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A Japanese ancient 'Naked Men's Festival' where men loin-clothes vie for sacred sticks turned tragic when a participant later died.
The eccentric 'Hadaka Matsuri' festival, as it is called in Japanese, at Okayama's Saidaiji Temple has traditionally been a race of joy for its over 9,000 competitors who vie for the favours of two Japanese gods.
But the midwinter contest, pitting cold and occasionally drunk men in a battle for sacred sticks turned tragic when one participant was injured and later died.
- REUTERS
