Designated National Intangible Folk Cultural Property: One of Japan's Three Great Festivals - Mizusawa Ward, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture - Koku-sekiji Temple (Myoken-zan) - Records from February 24th and 25th, 2007 This is a slideshow CD of the "Koku-sekiji Somin-sai," one of Japan's three great festivals, along with Okayama's "Saidai-ji Eyo" and Osaka's "Shitenno-ji Doyadoya." Ironically, the year it was documented, 2007 (Heisei 19), was the last year participants could be seen completely naked. From the following year, 2008, the police intervened, and general participants were prohibited from removing their loincloths. While there are pros and cons, the authors believe that the tradition of the naked festival, which has continued since the Edo period, has been distorted. It was a difficult decision for the chief priest, Yoho Fujinami, but the nakedness of the master continues. The Koku-sekiji Somin-sai, based on the ancient history of Yakushi worship, prays for a bountiful harvest and the warding off of disasters. It consists of the Naked Pilgrimage, Hitaki-nobori (climbing the fire), Betto-nobori (climbing the head priest), Oni-nobori (climbing the demon), and culminates in the Somin-bukuro (Somin bag) battle, a dynamic naked festival woven with water and fire. Masumi Sugae, a traveler who left behind many travelogues in the late Edo period, wrote after seeing the Somin-sai, "It is a rare and defiant festival in the world." Currently, it is designated as an intangible folk cultural property to be preserved by the state, and under the direction of the chief priest of Koku-sekiji Temple, Yoho Fujinami, the Koku-sekiji Somin-sai Preservation Cooperation Association Youth Division manages the festival. This CD is the last photo collection that completely documents the good old days of naked culture that the Koku-sekiji Somin-sai has inherited from generation to generation, and is a valuable work re-edited by unraveling the original images. It has become a moving epic with 389 unpublished images and explanatory images. High-definition images are displayed across the screen with BGM such as Yamabushi, Yama-uchi Bushi, and Oni-daiko playing, and it is a slideshow that changes every 5 seconds, with a running time of 33 minutes. As an appendix, it includes the details of the "Somin-sai Sexual Harassment Poster Scandal" that occurred in 2008, making it an indispensable collector's item for naked festival fans. You are free to print it out as long as you enjoy it personally. You can print up to A4 size. (Compatible with Windows PCs) [Note] For MS-Windows compatible PCs. It will not work on DVD players connected to a TV. You can watch it on the TV screen by connecting your PC to the TV with an HDMI cable and switching to external input.