his Naked Festival takes place in the depths of winter at a Shinto temple on the island of Shikoku. The head priest tosses a small block of wood into a waiting crowd of young men clad only in loincloths. Instant pandemonium ensues as each man does his best to capture it.

It was essential to capture a moment of decisive and self-explanatory action from the mass of writhing bodies, and to work quickly. The entire event lasted no more than five minutes.

Planning is everything in crowded, action-packed situations. I arrived five hours early and camped out on the second floor of the pagoda in the bitter cold to secure a good vantage point for the event.

A Naked Festival