Will Robb Photography

The new year here in Japan starts off with some quite masochistic festivals. The other week I went to the Kanchu Suiyoku festival, which is basically a purification festival where men in loincloths (and the occasional woman with a bit more clothing) immerse themselves in a pool of water and ice whilst chanting. It takes place early every January, in the Teppozu Inari Shrine in Tokyo’s Hatchobori area. At this time of years it’s pretty cold, so hats off to the participants.

This is one of the many Hadaka Matsuris (lit. naked festivals) held in Japan during the winter/spring months. In all these festivals the participants (usually local men) subject themselves to freezing conditions and ask the Gods for blessings. In this particular festival, the men get into the ice filled baths and ask for good health and prosperity for their families for the coming year. Not sure how many men get hypothermic as a result, but who am I to question tradition. Have to say though, everyone taking part was pretty brave, my hands were freezing taking photos, so must have been pretty bad for them.

I made the mistake of getting to the festival about 30 minutes before it started. By then the place was mobbed with members of camera clubs already crowded into the best spots for getting photos. I was sadly left in the shadows at the back behind a few people, not the best place for getting shots and I had a big bag and tripod with me so it was a bit difficult to make my way through the crowd, so I stayed put and did what I could. I was hope to get a good pile of shots, some for general stock, some for Lonely Planet, but maybe just have to go with the former as I don’t feel the images were of a good enough quality for the latter. Maybe 3 or 4 just good enough.

The guys at the front must have got a great view. I’m always impressed by the quality of gear the people have here. Usually just old guys from a camera club who want to send their photos to competitions in magazines, or take part in a group exhibition, but they all have top of the range camera bodies and lenses. Canon EOS 1D mk III, L series prime lenses as well as telephoto, Nikon D3, Hasselblad medium format to name a few. They didn’t mind getting close to the water with their gear either. Be careful there chaps. I find it amusing that these guys have such high quality gear, but at some of the press shoots I go to the newspaper and press agency snappers have slightly less quality gear, older and a bit battered through use, no money to replace gear until it really is beyond hope. Oh to have the money of the older Japanese gentlemen who take their hobbies very seriously.

Anyway, the festival started off with a priest giving a blessing to all the participants, then one of the leaders started a series of chants and warm up exercises, which got more intense over time, to get everyone ready to get into the right frame of mind to enter the pool. No-one stayed in too long, maybe about 30 seconds or so, once they started shivering they were out and others got in before finally they had all been in and out, then followed some more warm downs exercises, chants, claps and bows and it was all over. A short festival, maybe only 30 minutes in total, but a good one nonetheless.

The photos themselves maybe don’t do justice, so I included a little video at the end as well. It gives a good idea of the whole workings of these festivals. More to come over the year no doubt.