0:00:03 > 0:00:05I'm Stefan Gates.
0:00:05 > 0:00:12I'm on a journey to immerse myself in some of the most extraordinary feasts and festivals on Earth.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26From the palaces of Rajasthan to the graveyards of Mexico
0:00:26 > 0:00:33and the ancient temples of Japan, I'm hoping that, by joining in these mass celebrations,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I'll be able to conquer my inhibitions and get under the skin
0:00:37 > 0:00:38of people and cultures around the world.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Japan is a confusing place.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02On the surface it's ultramodern and conformist,
0:01:02 > 0:01:08but underneath you find a land of ancient rituals and obsessive superstition.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10BELLS JANGLE
0:01:11 > 0:01:14This has made the Japanese notoriously difficult to understand.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18RHYTHMIC CHANTING
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I've decided to join the Naked Man feast...
0:01:22 > 0:01:25LAUGHTER
0:01:25 > 0:01:29..when 10,000 normally respectable men go on a drunken rampage
0:01:29 > 0:01:33in a desperate attempt to banish bad luck.
0:01:35 > 0:01:41I'm hoping to get behind the respectable facade and discover how the Japanese really feel.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00It's my first morning in Japan.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06My guide, Junko, thinks it's pretty much impossible
0:02:06 > 0:02:11for a foreigner to be accepted here, but if I'm to stand any chance,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15I'll have to learn a few key social rituals.
0:02:15 > 0:02:21When you talk and you see somebody's eyes looking into the eyes, that is really offensive, so you have to...
0:02:21 > 0:02:23- Really?- Exactly.- You're looking into my eyes now, though.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Not really, because I'm looking at between your eyes.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32I'm feeling really self-conscious looking at you now.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35- What else?- Did you bring your business cards?- I've got some.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Oh, that's great, because if you don't have it, you will be nobody here.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42It's like a ritual. For the first time you meet somebody,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46you have to give your business card with two hands.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48And so like, "My name is Junko."
0:02:48 > 0:02:53- OK, "My name is Stefan."- Yes, and then take it and with both hands.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57And then you have to make some comments - "Oh, it's a very nice picture here."
0:02:57 > 0:02:59What a lovely typeface you've got.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Or a nice design or something like that.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04OK, "What a lovely design." OK.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- So if I just took your card and put it in my pocket.- I mean back pocket?
0:03:07 > 0:03:10That's really like, under your bum.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14- Is that like wiping their face on your bum?- Exactly. Yes, so that is really rude.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16It's quite stressful already, isn't it?
0:03:16 > 0:03:21'There seem to be rules and formalities in everything here,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24'even when drinking sake, the traditional rice wine.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:28First pour sake.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34'Junko suggests I have a dry run on Ryotaro, the owner of the restaurant.'
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- And then he'll have some as well? OK.- Yes.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- And it's cold?- No, you have to drink it at once.- The whole lot in one go?
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- Now, you have to pour the sake to me. - In the cup that I've drunk from?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- Yes.- But I might have some contagious disease.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55RYOTARO LAUGHS
0:03:58 > 0:04:03- And then you have to drink one more again.- The whole lot again?- Yeah.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07- Does it have to be in one go or can I do it in a couple of sips? - Once.- Once. Yes.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09These are very strong rules.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11HE SPEAKS JAPANESE
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Now we become a friend.- Excellent. - Yeah.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Very good.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19The final stage of my cultural induction
0:04:19 > 0:04:23is how to eat soba noodles, one of the most popular dishes in Japan.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28I try eating them as politely as I can, but once again, I've got it all wrong.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30They're slippery, aren't they?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- You've gotta make a sound. You've got to make a noise!- OK.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39HE SLURPS
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Good!- Inhaling noodles.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45SLURPING
0:04:46 > 0:04:49HE LAUGHS
0:04:49 > 0:04:51More. Louder and then louder.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52HE SLURPS
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Very good!
0:04:55 > 0:04:58So am I supposed to slurp this one as well and make a big noise?
0:04:58 > 0:05:01No, that's very rude. No, nothing else.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- Just the noodles.- Just noodles. - Just noodles.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It's a minefield out there, isn't it?!
0:05:14 > 0:05:20It might be difficult, but I'm determined to get beyond the usual Japanese reserve.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23So before I tackle the emotional intensity of the Naked Man feast,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I want to drop in on some other festivals along the way.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31The first is a fertility festival just south of Tokyo.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37Here, in the leafy suburbs of Kawasaki, they worship the penis.
0:05:45 > 0:05:51In just a few hours' time, this Shinto shrine will be filled with thousands of people.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56But before the festivities begin, I have a chance to chat with Head Priestess Nakamura,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59who doesn't seem to think it's at all strange to worship the phallus.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I nearly tripped over this big fella here. What is it?
0:06:30 > 0:06:35It's clear from Priestess Nakamura's tone that this is a very serious festival,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38but I can't help being distracted by the sheer multitude of willies.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44See, when I see something like this, I wonder if people find it amusing,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49if they take the festival seriously, or if it has comic elements to it.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54There is a god in this penis?
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Ah, it's a base thing to take it as something silly.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04'That's me told.
0:07:04 > 0:07:11'Despite my ticking off, Priestess Nakamura invites me to a blessing to start off the festival.'
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This is my first chance to get involved,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18so I join several dozen worshippers to mark the start of the celebration.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22CHANTING
0:07:24 > 0:07:27'I'm a little surprised when I'm asked me if I'd like to make an offering.'
0:07:31 > 0:07:34HE CHANTS
0:07:36 > 0:07:41I don't entirely know what it meant, but when you do these things, you do get this sort of strange,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46otherworldly sensation going through you - a sort of sense of calm,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and - I don't know what it is - a specialness.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Outside the festival is in full swing.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The contrast from the sombre blessing is a bit shocking.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- They say if the woman straddles this penis...- Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23..they will have a baby.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27I can't deny that this unashamed worship of the penis feels a bit uncomfortable.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I expected the Japanese to be deeply reserved,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but they seem to find this the most normal thing in the world.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40'There are clearly people here, like me, who are struggling to take this seriously.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44'But back inside the shrine, there are those for whom today is no laughing matter.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:51Queues of childless couples line up to pray to the gods of fertility in hope of conceiving a baby.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Then Priestess Nakamura blesses two portable shrines.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I'm even asked if I'd like to carry one, as it's paraded across the city.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08'This is what I came here for - to get involved.'
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And then I see what I'm carrying.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Of course, it's a large black willy.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I take a deep breath and grab hold.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28But I soon develop a case of shrine envy
0:09:28 > 0:09:34when I see what's being carried ahead of us by a group calling themselves The Elizabeths.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37CHANTING
0:09:46 > 0:09:50The Elizabeths are a group of transvestites
0:09:50 > 0:09:54that come to this festival to ward off sexually transmitted diseases.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Soon, just about everyone's joining in.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31HE BLOWS WHISTLE
0:10:34 > 0:10:41With the entire community behind us, we march our stone phallus across the city.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51So many people want to carry the shrine that we actually have take turns.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56It's slightly disturbing that it's very important that the penis goes up and down
0:10:56 > 0:10:59on its route around town.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04All of this seems a complete contrast to the formality that Junko led me to expect.
0:11:04 > 0:11:10I've got so many questions for Priestess Nakamura, I don't know where to start.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14I'm finding it quite difficult to understand the Japanese character.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Already I'm slightly confused, I guess, because on one side,
0:11:18 > 0:11:23there's this desire not to show emotion, and to be very formal and polite,
0:11:23 > 0:11:29and, on the other hand, you've got displays of genitalia endorsed by Shinto shrines.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Should I be confused?
0:11:45 > 0:11:50As I look around, I see real pride and joy on people's faces,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and I realise that this isn't just a penis festival.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59What's important is the ritual, and this ritual gives people the freedom to express themselves.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17I've come to Hirado, a small fishing village off the southern island of Kyushu.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24I didn't think it was possible to see anything stranger than a six-foot pink phallus being
0:12:24 > 0:12:27carried through the street, but maybe I'm wrong.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37I'm going to the baby sumo festival, where one year-old infants face each other in battle.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- Konnichiwa!- Konnichiwa! Hajimemashite!
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- My name is Hiroko.- Hiroko?
0:12:45 > 0:12:47And you speak English! Wow, fantastic!
0:12:49 > 0:12:52'The Iseri family agree to take me under their wing
0:12:52 > 0:12:55'and let me experience this extraordinary ritual.'
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- My name is...- Akito.- Akito!
0:13:00 > 0:13:03My name is Kento Iseri.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'The older boys weren't that successful at baby sumo.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11'The Iseri family's hopes now rest on one-year-old Haruto.'
0:13:11 > 0:13:13My name is Haruto!
0:13:13 > 0:13:15LAUGHTER
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Mum, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa all live together under the same roof.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25They don't look like people willing to throw their baby into combat.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30There's me here on a sofa and there's about ten of you all staring at me. It's quite scary.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36So can you explain to me what baby sumo is?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52And why would you want to do this?
0:13:55 > 0:13:59'They believe a baby that cries will grow up to be strong and healthy.'
0:13:59 > 0:14:03So he is going to be doing the baby sumo tomorrow, is that right?
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Is he ready for it, do you think?
0:14:11 > 0:14:14How important is it to you that he cries at the right time tomorrow?
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Noriko shows me photos of the older boys competing.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27I wonder how strong the superstition must be to make a mother force her baby to cry.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Would you be tempted to cheat at all? You know, pinch him?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35ALL MURMUR
0:14:37 > 0:14:43I'm not entirely sure I get it, but I've promised to cheer on Haruto tomorrow.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48In the meantime, grandmother Hiroko agrees to let me help in the kitchen.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Is it only women who cook in Japan?
0:15:00 > 0:15:03So who rules the Japanese house, is it the woman or the man?
0:15:35 > 0:15:40It's a tradition in the Iseri family to have a feast the night before the big event.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Their speciality is white tofu soup.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53'It feels wonderful to be allowed to share a family's more intimate moments.'
0:15:58 > 0:16:03Do you think traditions and old rituals like
0:16:03 > 0:16:09the baby-crying sumo are very important to life in Japan?
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Private family rituals in Japan are just as important as large public ones.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31For the Iseris, it's the sushi-roll race.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35OK, so I pick it up with my fingers?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42OK, are you going to do one at the same time?
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Even a family tradition like this has its rules and regulations.
0:16:48 > 0:16:54Everyone has to face East in the direction of the rising sun and everyone has to eat in silence.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03The first one to finish wins,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and I'm struggling.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Grandma Hiroko beats us all.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Much to everyone's amusement, I'm the last to finish.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27LAUGHTER
0:17:29 > 0:17:31THEY APPLAUD
0:17:31 > 0:17:36Tomorrow we'll find out if baby Haruto shares their competitive streak.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56The big day dawns.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Parents are lining up to register their babies for the best spots in the competition,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05despite the pouring rain.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Everyone wants to be first, because that will improve their chances
0:18:09 > 0:18:11of getting their baby on the evening news.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23I find Haruto's dad, Yuki, in the queue signing up his prize fighter.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Good morning! It's horrible weather today, isn't it?
0:18:36 > 0:18:42He's been sitting in the pouring rain for three hours but he's not alone.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45The bad weather isn't enough to put anyone off.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53A staggering 300 babies turn up, along with their excited parents.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01GONG CHIMES
0:19:01 > 0:19:04HE BLOWS HORN
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The festival started 400 years ago.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15It's said that the sound of babies crying keeps away the ghost of an evil monk who once lived here.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19It's also believed that a baby that cries will have good luck.
0:19:22 > 0:19:28The rules are simple. Mothers carry their children into the ring and face their opponent.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Then the referee tries to make both babies cry.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The first one to be in tears wins.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11The sacredness of the ritual doesn't stop one mother from blatantly pinching her child.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Some children manage to sleep their way through the battle.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Finally, it's Haruto's big moment.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34In Britain, any parent would be overjoyed to have such a well-behaved child,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37but in this ceremony his calm nature doesn't bode well.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42We all hold our breath.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50Despite herself, Noriko's so desperate for Haruto to win,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52she's slyly tugging his hair.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01There doesn't seem to be much crying on either side,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04but the other baby is declared the winner.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06So tell me what happened?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12I didn't see the other baby crying.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16That's not real crying though.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I think that's cheating. You're too brave!
0:21:22 > 0:21:24So you were trying to cheat, and it still didn't work?
0:21:26 > 0:21:27How about this?
0:21:27 > 0:21:29HE GROWLS
0:21:29 > 0:21:32No, it's not going to work.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Well, thank you very much for bringing me along,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37I really appreciate it. It's a great privilege.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It might be a slightly strange competition,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47but one thing's clear - the Japanese are proud of their babies.
0:21:47 > 0:21:54Much like a baptism, there's a huge amount of happiness at welcoming young people into the world.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02HE BLOWS WHISTLE
0:22:06 > 0:22:13The Japanese work the longest hours and have the shortest holidays of any industrialised nation.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Death from overwork is a major problem.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27Because of this work ethic, feasts and festivals are the only time of year many people take a holiday.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Perhaps this is why they're so important.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It's really strange, because everyone we've met so far has been really lovely
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and very very friendly,
0:22:40 > 0:22:46but I still don't feel that I've really got beyond a kind of surface formality and politeness.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52That, I think, is all about to change.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54We've come to a place called Inazawa.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58They have one very extraordinary ceremony.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01It's this...
0:23:01 > 0:23:05It's called the Naked Man festival.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It's quite terrifying,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10partly because I'm not particularly keen on being naked,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and it looks quite violent as well,
0:23:14 > 0:23:20but also because it's just such an alien idea.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24But maybe that's what it's going to take to get beyond the surface
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and feel like I've made some kind of connection with
0:23:27 > 0:23:29how the Japanese feel.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The Naked Man feast dates back 1,200 years.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49In an effort to rid their village of evil, this community forced
0:23:49 > 0:23:53a sacred man or Shinotoko to strip and run through town.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59Those who touched him would get rid of their bad luck for the coming year.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02It's become a huge honour to be chosen as the Shinotoko.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07This year, local stonemason Hiroyasu is selected.
0:24:09 > 0:24:1210,000 men will take part in the celebration,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15all fighting for the chance to touch him.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23The festival begins when he's taken into the Shinto shrine.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27RHYTHMIC DRUMMING
0:24:32 > 0:24:36For the next three days, the Shinotoko will purify himself
0:24:36 > 0:24:39on a diet of rice, pickles and water.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47BELLS JANGLE
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The ritual seems very calm and ordered.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I'm wondering how this festival is going to descend into the mayhem I've heard about.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We've been granted a great privilege
0:24:58 > 0:25:00to be able to interview the Shinotoko
0:25:00 > 0:25:03before he goes into his three days of isolation.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08We've been given a short window - 15 minutes - to have a quick chat before all impure people,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12like me, are banished from his life and he can be cleansed and ready
0:25:12 > 0:25:14for the final part of the ritual.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Hiroyasu is guarded by two former Shinotokos
0:25:21 > 0:25:24who will be guiding him through his spiritual transformation.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Why did you want to be the Shinotoko?
0:25:42 > 0:25:47I think I might have nightmares about the idea of taking everyone's bad luck and sins.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49How do you feel about it?
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Thank you very much and good luck.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09I hope that you come through it unscathed.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Taking part in the Naked Man festival
0:26:12 > 0:26:16is incredibly dangerous, both for the Shinotoko and the participants.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Broken bones are common and people have even died.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26As I'm leaving, junior priest Hisanori offers me some potentially lifesaving advice.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41You're not making me feel any more confident about this affair.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56So I fall down, like that, and I need to turn over and go...
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Get me out! It's like judo!
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Kosaki-san? Kosaki-san?
0:27:12 > 0:27:14OK.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Someone's offered to take me under their wing for the big event.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22His name is Mr Kosaki and he owns a factory just outside the city.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25He's a typical Japanese salaryman.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27Kosaki-san?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Stefan!
0:27:30 > 0:27:33'Mr Kosaki is a true Naked Man veteran.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- Hajimemashite.- Hajimemashite, Kosaki-desu.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41'I have loads of questions for him, but first he insists on giving me a guided tour of his factory.'
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Thank you. Arigato.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14The ordered factory gives me no clues to the side of Mr Kosaki
0:28:14 > 0:28:19that sees him strip off with 10,000 men in a drunken rampage through the streets.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26I accept his invitation for dinner,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29hoping that there might be some signs of reckless abandon at his home.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- Konnichiwa!- Konnichiwa! - Hajimemashite.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39But on first impressions, Mr Kosaki's domestic arrangements are even more ordered.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- Ah, are these for me?- Hai.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47His wife stays on bended knee as she hands out slippers.
0:28:47 > 0:28:53Mr Kosaki has been taking part in the Naked Man festival since he was a teenager.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58What does it feel like to be kind of practically naked with 10,000 other guys?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Do you think I'll be able to feel what it's like to be Japanese?
0:29:15 > 0:29:19'It's not the done thing for Mrs Kosaki to talk to her husband's guests,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'but I break with protocol and ask her a question.'
0:29:22 > 0:29:27What do you think about your husband joining in with the Naked Man festival?
0:29:42 > 0:29:46MR KOSAKI SPEAKS
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Mr Kosaki seems to be a textbook example of Japanese reserve,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27but then I meet his Naked Man team.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Wow! I can hear you from a mile away!
0:30:31 > 0:30:32Welcome!
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Thank you for coming here.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38BAND PLAYS ROCK'N'ROLL
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Whoo!
0:31:15 > 0:31:20'I'm handed a photo of the band's old line-up. The lead guitarist looks oddly familiar.'
0:31:21 > 0:31:24No! When was this?
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Do you wish you were still in the band now?
0:31:48 > 0:31:52'I wonder if this festival is so important to Mr Kosaki
0:31:52 > 0:31:54'because it allows him to forget his responsibilities
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'and express something he usually hides deep inside.'
0:32:10 > 0:32:13The Naked Man festival might be a chance for people like Mr Kosaki
0:32:13 > 0:32:19to let go, but I wonder if there's a more spiritual meaning behind it.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28The next day I meet Shinto priest Mr Yamawaki at the shrine where the festival will take place.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34The Japanese visit shrines for good luck rather than to worship.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38I wonder where drunken rioting fits in to all this.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40What does it all mean?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00He gives me some useful advice about where to stand
0:33:00 > 0:33:04to get close to the Shinotoko, but this advice comes with a warning.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23They'd be wrong!
0:33:37 > 0:33:41Ah! Konnichiwa!
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Your kimono looks beautiful. Look at this.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Arigato gozaimasu.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Mrs Kosaki is worried that I might judge all the Japanese
0:33:51 > 0:33:54on one day of drunken nudity.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02So she's broken with tradition and invited her husband's guest -
0:34:02 > 0:34:04that's me - to a Japanese tea ceremony.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Right, just sit here like this.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23'It may look like she's just making a cup of tea,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26'but every move Mrs Kosaki makes is defined by strict rules.'
0:34:26 > 0:34:28And what should I do?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43The tea ceremony dates back 800 years
0:34:43 > 0:34:47when it was first used in monasteries during Buddhist rituals.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Mrs Kosaki has actually been taking lessons to learn how to perform this ceremony.
0:34:53 > 0:34:59It's an exquisite but oddly tense display of humility, restraint
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and simplicity.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02But all that goes out the window
0:35:02 > 0:35:07when Mrs Kosaki spills the tea all over the floor.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17'To me, spilling tea is the most innocent of mistakes.'
0:35:17 > 0:35:20You were doing so well. It was so beautiful.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'But Mrs Kosaki is mortified.'
0:35:32 > 0:35:34This isn't part of the usual tea ceremony, is it?
0:35:37 > 0:35:43Although she's terribly embarrassed, Mrs Kosaki is determined to start again,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and the accident seems to have shattered the formality.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52- I'm sorry.- No, I'm not surprised. I'd be terrified at doing it.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56It gives us a chance for a more intimate chat.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14I think we can be good friends, too.
0:36:24 > 0:36:30Life here seems to be dictated by ritual.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Conforming to society's rules is considered essential to stability
0:36:33 > 0:36:38and harmony, and rituals are an expression of these rules.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48This is confirmed the next day at the cooking of the four-tonne rice cake.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Everyone in the community brings rice, pummels it and adds it to the mix.
0:36:59 > 0:37:05Once everyone's added their bit of rice, they help to roll the massive cake into shape.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Participants come from all walks of life,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27and as with many religious rituals, they all wear matching robes.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31It's a small way of levelling social barriers.
0:37:39 > 0:37:46The drunken rampage is still 24 hours away, but the sober reflection has already begun.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48CHANTING
0:37:53 > 0:38:00Shinto followers believe that God exists in every person or thing, but that there's no heaven and hell.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06It's very different to Buddhism, but what's odd is that most Japanese
0:38:06 > 0:38:11say they follow both religions, yet they also claim not to be religious.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18I suppose that explains why Japan is so difficult
0:38:18 > 0:38:24for outsiders to understand. But every day I share their rituals, I feel like I'm getting a step closer.
0:38:30 > 0:38:36Back at the main shrine, I ask Head Priest Mr Yamawaki how the Shinotoko is getting on.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40I'm surprised when he then invites me to come and see him.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45It turns out he's finished his purification and is now on display.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48What's everyone doing in here now?
0:38:57 > 0:39:02I enter the sacred shrine expecting a serious, formal occasion.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Is he not allowed to speak? It must be frustrating.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Am I allowed to shake his hand?
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Thank you. Good luck.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41DRUMS BEAT
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Despite its reputation for primal masculine rage,
0:39:48 > 0:39:54the heart of the Naked Man feast lies in a rather large cake.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56This is the beginning of the main ceremony itself.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01The four-tonne rice cake is just making its way down the lane here.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06There are thousands of people who have come to welcome it, along with the Shinotoko himself.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10This is just the booze!
0:40:11 > 0:40:13HE MOUTHS
0:40:20 > 0:40:24This cake is so big that it doesn't actually fit under the temple gate,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27which in any other country would be a flaw.
0:40:27 > 0:40:32However, they've constructed it like a piece of Meccano that can just be taken apart.
0:40:35 > 0:40:41But even with the most ancient Japanese tradition, elements of the modern world start to creep in.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47With a little help from the priests, plus an industrial sized crane,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50the rice cake is finally put in position.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54CHANTING
0:40:57 > 0:41:00APPLAUSE
0:41:15 > 0:41:18So this is the morning of the festival itself.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22I've woken up to bright blue skies, which is lovely, but it does mean
0:41:22 > 0:41:24it's going to be freezing cold out there.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29I'm still feeling a kind of sick anxiety about the whole thing, which is pathetic.
0:41:29 > 0:41:35I wonder whether it's something to do with the fact that it's going to be such an extraordinary
0:41:35 > 0:41:40and hugely overwhelming experience, and if I'm within it and I don't speak Japanese, obviously,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43I won't be able to understand what's going on.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46If I don't know what's going on, will it just be too overwhelming?
0:41:49 > 0:41:53'But while I might be worried, Mr Kosaki is like a kid at Christmas.'
0:41:53 > 0:41:54Are you excited for today?
0:42:01 > 0:42:05The first ritual this morning is to write down my wishes for the year ahead.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10So I've said I hope that my family is happy and healthy.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Is that a good wish?
0:42:16 > 0:42:22It's 11am. The rest of my Naked Man team arrive with their wives
0:42:22 > 0:42:24and everyone makes a wish.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31These are attached to a bamboo tree that'll carry our hopes to the shrine.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41It's midday - time for the feast.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Which means it's also time to start drinking.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Kosaki-san!
0:42:50 > 0:42:52ALL: Kanpai!
0:42:59 > 0:43:04For over 20 years, Mr and Mrs Kosaki have invited this group to their house
0:43:04 > 0:43:06to kick off the Naked Man celebrations.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19ALL: Kanpai!
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Yes, we can!
0:43:27 > 0:43:30It's like a bunch of teenagers on their first trip to the pub.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32They're so excited about getting drunk!
0:43:34 > 0:43:36Kanpai.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40They don't waste any time.
0:43:40 > 0:43:45After just half an hour, they're all completely pissed.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59Then they invent a new ceremony - getting the Englishman pissed.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03I'll take the flak. I'll take the flak.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06ALL CLAP
0:44:10 > 0:44:12CHEERING
0:44:14 > 0:44:18How do you feel? How do you...
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Such a bad idea!
0:44:20 > 0:44:21HE LAUGHS
0:44:21 > 0:44:26'At 2 o'clock it was time for us men to purify ourselves.'
0:44:26 > 0:44:28I'm ready.
0:44:34 > 0:44:39I'd originally set out to get under the skin of the Japanese -
0:44:39 > 0:44:40and here it is.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45So there's a communal bath, one bath.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47Is it nice and warm?
0:44:51 > 0:44:54There's somebody in there! I can't get in there yet!
0:44:54 > 0:44:55OK, my turn!
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'The Japanese have surprisingly small baths,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06'but that doesn't deter Mr Kosaki.'
0:45:06 > 0:45:09You coming in too? Hey!
0:45:09 > 0:45:15Why do you need to have a bath to become pure?
0:45:17 > 0:45:21'The old reserved Mr Kosaki is nowhere to be seen.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28'It might have taken a crate of sake and a sea of buttocks,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31'but I feel like I'm finally being accepted.'
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Oh, it's cold already!
0:45:36 > 0:45:39'It's time to change into the traditional costume
0:45:39 > 0:45:41'for the festival.'
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Oh! Ooh!
0:45:43 > 0:45:47Oh, it's cold!
0:45:53 > 0:45:57'The temperature's just five degrees outside,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00'but this is all I'll be wearing for the next six hours.'
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Oi, yi, yi!
0:46:06 > 0:46:08Right up the bum crack.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15Oh, my poor...!
0:46:15 > 0:46:17HE MOUTHS
0:46:28 > 0:46:33If this is the one time of the year when Japanese men are allowed to drop their respectable veneer,
0:46:33 > 0:46:37then these guys aren't wasting a second of it.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46As we prepare to leave, we have our first casualty.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51One of the team takes a turn for the worse.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59Two dozen shots of sake have proved too much
0:46:59 > 0:47:03and no amount of help was going to bring him back to his feet.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17A sprinkle of salt to ward off any bad spirits and then we're off.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27We carry the bamboo pole festooned with our wishes for the coming year.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32As we march through the neighbourhood chanting the Japanese for "let's go",
0:47:32 > 0:47:35we're stopped by people adding their own wishes.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42CHANTING
0:47:45 > 0:47:49It feels like a real honour to be called to the front to lead the team.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58Everyone comes out to wish us well as we make our way to the shrine.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06By 3 o'clock, the teams from across the city
0:48:06 > 0:48:10begin to merge as we get closer to the shrine.
0:48:12 > 0:48:18Our bamboo pole is quickly dwarfed by neighbourhoods who've brought in far bigger poles.
0:48:18 > 0:48:23There are frequent stops for the drunken brave to climb to the top.
0:48:23 > 0:48:29Despite our own flimsy offering, it doesn't stop one of our team making a valiant effort.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40I think we're about halfway from Mr Kosaki's house to the shrine.
0:48:40 > 0:48:46There are lots of very drunken guys having a lot of fun.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48- Konnichiwa!- Konnichiwa!
0:48:48 > 0:48:52I do feel a connection with these people I've never met before just by the fact we're...
0:48:52 > 0:48:56Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
0:48:56 > 0:48:57Yes we can!
0:49:16 > 0:49:18The crowd swells.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21I'm excited, but also a little terrified.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27Our camera crew have to retreat to safety.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30It's too dangerous for anyone but us to be in the thick of it.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35The poles are hurled into the shrine.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Pretty soon, the front of the shrine is crammed with people.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04Yet more and more teams arrive as the priests attempt to keep some semblance of order.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20People have died taking part in this festival,
0:50:20 > 0:50:24but rightly or wrongly, I feel safe in the company of my new friends.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31WOMAN OVER TANNOY
0:50:39 > 0:50:46Finally, a 5 o'clock, the completely naked Shinotoko appears at the top of the main street.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50All he has to do is get the 800m back to the shrine,
0:50:50 > 0:50:57but to do that, he must negotiate his way past me and 10,000 other drunk men.
0:50:58 > 0:51:03We're all increasingly excited by the prospect of banishing a year's worth of bad luck
0:51:03 > 0:51:05by touching his bald head.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18To help redress the odds, the Shinotoko is protected by guards
0:51:18 > 0:51:21armed with buckets of ice-cold water.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24They drench the crowd when they press too close.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32We should be absolutely freezing, but we're packed in so tightly
0:51:32 > 0:51:35there's actually steam coming off our bodies.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Mr Kosaki had told me that being in the scrum is like life -
0:51:41 > 0:51:45sometimes you get pushed down and don't have any control,
0:51:45 > 0:51:49but if you're lucky, someone's there to help you back on your feet.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53You can't see me or the Shinotoko,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57but we're both getting battered in the middle of the scrum.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10The head priest, Mr Yamawaki, keeps a close eye on proceedings.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15All he can do now is watch and pray that the Shinotoko makes it back alive.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23As the Shinotoko makes slow progress towards the shrine,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27people become increasingly desperate to get close to him.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34I'm still trying to touch the Shinotoko,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38but the mass of our bodies straining against each other
0:52:38 > 0:52:39proves too much for some.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50As night falls, the Shinotoko is still battling away.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54He finally reaches the shrine gates, but he still has to get 50m
0:52:54 > 0:52:56across the courtyard to reach safety.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14His team of protectors manage to wrong-foot us
0:53:14 > 0:53:17and make a rush for it round the outside.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Desperate times call for desperate measures,
0:53:22 > 0:53:26and a priest, attached by rolled up loincloths, dives into the throng.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32He comes up short.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47But straight away another priest is dispatched,
0:53:47 > 0:53:50as the danger of the Shinotoko becoming crushed grows ever more real.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16This time, the priests all pull together,
0:54:16 > 0:54:21and the battered and bruised stonemason is hauled to safety.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42The Shinotoko comes back for one last encore.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Inside the shrine, there's huge relief
0:55:09 > 0:55:13that the Shinotoko's made it safely through the biggest journey of his life.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16HE SOBS
0:55:16 > 0:55:20He's checked over by a doctor whilst the head priest has a few words.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42That was absolutely insane.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45I got quite crushed up.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49It's impossible to know where you are, where the Shinotoko is
0:55:49 > 0:55:52and where everyone's trying to crush to.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Everyone's pushing and you just end up pushing with them.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57I kind of thought, "Well, I'm here.
0:55:57 > 0:56:02"It may be my only chance in my life to touch the Shinotoko," so I made a dash for it.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07I didn't manage to touch him, but I was about a metre away,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10flailing madly around like everyone else was.
0:56:11 > 0:56:16In my desperation to touch the Shinotoko, I lost all my team mates.
0:56:16 > 0:56:22So, half-naked and freezing, I have to make my way to Mr Kosaki's house alone.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28'But on my way back, I'm touched by the friendliness of the locals.'
0:56:35 > 0:56:37- You next time.- OK, good.
0:56:41 > 0:56:46'By joining in this festival, it seems I'm becoming accepted by the community.'
0:56:46 > 0:56:50- Take care.- OK, take care.- Bye-bye.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55'Tomorrow the formality of everyday life will return,
0:56:55 > 0:57:01'but for a brief moment, we'd all shared some simple primal sensation of being alive.'
0:57:03 > 0:57:09At the house, everyone's made it back, but all I can think about is having a hot bath.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Oh! Oh!
0:57:13 > 0:57:15I still can't feel my feet.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22The team have been waiting for me before starting our final feast.
0:57:22 > 0:57:27Our one casualty has slept through the entire event.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30ALL CHEER
0:57:35 > 0:57:39'From the outside, Japan can seem like an alien culture
0:57:39 > 0:57:42'but by sharing this intense experience,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45'I do feel like I've made a connection here I never felt before.'
0:57:45 > 0:57:51I would just like to propose a very British toast
0:57:51 > 0:57:55to Mr Kosaki and his extraordinary hospitality
0:57:55 > 0:58:01and for introducing me to the most insane ceremony on the planet.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03LAUGHTER
0:58:03 > 0:58:05You're all mad and I love you!
0:58:05 > 0:58:07Kanpai!
0:58:08 > 0:58:13'The Japanese seem to be in a constant battle between their heads and their hearts...
0:58:15 > 0:58:20'..but for one day every year, Mr Kosaki and his friends allow their hearts to win.'
0:58:48 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:51 > 0:58:54E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk