Hello Kitty Madness Festival: Wearing a Fundoshi and Showing Her Bare Bottom?

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

The ever-versatile Hello Kitty is actually wearing a fundoshi and showing her snow-white bottom this summer? To celebrate the traditional summer festival of “Hakata Gion Yamakasa” in Kyushu, Japan, the Japanese company “Asunaro Sha” had originally planned to release this month a towel featuring 21 Kitties dressed in fundoshi. However, one Kitty shown from behind was revealing her plump, white bottom, sparking both praise and criticism. Following feedback from the event organizers, the towel’s sale has been confirmed to be halted. It will only be relaunched in August after the design is modified and approval is obtained. By then, the towel you get is unlikely to feature this cute yet slightly sexy Kitty anymore.

But what exactly is the “Hakata Gion Yamakasa” festival that has Kitty donning a male fundoshi and baring her bottom? Designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa is the region’s biggest summer festival, held annually from July 1 to 15. The festival originated in the Kamakura period when an epidemic broke out in the Hakata area, causing major devastation. The founding monk of Jotenji Temple set up an altar to pray for the dispersion of the plague, and the tradition has continued to this day, evolving into the grand and colorful Yamakasa Festival.

 

The festival is primarily held at Kushida Shrine, which enshrines the guardian deity of the Hakata area and serves as a spiritual hub for locals. At Kushida Shrine, you can see the “Yamakasa” floats on permanent display all year round. These floats, crafted with exquisite Hakata doll and Hakata-ori textile techniques, are assembled without using a single nail, showcasing both grandeur and cultural beauty. The climax of the festival is the Oiyama event on the 15th. Starting at 4:59 a.m., a group of men wearing fundoshi shoulder nearly one-ton yamakasa floats and race through the streets of Hakata, presenting a dynamic and spectacular summer celebration.

 

To witness the thrilling sight of multi-ton floats racing and spinning through the streets in perfect harmony with the runners, just head to Kushida Shrine in Hakata, Fukuoka City, during the event period. It’s about a five-minute walk from Daimyo Subway Station, where you can immerse yourself in one of the region’s most traditional summer events.