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NO GO: JR East rejected the poster promoting the Somin Festival, saying it could be seen as sexual harassment. -- PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO - THE promotion of a millennium-old festival in Japan that features naked men has hit a snag. A top railway operator has objected to advertisements created for the event, saying they are too racy.
The northern city of Oshu draws thousands of tourists every February to the Somin Festival at Kokuseki Temple, in which naked men pile upon one another and frolic about late into the night to pray for good luck.
The city has printed posters for the festival for decades, but this year, East Japan Railway (JR East) has refused for the first time to put up the ads at its train stations.
The poster for this year's festival on Feb 13 features a bearded middle-aged man with thick chest hair, who appears to be howling. Other men, wearing only loincloths, cluster in the background.
JR East's branch in Morioka city said displaying the poster could constitute sexual harassment.
'Train stations are used by a wide range of people and it is highly possible that some passengers may be offended by the poster design,' said spokesman Kaichi Yamasaki.
Ms Kumiko Chiba, an Oshu official in charge of festival affairs, said the city first brought the poster to JR East in November and hoped it would take 600 as usual.
After JR East asked for changes, the local government put white loincloths on all of the men - who were originally naked.
'But the poster was again turned down,' Ms Chiba said.
'We gave up on any more modifications due to the costs and the approaching date of the festival.'
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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