Sominsai: The End of a 1000-Year-Old Festival

Wed, May 13 2:00 P.M. NH World (11.3)  

SOMINSAI: THE END OF A 1000-YEAR-OLD FESTIVAL takes an in-depth look at the end of Sominsai, a unique cultural festival in Japan. The festival revolves around a traditional ritual in which loinclothed men push themselves to their physical limits through a series of competitive challenges that act as a purification ritual and form of prayer to the Buddha for a bountiful harvest and plentiful health. Watch as hundreds of men plunge into freezing water, get enveloped in smoke, and jostle through the night to battle for a sacred sewing sack that is said to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Duration: 49 minutes and 1 seconds

All broadcast times for this episode: (show all)

Wed, May 13

2:00 P.M.

Sominsai: The End of a 1000-Year-Old Festival     NH World (11.3)

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