HelloKitty Festival Madness: Thong-Wearing and Bare Bum?

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

 

The ever-versatile Hello Kitty is actually wearing a loincloth and showing off her snowy white bottom this summer? To celebrate Japan’s traditional summer festival in Kyushu, the “Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival,” Japan’s “Asunaro Sha” company originally planned to release this month a towel featuring 21 Kitties in loincloths, but one Kitty shown from the back caused quite a stir due to her round, fair bottom being on full display. Following feedback from the event organizers, the company confirmed that the towel would be taken off the market. It will only be re-released in August after the design is modified and approval is obtained. By then, the adorable yet slightly risqué Kitty won’t be seen on any towels you own.

But what exactly is the “Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival” that has Kitty swapping her usual attire for a male loincloth and showing her bottom? Designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, the “Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival” is the region’s biggest summer celebration, held annually from July 1 to 15. The festival originated during the Kamakura period when an epidemic spread through Hakata, causing widespread disaster. The founding monk of Jotenji Temple set up an altar to pray for the eradication of the disease, and the tradition has continued to this day, evolving into the grand and colorful Yamakasa Festival.

 

The main events take place at Kushida Shrine, which enshrines the guardian deity of the Hakata area and serves as a spiritual hub for locals. At Kushida Shrine, the “Yamakasa” floats—showcasing exquisite craftsmanship in Hakata dolls and Hakata-ori textiles—are on permanent display year-round. These floats are constructed without using a single nail, exuding both grandeur and cultural beauty. The highlight of the festival is the Yamakasa race on the 15th. Starting at 4:59 a.m., men clad in loincloths shoulder massive floats—weighing nearly one ton—and dash 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 their bearers, just head to Kushida Shrine in Hakata, Fukuoka City, during the event period. It’s about a five-minute walk from yamaguchi Subway Station, where you can immerse yourself in one of the region’s most traditional summer events.