Honshu and is the “main island” when people think of Japan.
Onsen means “hot spring” in Japanese, and Noboribetsu is a town that was founded around the area’s hot springs. Since the 1970s, the residents of Noboribetsu get together every February (usually within the first few days) to give thanks to the surrounding nature for the abundance that the hot spring water brings during the harshest part of the bitter winter. They also give well wishes for fertility, prosperity, and good health so that the water that gives the area life will never run out.
Okay great, that makes sense, right? So…where does that “naked man” part come in?
Well….the male residents of Noboribetsu take part in a water fight. And they do it naked.
…
OKAY not completely naked. They’re wearing a Japanese loincloth, called a fundoshi, and…yeah, that’s about it. Just a thong. It’s the biggest part of the festival, no pun intended, so that’s how the festival got it’s nickname as the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival. It’s risque. It gets the people going.
Where to Stay in Noboribetsu
Once you’ve decided you want to attend the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival, you have to figure out the logistical part. Coming from Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido with an international airport (CTS), Noboribetsu is about 1.5 hours away by car and a little faster if you take the train. If you get to Hokkaido from the bullet train, likely you’ll be coming from Hakodate which is almost 3 hours away by car and 2.5 hours by train.
In my humble opinion, the best place to stay in Noboribetsu is Dai-ichi Takimotokan. Not only is it super central to the town, but it’s also right across the street from the main festival event and there’s a special performance in the lobby (more on that later) ANDDD it has an onsite onsen.
It’s perfectly on theme!!
While I only stayed 2 nights, I quite enjoyed my time. The room was very spacious and the onsite restaurant we ate at was very good. And the convenience of everything really made this stay top notch. Highly recommend! However, if it is sold out, the town is pretty small so any hotel nearby or along the main street is a solid pick (just read the reviews).
What to Wear
The Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival takes place during the COLDEST time of the year in Hokkaido. I’m talking multiple degrees below freezing. I believe when I visited it was like…-5 or so degrees?? But honestly, once things get below 0 I stop paying attention and just focus on staying warm.
So here’s what you’ll want to wear during the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival, and honestly what you’ll probably be wearing your entire time in Hokkaido. Cuz bby….it’s cold.
- waterproof shoes
- thick wool socks
- thermal underlayers (I picked up two sets of heat-tech from Uniqlo when I landed)
- fleece or wool top
- waterproof puffer (or a snow jacket)
- waterproof bottom layer (again, snow pants work great)
- warm beanie (waterproof a plus)
- earmuffs (optional, but very nice)
- gloves/mittens
- sunglasses (the glare from the snow is very bright
- LOTS AND LOTS OF HANDWARMERS (you can pick them up from most convenience stores)
What to Expect
After meeting up with Yishyene and R, we strolled around town to pick up some stacks from the nearby 7-11 konbini.
Insider tip: it doesn’t matter how cold it is, you cannot eat said snacks inside the konbini. They will politely remind you if you forget haha.
Anyways, as our chattering teeth were chowing down on our finger food snacks outside the konbini, we saw a group of colorful demons walking down the street with an enthusiastic crowd following closely behind. I soon learned that these are the town “exorcism tours.” Demons, or oni in Japanese, are not exactly like the demons we associate in the Western world.
Back back back in the day, the oni were being evil lil demons -as an oni does- when they were caught by a god who oversees the Northern regions. As punishment, the oni were forced to become the new guardians of the place they previously antagonized. Simply put, guardian demons – or Yukijin, a bit of an oxymoron, but they get the job done. That said…they are still oni, so…their idea of guarding the town is a bit more on the mischievous side.
Which brings me back to standing outside the 7-11.
The oni were boisterously parading through the town with their entourage and music (from where, I do not know), popping into various hotels, shops, and businesses to ensure that no funny business was going on and ringing in protection for the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival.
Along the way, they’d stop to take pictures with people…or jokingly scare them, the probability of either was equally likely hahah. We followed them for a while until we realized that our hotel’s exorcism was coming up, so we hurried back to get ready for a show.
Luckily, we made it to our hotel lobby about 30 minutes before the scheduled “exorcism show,” and honestly, we had no idea what to expect. We grabbed a spot front and center (recommend!) and I caught up with Yishyene while the boys went upstairs to change their socks and warm up a bit before the main Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival was slated to begin.
Once the boys returned, we only joked for a few minutes before something caught my eye.
An oni in the window.
Then, suddenly, the lobby was filled with them, but just as fast they dispersed and were replaced with a new cast of characters. There was a guy on the drums and someone playing a flute. A large phallic ornament was placed in the center of the lobby. And an old (?) couple (??) took the stage for a performance truly none of us expected.
There were a lot of wooden penis reveals, let’s just say that hahahaha.
While a surprise, I thought it was a fun performance. Then after the oni came out for their performance. It was also fun to watch! Naturally, LG was picked for a very PG lap dance (more like a silly lap squat lol) as he lovingly deserves hahah. The hotel staff had passed out peanuts earlier, but to this day I have no idea what they were for hahaha.
Then there was an opportunity to take pictures with the oni before they set off on their next exorcism.
Later in the night is when the main event of the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival takes place. Yanno, the part with the naked men. So we headed outside to the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival area, Sengen Park, literally right across the street from our hotel. We were a bit in the back since some folks had camped out to get a closer view, but I simply cannot imagine waiting hours for those coveted spots.
Again, it was WELL below freezing.
Even after waiting 15 minutes being bundled up, my hands were freezing. Thankfully Yishyene gave me a few handwarmers to keep in my pocket. This is a good time to note that your phone can and WILL get too cold to function properly and your battery will drain extremely fast.
The main Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival event starts with the oni coming down to the arena (that’s the best word for it) and performing their exorcism performance for the crowd. It’s pretty similar to what we saw in the hotel, but with a little extra pizzazz.
Then we get into the fertility performance with the couple, which again is pretty similar to the hotel performance, but thennnnn….there’s an add-on rice cake pounding (pun intended). After, you can actually get a taste of the mochi that gets pounded, as well as grab a hot cups soup with the mochi for free! Though, it does run out.
AND THENNNNN it’s finally time for the main event of the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival! The water battle!!
Officially, this part is called “Yukake-gassen” and is the grand finale for the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival. Basically in this water fight, there are two teams. I think traditionally they would wear different colored headbands, red and white. If the red team won, it would mean that the temperature of the hot spring water would go up (which is a good thing), and if the white team won it would mean the amount of hot spring water would increase (also a good thing).
So it’s a win-win situation either way and will bring future prosperity during the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival!
Anyways, the participants in the water fight line up in a psuedo-chicken game with a three-person base. As they wait for the battle to begin, the teams’ support begin to pour the hot spring water over everyone to keep them warm throughout the battle. Cuz, yanno, they’re in loincloths.
Then….well, they charge at each other.
I didn’t see anyone fall (thankfully!) but that also means I have no idea how it is determined who wins or loses, but at the end they parade around another giant phallic ornament and the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival is concluded! Just in time because my fingers were absolutely frozen.
But my heart was so so warm hahaha.
Other Things to Do in Noboribetsu
Aside from the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival, or if you visit any other time of the year, there are a few other activities in town that you can spend your time enjoying.
First and foremost, go to an onsen. Anywhere, everywhere. I only went to the one at my hotel, and if you don’t want to pay extra that’s probably the best route.
Second, if you fancy a stroll, I recommend heading to Jigokudani, aka Hell Valley. You’ll see that reference a lot when you visit onsen towns, and that’s because you’re usually able to see exposed thermal springs with steam rising up from the ground. Jigokudani is a National Park, and while it’s not super big, it is a nice view. It’s a little more precarious to visit in the winter, but they keep the walkways pretty easy to navigate but just be careful!
And lastly if you are a little more mobile and have a car, I highly highly recommend visiting the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park! You’re in Hokkaido after all, and it’s the best place to learn more about the Indigenous Ainu community that have been stewards of the area since time immemorial.
Conclusion
And that’s it fam! Everything you should expect from the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival in a nutshell. While it was a last minute addition to my Hokkaido itinerary, it was definitely one of the most memorable! It was so so much fun and even better I was able to experience it with my long time friend.
How does the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival sound to you? If you’ve been, how was your experience? If not, is the Noboribetsu Naked Man Festival something that you’d be keen on adding into your trip? Let me know in the comments below!
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