Women allowed to participate in Japan's 'Naked Man' festival for 1st time in 1,250 years

A shrine in Japan that organises the famous Hadaka Matsuri or 'Naked Man' festival, will allow women to participate for the first time in its 1,250-year history. The women will remain fully-clothed and avoid the traditional clash of semi-naked men in loincloths. They'll participate in the naoizasa ritual, wherein they'll carry bamboo grass wrapped in cloth into the shrine grounds.